20 Things I learned from my 20 yr HS Reunion

Just returned from our high school reunion and my mind is in overdrive from so many things I observed and am still processing.
Here are a few things that have been encircling my thought pattern and are begging for a place to land. (Good thing I have a blog page!!) These are not necessarily written in order of importance or in order of occurrence. Maybe you can relate to some of them.

• 1) 4 out of 5 women wore black to the reunion. The color is slimming and it looks good on just about anybody.
• 2) Men don't nearly feel the pressure to "keep themselves up" as women do. That was evident over and over again. TOTALLY NOT FAIR!!!
• 3) People are having children a lot later in life. Gregg and I had some of the oldest children represented at the reunion.
• 4) 15 people from our class live in California. "They say Caly-forny is the place you wanna be."
• 5) 1 person has died from our class. I didn't know him personally, but it still makes me sad.
• 6) Hiring a DJ for a reunion is a waste of money. Plug an i-pod into a laptop, hook it up to some speakers, and away you go-go. (Remember WHAM??)
• 7) People aren't interested in dancing at reunions. They want to spend their time socializing with one another. Besides, the plastic parquet dance floor is just too easy to slip on.
• 8) Sometimes, you run across people that still remember the smallest things about high school. Truly amazing. I have trouble remembering what day it is, but they can tell me their locker combo, class schedule for their sophomore year, and who was dating whom.
• 9) Gregg was clearly more recognizable than me at the reunion. People would approach him, shake his hand, tell him how good it was to see him. Then they would look over at me with this blank look on their face. Either I was a "nobody" in HS or they didn't recognize me. This became somewhat annoying yet laughable, throughout the evening.
• 10) The interior of a school can change a lot in 20 years. So can its staff. I think there were just a small handful of teachers that are still around from way back then.
• 11) If you are balding, shaving your head is the best option when going back to your HS reunion. That way, no one really can tell where you are in the journey of "hair recession."
• 12) Some friendships have a rare ability of picking up where they left off. When talking with them, it is very difficult to imagine that 20 years has slipped by.
• 13) Some people were more outgoing in HS than they are now.
• 14) Being a part of a sport or organization in HS, gives you the opportunity to connect faster with other students. Those connections and experiences together hold true when you see them at the reunion. Take note of the GSHS Class of 87 "Band Geek" pic at the top of the blog for case in point. Click on it to make it bigger.
• 15) A hug from an old friend feels especially good, and reminds you of how much you enjoyed "living life" with them "back in the day."
• 16) Being in this environment this weekend was a good reminder for me of some of the things my daughters will be feeling and facing in the near future as they enter their teen years. Social rankings, the unnecessary importance placed on what other's think of you, a lack of self-confidence in the HS, etc., are important things to have a clear perspective on as you carefully walk through the teen years with your children.
• 17) It is helpful to dig out your old yearbook before you attend the reunion. Study it on the way (in our case, we had 6 hours to do that), so you can refresh your memory on who is who.
• 18) I went from occasional church attender in HS, to Christ-follower in my adult years. Praise God!!! From several conversations I had this weekend, I know I am not the only one who was blessed by those changes in their lives. I prayed God would give me an opportunity to have some Level 5 (i.e. deep and meaningful) conversations this weekend and He gave that to me. I am better for it!
• 19) My 3 1/2 inch heels were killing me by the end of the evening. Who was the one who said "It is better to look good than to feel good."
• 20) It was especially fun to attend this event with my "boyfriend" of 20 years. :) He still "floats my boat" and I thought he looked especially handsome that night. No one would have believed his 12 year old daughter shopped for him and picked out his outfit all by herself.