Well, I went to my reunion and it was not nearly half as bad as I thought it would be; nor did I have a personality cancer relapse. Actually it was pretty hard to sit by myself without someone approaching me or taking pictures. It was cute and I enjoyed myself. I got there 45 minutes late because of traffic being backed up the wazoo also because I left terribly late. Didn’t matter though because no one really got there until 9pm; it started @ 7pm. From what Claude told me, most people came out to the club at McFaden’s Friday night in which they got thrown out of 🙂
Although I was 45 minutes late, they told me they have not done anything yet. I was greeted at the door with purple and gold balloons and a purple and gold Mardi Gras bead necklaces to wear. Duh, the school colors are purple and gold. I also got a gold card for some free drinks at the bar (didn’t use it since I don’t drink) and a Jillian’s game card. We all sat around chatting about high school memories, of what we could remember, also talking about what we do now. I had a plate of vegetables and two glasses of sweet tea and cherries. I tried not to touch the broccoli too much; nothing like walking around the rest of the night with green seeds stuck to your front teeth. It was nostalgic trying to remember each other’s faces and names at first but as the night when on it got easier. Surprisingly, most of them said they still lived here in Newport News … that’s strange, I thought because Newport News is a very small city so I don’t understand how I have not run across any of them in 10 years. All but Claude.
Natasha kept cracking jokes (as usual). She cracked me up when she said “Wow, white people SURE DO drink a lot”! … and they did. The white people out-numbered the black people. There were only two tables of “us” and 10 other tables of white people. I could not remember her name but I remember she was a cheerleader. She just kept drinking, and drinking, on and on and by the end of the night she was trying to pick up the manager of Jillian’s. I didn’t see her without a beer in her hand.
People were exchanging numbers and all that but I didn’t bother for two reasons:
1)I have not called any of these people in 10 years, so I know I am not going to call them 10 days, 10 weeks, or even 10 months from now.
and 2) I came to know these people in a time in my life when I was a teenager and we had things in common, now we have nothing in common. We have all grown up now and have our lives, I would never regain the relationship I had before in high school because I have no interest too and we are adults and different people now; our mentalities are not the same. I like to keep them at a 5 year away distance because it would defeat the purpose of a “reunion”. It would not be special anymore if we stayed in touch on the regular. Don’t get me wrong, I love my fellow classmates and I will come to every reunion as long as I am alive and able, I would not miss one for the world, but realistically, we all know we are still trying to make our own lives. If they need to stay in touch, they know where to reach me, Classmates.com and also at the MHS reunion web site. I have no need to have them close to me like that. I know I would not call them or want to hang out because I don’t do much hanging out anyway. I know that sounds harsh but everyone thinks that way; it just sounds harsh when it’s all laid out word-for-word in front of you. They are like casual strangers. I know them but I don’t really KNOW them and I have no desire to. I want to remember them as they were in high school. I am sure they ALL feel that same way too; that’s just what life dishes out. The only exception is my best-friend Keysha in which I stay in touch with regularly because we continued to go out with each other after high school, but even our contact is not constant. Don’t get me wrong, I felt very happy to see them however, it’s not so happy where I want to get their number and hang out like the ol’ days … I just don’t and wouldn’t have the time. I have a new band of friends now.
We all gave toasts midway through the reunion and then went out to play some games. At around 12:30 most of us called it quits and headed our own separate ways (again). We gave XOXOs and wish each other well and safe trips back where we came from. I got a little teary-eyed at the end because just at that moment, I had a flashback of June 18th, 1995, our high school graduation because that was the last time I had seen these folks and here we are going our separate ways once again.
I left with Keisha and Aaron to the garage and they drove me back to my car in another garage. We said see you in another 5 years and they were gone once again.
One thing we could all agree on though, was that we were the last REAL class that graduated from Menchville. On top of that, in my senior year, our football team won the first Homecoming game in 14 years. Yeah, Menchville High football team sucked THAT bad, but the class of ’95 changed all that. However, I have heard the school has gone to juvenile delinquents now and has gone downhill since ’95.
Nonetheless, I had a good time and I took lots of pixx of which I will put up when I get ready.
But oh well, I had a good time … the next reunion’s in five years. But I’m going to bed now … feel like I could sleep forever.
Behold the yellow and gold. Da ‘Ville. Menchville Monarchs forever.