Friday, January 11, 2008

20 years

208.4

Boy, am I glad today is Friday. This week has seemed interminably long. I think it's a combination of first-of-the-year rush and the fact that I'd only worked a three-day week the past two weeks due to the holidays. And oh yeah, I've also been hella busy at work; I'm sure that's a factor, though sometimes being busy seems to make the time pass more quickly.

I don't think I've blogged about the fact that I got an email on New Year's Day from a high school classmate inquiring about our 20th reunion this summer. I grew up in a small town of about 5000 and had only 69 people in my high school graduating class. My closest high school friends were actually in the class a year ahead of me, so I haven't really kept in touch with anyone from my class. The woman who sent this email to me (as well as eight other people) is someone who looked me up a few years ago via classmates.com; we have emailed sporadically over the past four years or so. (She is married to another member of our class.) In high school, I wouldn't have called her a friend per se, but I always liked her, got along with her, and occasionally socialized with her in groups. Not someone you'd call up to chat, but someone you'd say hi to if you saw her at school, that sort of deal.

Anyway, the fact that I will have been out of high school for twenty years this spring is more than a little depressing. Where have those twenty years gone? In some ways, I feel that I don't have a whole lot to show for that time. I am sure that the majority of my classmates have spouses and children, and I don't have either. I *did* achieve my #1 high school goal, though: I moved the hell out of town. LOL
A number of my high school classmates still live in my hometown. . . . in fact, I had a very nice email this afternoon from the man who was our class president. He is a teacher and football coach at our high school. I know of at least three other high school classmates who are still there. . . . and that's just of the people I keep up with through other people's gossip (probably less than 10-15).
Well, I have my career and my three degrees. And, more importantly, I am happy with my life.

All in all, contemplation of my 20th reunion was not something I wanted on the first day of the new year. I don't know if I'll even go to the reunion. . . . I had a few friends in my class, but I wasn't all that close to anyone. And there were a few classmates whom I genuinely despised. Knowing the way these things go, all the people I'd rather not see will probably be the ones that show up!
I can't even remember the last time I visited my hometown. My father moved to the nearest city of any size (about 80 miles away) in 1990, so I've had no real reason to go back since then. I think I've been through there on one or two occasions; I know I stopped there briefly in December 2001 to visit my grandmother's grave. But even that was over six years ago.
I'm looking forward to my weekend. I'm hanging out with MM tonight: dinner at the Olive Garden and 3:10 to Yuma on the DVD player at his place. Tomorrow morning my friend KH is hosting a brunch at her place; friends C (& her new husband) and KC will also be in attendance. Sunday morning I am getting up early to watch friend A run past in the PF Chang's Rock n Roll marathon: the route is within a block of my place. Then I've gotta drive up to Tucson to visit my CASA child M. I'm spending Sunday night in Tucson so that I can attend a deposition there the following morning; I'll be staying at my friend M's house (my former house), so I'm sure I'll see her. I may see other friends, too, time permitting.
Monday evening after I return to Phoenix, MM and I are going to the gym together after he gets off works. Fun, fun. I hope that goes OK. I'm looking forward to getting back to the gym!

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