In some ways, it's crazy that it's been 20 years since high school graduation - feels like yesterday? Or does it? Actually, it feels like 1000 years ago. It feels like so much life has happened and I'm such a different person. Before the days of Facebook, I don't know if I would have even cared about a 20th high school reunion. Truthfully, I had very few close friends in high school, especially in my own class. Let's face it, I spent most of my free time with my horse or doing homework, and my perennial best friend didn't even go to Cottonwood (Adi was an Oly Titan.) And, I truly hadn't seen most of my graduating class since graduation - maybe I ran into a few at the U once in a while, but I didn't hang out with any of them, hardly ever. Most of my 20th reunion connections were folks that I was friends with in jr. high or had gone to church with. But, over the last 10 years of internet connections, I have really reconnected with a few choice people from the past, and our class officers did a great job of getting us all connected online, for the reunion, a whole year in advance. We had been having great conversations all year online in preparation for it. So, we were all kind of really excited to go and see each other in person. We really wanted to see how we had all turned out in real life, not just on the internet!
It turns out - we are all pretty much the exact same as we were in high school, personality-wise at least. Sure we've got a few more kids, relationships, degrees, and jobs under our belts. But, beneath all the fabulous, witty, and even brutally honest, Facebook posts and blogs we've shared over the years, we're all still the same dorky people we've always been. Sure we've grown up and look a little more sophisticated on the outside (getting out of the '90s hair and clothes didn't hurt,) but talking to each person was nearly exactly like it always had been. It was kind of a relief, actually. Although, we are definitely better versions of our old selves. The awkwardness (mostly) was gone, the prejudices and cliques (mostly) were gone. The worrying about what people think of you was (mostly) gone. And, we just were able to totally appreciate each other for the great people we all are and always have been. It was seriously refreshing and so cool. I think a few things speak volumes about the character of the folks in our class, and the growing up we've done:
1- We had a classmate show up who was formerly a "him" and is now a "her." SHE was treated with nothing but love and respect and support. Afterwards, she made a very sincere comment about how worried and stressed she was to come to the reunion, only to find out that she had absolutely no reason to be and that apparently, she was the only one who was worried about it. The rest of us just took it in stride and accepted her and didn't bat an eyelash. How cool would it be if you could do that as a teenager? So much anguish could be avoided. Sheesh.
2- I had a girl, who was actually kind of mean to me in high school, and not the nicest in college either, come up to me and sincerely apologize for being a jerk when she was younger and hoped that I knew that she really liked me and that she realizes how badly behaved she and others had been. I know that I live in a glass house when it comes to that too. I'm sure I made more than one person feel bad or awkward, simply because I didn't know how to treat them, or was afraid of being nice to them. It took a lot of guts for her to say it out loud. Being a grown up is really so awesome.
3- We had kids from EVERY "group" show up, and have a great time. The stoner kids, the dweebs, the cheerleaders, the nerdy kids, the drama geeks, the jocks, the quiet music kids, the popular ones, the funny ones, the loners, the girls who used to go to the bathroom in packs. They all came! And, they all felt welcome (made apparent from firsthand comments that were made afterward on the Facebook page.) Kudos to our class officers for creating that environment and vibe. They really did a stellar job of convincing everyone that we were ALL truly welcome and wanted.
Our reunion was split into 2 nights.
Night one - we all gathered at Cottonwood High School for a 3 hour chit-chat session. It was kind of a "don't bring your spouse or a date" night. Just come and talk with people. We did talk. They could barely get people to come past the foyer in the front door. As soon as everyone walked in, they stopped right where they were and started talking. They had a photo booth, an ice cream stand, and a few memorabilia, but it was very simple. It was mostly about the talking.
(Me, Angie Shupe, and Missy Harker)
Apparently, we didn't get enough time to talk. On our way out, as the custodian had to literally, kick us out and lock the door, Art VanWagonen started egging everyone to go to "moon rock." Um, we are grownups now, and seriously don't need to go to moon rock. But it was a great idea to go somewhere and keep chatting. Some groups headed down to a bar to watch Becky deAzevedo play piano and sing. But, the rest of us decided we could have a better conversation and get some much needed food if we headed to an all-night diner. I'm pretty sure it had been at LEAST 20 years since I set foot in Belgian Waffle. It was like de-ja-vu to walk in there. It is exactly the same. We ordered food and talked until 2am when the Motley Crue concert after party got so loud an obnoxious we decided to leave. Plus, 2am - for real. We knew we'd be ruined the next day for sure. That was probably the most fun I have had with friends in simply years.
So, obviously... we totally couldn't wait for night 2!
