In 21 days I'll be home again. It continues to amaze me how much I miss it and how untrue that adage, "You can never go home again," really is. I feel this is easily proved untrue as long as the people you hold dear remain there still holding up that piece of your heart that you left behind.
Just this morning I received the following unofficial questionnaire with regards to our upcoming (Class o' '98) reunion -- my essentially-official answers are included :)
Are you interested in attending reunion?
Duh.
Will your significant other or spouse attend with you?
This immediately makes me unexcited because while I know that's what 98% of reunion goers look forward to showcasing, I tend to think that has to be the lamest form of torture for one's significant other ever. I can't imagine going to someone else's _0-year reunion and seeing all these people my person vaguely remembers had hair, being the most desirable, etc. I mean, what could be worse than having gobs of people gush about what you were to someone who's more concerned about what you are right now?
Time of year best to have reunion?
July/August -- because I still cling to a great desire to have a summer vacation. Teach for America, I've still got my eye on you.
July/August -- because I still cling to a great desire to have a summer vacation. Teach for America, I've still got my eye on you.
Hors d’oeurves or dinner?
Let's grill yo!
Occupation:
Let's just say that I'm still working on fulfilling my "Most Likely to Succeed" superlative/expectation.
How long have you had the job:
Well thankfully "success" is relative. I've had the job long enough to where my co-workers save me a seat at lunch, thereby proving that my popularity reign continues 10 years later...
Marital status:
Maritally challenged.
Children:
Naw, and I don't presume I'll have any by the time 2008 rolls around either.
College:
University of South Carolina - Columbia -- I might have to pull out the ol' Hard Cock Cafe t-shirt for the after party.
Degree:
You mean that thing I'm not really using at the moment?
Describe yourself in high school:
Easy-going overachiever, popular outsider, student-athlete. I was steady straddlin' the lines, holdin' down my road less traveled :)
High school experience -- fun, awful, neutral:
Fun. There are times I feel Springsteen's "Glory Days" sums it up best, and then there are times when I am almost overcome by the nostalgia: August days in the gym preparing for another (elusive) run at the volleyball state title, primo parking in the senior lot, chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven, always being tardy, drafting lists about classmates and diplomatically refusing to acknowledge their disdain when the lists were accidentally found, waving at the principals as I drove off campus to go to lunch and wavin' back at them when we returned, the embarrassing excitement of Awards Day, the "no cheating" boards in Mrs. McLeod's chemistry class (heh.), Mrs. Baker (literally) segregating me from the rest of the Algebra II class (it was me, black girl, under the TV facing all of my white peers), Mrs. Wade always wiping chalk all over her behind and then giggling about it for the boys, the sounds of sneakers squeaking on the freshly waxed gym floor in November when basketball season started, Coach Turner's bare, bowed legs, James Taylor's "Greatest Hits" playing on repeat in Teacher Cadet & Physics with Ronnie D., "Hail to thee our Alma Mater/Pickens High of well-known fame/whose history's rich with proud achievement/whose past has won a great name/Hail to thee our loving Mother/who lives in past and future, too ..."
How have you changed since high school:
Well, at this time we can start off by saying that you couldn't pay me to put on a pair of those varsity bloomers (which may or may not be unfortunate); however, I'm hoping that'll change to some degree by the time we all gather to jam to the songs o' '98!
But anyway, I'm a lot more comfortable in this skin of mine, my hair is definitely better, I no longer drink Gatorade on a regular basis (mostly because I have found more faithful substitutes) and I'm more adventurous.
Who would you most like to see at the reunion:
I want to see everyone. My old teammates; Ann Andrea; Emilie, Wes and the rest of the Brew Crew (incl. the "now sobered and saved" if there are any); the people I was cool with in high school but haven't seen/spoken to since then; even the sullen, moody people who always wanted to tell me off but never got the chance (because one encounter in a BP gas station led me to believe it that these people apparently exist. It's astonishing, I know, but yeah ...).
Errybody. Hug one, hug all :)
Who was your best friend in high school:
Lisa. Duh. Of course, she totally won't be there, but I'll carry her in spirit -- most noticeably as the angel on my shoulder cautioning me against a) drinking more than I'd originally intended b) whippin' out my trusty Moleskin to start new lists! and c) speculatin' about people in general.
With which former classmates do you keep in touch
Nikki, Regina, Lisa, Laura, Jennifer (Black) Redding, Jayme
Favorite teacher from high school:
I really have so many! Loved me some Mrs. Hicks and Newman, Troy Terry, Connie T., Mrs. Chance, Ronnie D., Frank, Mrs. Wade & Mahaffey
Favorite activities:
Basketball & volleyball, anything that got me out of class at any time
Send old and new photo:
I'll add this when I unearth them at home and bring 'em in ...