Those were the days

Oh, man, it's reunion time. Here's me way back when:

And here's even way-er back:

And way backer than that:

And worst of all, the way way back inna day picture:

I've been exploring a reunion site put together by old classmates. Tons of old and new pictures. Stories from our misspent youth. Secrets of High School that are just coming out.

And surprisingly, it's kinda fun.

When I left high school, I had no intention of ever seeing anyone there ever again. I did not like it. It was not Party Central time for me. I was not popular, well-loved, admired, but merely tolerated on most days. Granted, I was an obnoxious ass on my bad days, but there was stuff going on; at home, at school, and in my head. I had a gang of friends I hung out with, but for the most part they were older. Or younger. The one junior guy I had a big thing for my sophmore year (see above picture) ripped my heart out, stomped it into the ground, ground it up beneath his heels, and dumped me for a drum majorette. She was nice, though.

My senior year I had a thing for a sweet shy goofy smart guy named Sean. He had something in there for me too; whether it was just for amusement or loneliness or the comfort of being with someone who liked him. But he'd call me ten minutes after I dropped him off after school and say "What are we doing this afternoon?" Gosh, he was precious, until his stock rose and he was off in a whirl to grad parties and beach blasts I couldn't get invited to if I tried. (He did answer my e-mail this week asking him if he'd been informed about the reunion, so apparently 20 years has mellowed him a little.)

The funny thing is that I'm so much happier now than I was then, and so now I'm actually looking forward to the reunion. It makes a weird sort of sense. I didn't like myself very much then, because I had that huge failing of judging myself by what others thought of me. Now, though, I've really learned not to give a rat's patootie. At least, not nearly as much as I used to. Maybe it's age, maybe I'm more mature, maybe I just got bold, or tired of caring so much. But I like where I am, and I like who I am. Maybe that is what I was missing all along.

At any rate, I'm going to the reunion, and in the meantime, I am contacting a few people the committee hasn't mentioned yet to let them know I'd love to see them. Who knows, maybe I'm the only person who lets them know it's on. I only found out about it because one of the class nice guys goes to church with me. Who else might they have missed?

So here's me, now, with the LC and JJ. And I guarantee it's the happiest picture of the bunch.