Living Time Capsule

I've done a lot of posting here over the years.

The forthcoming reunion is on the horizon. This always brings back memories, thoughts of lost classmates, and realizations that this could be the last time I see someone from them.

But I chose not to attend, again. Why?

I chose not to attend the 10th due to economics and shame. I was a lowly waiter in a restaurant. I job I had not strayed very far from since high school. I had done nothing to be proud of. I had not attended a spring break, not become some millionaire tycoon or held an advanced degree in academia. In my eyes, I was nobody. Looking back, I now realize I was in a sea of nobodies, trying to be something I was not, longing to appear to be something or someone grand.

10 years later, it was 1994. A last minute call from either Laura Wiitanen or Deb Carlson brought me to the Friday night event where I had a blast and pursued the Saturday night event with my then wife, Nancy. I was a mere loan officer in a shaky job, attempting to appear to be something I wasn't. I'd made no fortune, had no grand life experiences and had several conversations with friends that shifted my opinion of the reunion experience. Now, it was all about recapturing my youth. We also attended the 21st impromptu party and it was there I noticed Deb and Mark Karras had gotten together. 

Nine years later, I upped for Reunion Committee duty and thought it would enhance the fun. It didn't, but I stuck it out. I wanted to quit when I thought my opinions would cause problems. The very people I had problems with talked me into staying. In turn, later, they stopped attending the meetings and were rude at the reunion. We had an after reunion campfire, and even kept in touch for a while, but that soon subsided.

Then came the 40th in 2014. I found out Deb had been ousted as Treasurer. Mark was no longer interested and Deb, hurt by her turncoat sister in law Laura's actions, wasn't either. I opted out and didn't attend.

The same is now looming this year. It's brought more reflections.
Despite growing older, few have actually grown UP. The cheerleader like cliques of high school have remained. The strong distaste I had for those people then, returned. I realized WHY I never joined many things back then. Simply put, I don't NEED them to enhance my self esteem. I've always been fine on my own, and often prefer it.

In short, give me my tree house... or better still MUSIC over a drunken frat party. And THAT's what it all boiled down to. While they were building floats, I was at band practice.

Nah, I'll not be attending the reunion. I'll keep my flag, and my 30th reunion memories and walk away. I had thought seriously about going to the bar, like a fly on the wall at their party site. But... WHY?  It's at the Middleburg Brew Garden. That's not necessarily an establishment that has live music... especially at the end of October. PLUS, that's the weekend before Halloween. I could conceivably have a photo gig that night. DIRT had originally thought of having us shoot their show at the sly fox that night. 

Nah... I'm done

Realizations

Life is still teaching me lessons.

Things don't change. You change them.

People don't change and you can't make them unless they want to.

When it comes to debilitating emotional problems,  humanity still does not have the capacity to deal with them. Drugs, therapy and other alternatives may not help. In the case of one 14 year old girl, people are now afraid of her. Perhaps it's time to institutionalize her.