Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Tears and fears and feeling proud

Just a few thoughts before we fly:

Reading Rande Barker's post, and spending two weeks before the reunion trying unsuccessfully to convince another old friend to come, I find myself ineffably sad.

You see, I felt some of the same doubts. I'm 40 pounds heavier than I was in high school, and I didn't have that many good friends in our graduating class. Most of you were people I envied for what seemed to me your easy confidence in navigating those years.

I told Dale that I had never gone out with anyone in our class. Her response was perfectly true.

"You never asked."

Of course she was right. I looked at my yearbook pictures for the first time in 36 years and realized I was a nicer looking kid than I had ever imagined.

Heck, I thought I was a troll.

Rande, I was in the band, so I saw the majorettes all the time. You were so incredibly beautiful back then, and it would have been wonderful to see you no matter what. I'm sorry you couldn't make it.

Ditto to so many of the rest of you.

Did we all get nicer over 40 years or did we just come to the realization that nobody gets out of here alive and we might as well love each other?

2 comments:

Dale Morgan said...

At the small lunch gathering on Saturday that Steve DiAntonio set up at "Table Talk," a lot of us started talking about the same thing Mike touched upon. That is; how insecure we felt back then and how we each thought everyone else had their act together. I was truly shocked that I felt just like everyone else. Too bad we are just now figuring that out...but...so great that we finally have. I just have loved getting to know more and more of you at each of these reunions.

Dale Morgan

Dale Morgan said...

Rande was at the reunion. Just not enough time to get around to see everyone. She is STILL incredibly beautiful, both inside and out.