A high school reunion seems to be one of those things in life that has no middle ground. You are either someone who has always planned on attending the 10-year event. Or you always knew you wouldn't.
I always knew I'd go.
It was last night.
And despite the weird apprehension that came over me as we drove up to the event and the deep breath I had to take to actually go in, it was really fun.
And totally surreal.
My husband's close friend used the term "swollen" to describe some of the classmates at their high school reunion last month. And, yes, that applied at mine as well, especially to the guys. Several, at least, were heavier and many had lost their hair. Others, though, looked almost exactly the same, if just a bit older.
The girls, for the most part, all looked great. Only one of the popular girls had gained a significant amount of weight (and don't we always hope to see the most popular girl show up at the reunion with an extra 30 pounds she just couldn't lose after having the quarterback's firstborn?).
The best part, though: Everyone was nice. The cool kids still hung together, and the cliques were evident sort of -- but I didn't feel shut out like I did in high school. Everyone seemed to be cool to everyone.
It was strange seeing kids I'd gone to elementary school with, a few my best friend, Jenny, and I played with often. The boys who lived on either end of her block, who'd ride their bikes past and stop to play kickball with us in the street. I had to ask one of those now grown-up boys who he was; he looked that different. The other one remembered going to the lakes for a late summer party my friend, Jessica, and I organized when we were 11. I had forgotten about that party until he mentioned it. And then we both remembered it was cloudy and cold but we went anyway.
Of course, a few of my close friends were there, too. And that's what really made it fun. As adults, we don't get to just hang out often enough, if at all.
I'll take this excuse to do that, at least every 10 years.
