Bloomed with Vengeance

My 20-year high school reunion was last weekend. The festivities lasted all 3 days, but I only felt compelled to attend one of them. I attended the 10-year, and at the time, I was surprised at how beautiful all the women were and how fat and bald all the men had become. This weekend, the women were still very beautiful, and I was particularly impressed with everyone's social skills.

Several months back, one old friend found me through the reunion website, and we've been pretty tight ever since. We did Bay to Breakers together, and I learned that my outstanding crowd management skills came from High School. (Berkeley High School survivors learn first to make their way through a crowd and only second the fate of the Merchant of Venice or how to employ the quadratic equation.) She had the same crowd skills and told me where we got it.

I've emailed with a few others too. I am overwhelmed at what a deeply good group of people they are. One old friend whispered in my ear, "I wonder how this feels for the people who used to be the beautiful ones for everyone else to have come into their own." It's true. Erin Mallory is still stunning but so was everyone else. She didn't stand out anymore. Likewise, I saw no correlation between relative current success and HS performance. (But that might be influenced by my idea of success -- a fundraiser for the ACLU would be very successful whereas an administrator isn't. Is that normal?) Strangely, everyone was keen to chat about bikes all night long. One guy, who dated one of my friends freshman year, sent me an email the next day saying something about me having come into my own with a "vengeance" -- how poetic.

I avoid parties, large groups and people I don't know. This habit is a bit of a social detriment. Last weekend, I knew everyone, and everyone knew me. Everyone even knew what a disaster my family has been. Political differences came up, but we had a common ground like falling on feathers. No need to avoid or explain boring things either.

All this having been said, I don't regret having a low-key dinner with my (non-HS) friends Saturday night instead of going to the $75 event or going sailing Sunday instead of the family picnic. If I'd stayed any longer, something bad would have happened. So, I didn't.