I have a high school reunion coming up in a little over one month. (And no, I will not tell you how long it’s been since I graduated from high school!)

I’ll admit that I’m excited to see some old friends. There are a few people I was great friends with in high school, but have barely spoken to (if at all) since graduation. There were no “falling-outs” or anything… life just takes different people to different places.

 

Facebook has been a great way to touch base with some of my former classmates, but I really don’t spend a lot of time there. And even when I do, it still seems a little impersonal. So, yes, I could say that I’m looking forward to seeing some of these people, in person, and catching up with them to see how their lives are going.

 

But, no matter who you are, I think there are some fears associated with these types of reunions as well. I know I’d be surprised to see the “football star” chubby and losing his hair. Or to find out that the class president dropped out of college to start a band that has since gone nowhere. (Disclaimer: If any of my former classmates read this, please know I am not talking about anyone in particular… these are hypothetical scenarios.)

 

So, I wonder how my classmates will see me. I was a good student, editor of my high school newspaper, and graduated near the top of my class (not that any of that really means anything in the “real world.”) Will they be surprised that I didn’t become a lawyer, as I thought I would back then? Will they even recognize me when they see me? Will I recognize them?

 

It’s funny, because I am generally happy with my life. Sure, I would like to earn a little more and weigh a little less. But I have a nice home and a great marriage (and more cats than a sane, married woman should.) For some reason though, I had been a little stressed about going to my reunion. But sometime over the past few weeks, I had an epiphany. When I go to this reunion (and there are a few people I’ll be dragging along with me - you know who you are!), I am going to take this very rare opportunity to catch up with some of the people I grew up with; people who knew me when I had big hair and stupid clothes, and worked at the Orange Julius. People who may not have been my best friends, but were still part of some pretty important moments of my childhood.

 

And some of them today will have better jobs and bigger bank accounts, and some of them may be having a harder time in life. But it will be great to see them all, and to reminisce, however briefly.