30 Years, Really?

They say you're a success if you can laugh at yourself.  Ok, I say that, but I think it's a great quality to possess. I am reminding myself of this on this "Throwback Thursday" as I share with you my high school senior picture.  Brace yourself.  Just know, I was a late bloomer.  My own children have had some belly laughs over it.  Even my late husband when seeing it said, "Sorry, I wouldn't have dated you."  Ouch.  As you might imagine, I never had one date in high school.  It's ok.  It didn't help that I ran cross-country, sometimes 10 miles a day and weighed 90 pounds, I literally looked like a poster-child from Ethiopia.  So, here it is.....

Fast forward to my 10 year high school reunion and I secretly vowed to bring the hottest guy as my date, which I did.  I forgot to mention I was made fun of/picked on (see picture) by the boys in my class so I was ready show myself off.  This was silly, I know, but I no longer had a little girl's body and looked like the above picture and I had something to prove.  Even if it was just to myself.  It was a great time, I went with my best friend and her husband.  The most meaningful part of the entire night (anyone who knows me, knows I'm all about meaning) was when a guy I grew up with came up to me and said he wanted to apologize to me.  I was stunned.  He said he was sorry for completely ignoring me in grade school and for making fun of me in high school.  Wow!  How cool was that?  

We didn't have a 20 year reunion, we had a 21 year reunion.  I have always compared my very insecure high school experience to my late husband Jeff's complete opposite high school experience.  Not a good idea.  He grew in Wichita, Kansas his entire life.  He actually went to kindergarten through high school with the same kids.  There's even a picture of like 60 kids that all went through together.  And he was one of the extremely popular kids, where you look at the yearbook and he's on every other page. Really not making this up.  So, could not relate.  Again look at my photo.  There's a point to all this.

I flew to Phoenix for the 21 year reunion, Jeff did not go with me.  He was already battling his brain cancer so I made the quick trip by myself.  It was great to see my cross country friend Linda and our coach Joe Lange.  But I still felt a bit out of place, a little like high school.  Came home and received the DVD in the mail of pictures from the reunion. Lots of pictures from the big event.  I was not in one of them.  Jeff was sitting next to me as we looked at them.  I felt so embarrassed.  He actually asked if I really had gone to the reunion.  Right then I announced that I will never go to another high school reunion. EVER.  I never want to feel that again.  

And here we are.  2014.  It's our 30 year this year.  Guess who is planning the reunion?  That's right, me.  I'm still not quite sure how this has happened when I specifically vowed to never go to another reunion.  What the heck?  I better be in at least one picture.  What I do know is Facebook has entered all our lives and I feel such a connection that wasn't there before.  I have even gotten together with WHS Alumni when I was in Phoenix since starting our FB class page and that would have never happened without Facebook.

I am grateful for a bond I believe many have formed because of Facebook.  We have lost a couple a dear classmates/friends and for many of us who are out of town that was our only way we were able to stay in touch with these friends.  

 Life is precious and fleeting and short.  We really don't know how much time we have.  It will be 7 years in April that my sweet husband passed away, he was way too young.  And his high school class (1983) just in the past 2 months have lost 4 class members unexpectedly.  I really want to encourage all of you 1984 Rams to make an effort to attend the 30 year class reunion.  If I am attending and I said I would never go to another one, certainly you can try to be there.  I would love to sit and visit and chat and laugh and catch-up with whomever shows up.  

Will you show up?  I hope so.