Night two was a bit different. They had a formal dinner at the top of the Zion Bank building downtown in City Creek. The view of the city was amazing. It was really well done. Most everyone had spouses or dates, so the awkward, "meet my husband" parts of the conversations were there. But, there are a surprising number of my classmates who "married in the corral" and we already knew their spouses anyway. David was hoping he'd be remembered by and get to talk to more of his old flames from my class. But he ran into a few. We were definitely missing people. Still, it was a really nice evening with great food, a simple, but cool program, and plenty of time to talk some more. I have to admit, taking pictures just isn't the first thing you do when you are trying to catch up like that. I tried to get a few, but I didn't get very many and half turned out blurry.
My hot date and me :)
Janny Daynes!
Katie. Clifford. Honestly, she's the best. We've been dorky together since 7th grade.
Brenda Hendricks and Jessie Rather - haven't changed a bit!
(I seriously don't know any of their married names, sorry gals.)
Don't know who took this one, but found it on the CHS Facebook page.
Katie and me - blurry of course.
Me, Alechia (who seriously looked amazing - can't believe this is my only pic of her), Katie, Ashley, Jen, and Becky
Marie Larsen! I think she was the only Cottonwood 12th Ward gal who came besides me.
Where were Chelsy, Tyra, Laurie, and the likes?
Lots of folks were "making the drive home" early the next morning, or were on the babysitting clock, so there were fewer available for after parties. David was super nice and went home to sleep so that he could get up and drive the next day, and let me go back to find some more friends.
After much debate, we ended up at The Cheesecake Factory in City Creek. It was an okay choice. But, we all looked at the closing time of 12:30pm and knew it wouldn't suffice. We stuffed ourselves with cheesecake, in a smaller crowd than the night before. Alechia Crown, Paul Florence and his wife, Katie Clifford! (a notable absence the night before,) now I've already forgotten exactly who was there... I want to say Leisel Powell? Ashley Stillman? I know Andrea Candland and hubby were there. Memory is not my strength these days. Anyway, just a few of us. We lingered outside Cheesecake factory after it closed for a long time. Paul Florence is a person I wish I had known better in high school. He is just a seriously good guy. We finally put it together that I taught with his dad over at Olympus for all those years and I never figured out the connection. We decided we wished that the Florences would move to ABQ or that we should move to San Francisco. We entirely need more friends like those Florence folks.
Alechia, who had flown in at the LAST minute from BRAZIL, just for the reunion, was just as peachy as anyone could ever be. I miss that girl so much. I am so grateful she went through so much to be there! Jared and I had talked on the phone the morning before my reunion and we agreed that going to the reunion isn't about YOU. It's about all the people who have come a long way to SEE YOU. You just really have to go, for everyone else's sake, if not for your own.
After the couples left, Alechia, Katie, and I sat on a rock in the middle of City Creek Plaza and talked for a very long time. We talked about everything, every subject under the sun, and decided that we pretty much are the worst for living so far away from each other and letting so many years go by without connecting more. Katie in San Francisco now, Alechia in Brazil, and me in ABQ. At about 2am, a fellow class-mate came stumbling through the plaza from another after-party, and we realized what time it was and that we were the only ones left in the whole plaza. Maybe even downtown. It was eerily quiet and empty. We decided we better hightail it out of there and be responsible adults and go home. After all, this was night two of staying out until after 2am, and for me, the 3rd night of after 1am (picking up David from the airport.) If you could only have the freedom of youth and the wisdom of a grown-up in the same package - you could really get something done, right?! (Insert the beginnings of all of our mid life crises.)
Well, I would have never expected to have that much fun at a high school reunion. I skipped my 5th, hated my 10th, and really didn't know what to expect for the 20th. I think it was more awesome than you could hope for. I came out of it, somehow, in charge of the 30th? I must have been delirious from lack of sleep to have agreed to that. Now, a couple months later, I kind of can't believe I am the point person in charge of organizing the next one. I've got a lot of work to do as good a job as the last crew. But, I'm grateful for the example and tone they set. I'm inspired to see how many more '94 colts we can find and reach out to. I would love to round up more and have an even bigger party. I've got about 8.5 years to get it figured out.
THANK YOU, Utah, for an unreal summer. I can't believe how many family and friends I was able to see and connect with in a few short weeks' time. I saw nearly every single one of my cousins and their families, almost all of my own aunts and uncles (MY uncle Richard even came through town one night!), both of my grandmothers, my parents, my sisters, the kids saw nearly all of their cousins, if you include the Denver weekend, their grandparents, and most aunts and uncles too. Not to mention, the piles of old friends I visited or saw at the reunion. I came home feeling so full and happy to have seen all these people and to have truly spent quality time with them. Not every vacation can be about visiting that many people, but this was one for the books. I truly hope Grace and Harriet always remember "that one summer we spent in Salt Lake." I will for sure.
And, FINALLY, we let David drive us home. With a cat on our laps, and a dog in the next seat.
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