It’s not that I was out of town. I didn’t forget to put it on my calendar. I wasn’t in bed with a horrible cold or otherwise incapacitated. And the cost of the tickets to attend wasn’t overly ridiculous (although $140 at the door was just a bit spendy). None of those reasons kept me away. I just didn’t go.
Why? That’s a question that I’ve been asking myself ever since the morning after.
For at least a year leading up to the big event, I had been getting (to the point of annoying) regular reminder emails and snail mail from the company who organized the reunion. The date was highlighted on all of my calendars, and I had every intention of attending. Then, as tickets went on sale, I hesitated.
Again, I can’t say exactly why, but I never did buy a ticket. Which is too bad. Because, from the photos that were posted on various Facebook pages I’ve seen since that night, the early-October shindig was a big success.
Speaking of big, in many of the photos I’ve seen online, I’m pleasantly surprised that more than a few of my former classmates are also battling the bulge of middle age. I was a little relieved to see pictures online of many of the guys who (in my memory at least) were the studly, babe-magnet types in high school but now – well – look just like any old average Joe. Like me, in other words.
Also much in evidence in the posted photos are plenty of receding hairlines and bald spots. And those were just the women. (Rim shot!) But seriously, apparently I’m not the only male from my graduating class who has lost hair and gained weight.
On the other hand, seeing photos of various groups of classmates who reconnected at the reunion – the very same groups who hung out together on the CV Quad or the lower field or Tobacco Road – brought back many the feelings of being in or out of “the cool kids” club. I could probably go through my dusty CVHS yearbooks and find almost identical photos (but with much younger faces staring back) of the same old cliques.
In the months leading up to the reunion, I often logged on to the organizing company’s web site page that listed who was coming, who wasn’t coming, who had left comments, etc. One of the more interesting lists was who had yet to be located. I would think in this age of Google, Facebook, LinkedIn and NSA surveillance of every move we make, it would be virtually impossible to be un-findable. And yet, surprisingly enough, there were quite a few members of my Class of 73 who simply could not be located. I think that’s more than a little sad.
Even worse, though, was the online list with the names of my CVHS classmates who had already passed away. A quick scroll showed something like 25 of my Class of ’73 classmates have already died. How could that be? I mean, we’re not that old yet. Are we? It was a painfully sobering reminder of just how fast and how much life changes once you leave high school.
Not to get all melancholy, but maybe the reason I didn’t attend the reunion was because I didn’t want to see those changes played out in person, in real time. Only my therapist knows for sure. And who knows; maybe in another ten years, I’ll attend my 50th. As long as I can grow back my hair and lose another thirty pounds, that is.
To my fellow classmates who attended the reunion, my deepest apologies and regrets for not joining you. Until 2023, hopefully, I’ll see you ‘round town.
Jim~
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you how many people I overheard saying "and hey, where is Jim Chase? He's Mr. La Crescenta- I was looking forward to seeing him!" (And no one said, but only if he is in perfect shape and hasn't lost a single hair!)
I am sure many of us felt a bit of angst over the thought of "gee, if I had just lost a little weight...or why does gravity play such mean tricks on us as we get a little older?"
But the truth is I was amazed by the show of excitement, self confidence, and true joy people showed reconnecting with old friends and people who they might not have hung out with at their tree well back in the early '70's. The evening was filled with exchanges about the past, but even more about our lives today.
There were two people who I had been very close to in elementary school...but somehow we had drifted apart by the time we got to CV. I was thrilled when they came up to me and said they wanted me to meet their husbands, and then shared a story like, "...every time I hear that song we listed to at the slumber party at your house in 5th grade, it still reminds me of you!" And here all these years I had thought that they had "decided" that they didn't want to be friends...but in reality it was just circumstances. Ahhh, hindsight!
We all laughed and shared stories and I was amazed to hear about grandkids, unusual hobbies and the life style each individual had ended up finding and settling into. Once in a while someone would come up and say, "Lynne!" and as I turned to look at the individual who didn't look familiar until I saw a flash of a smile or a twinkle in their eyes and I would immediately know who this friend from the past was. It was like, our appearances may have changed, but that person’s special heart and soul were still sparkling, and I realized why even though 40 years have come and gone, and despite our physical changes we still feel 17 years old on the inside. We still remember those precious moments in 1973 and the memories that become a part of who we all are and have become over the past 40 years. The lessons and experiences we all had in High School, influenced us in a way that we all could still relate to one another, and most even commented on how lucky we were to have had the opportunity to grow up in La Crescenta and attend CV from 1970-73. It was a unique high school, snuggled up against the foothills and even though many of us have spread out around the state, the country and the world, there was no question about it ~ we were still connected by our La Crescenta upbringing. No matter how much weight we had put on, or the amount of hair we had lost, it was a joy to come back together to celebrate the friends and times that were a part of being a teenager at CV in 1973. Continued next comment…
So Jim, we missed you and wished you had been there! Maybe for those of us who have moved away, it was important for us to have a chance to come back home...but for you, the 1973 memories have just evolved over the years into the 2013 memories in La Crescenta.
ReplyDeleteThere are times when I read your La Crescenta happenings columns and I envy your being able to walk to Two Strike Park or walk along Honolulu and still go to many of the stores that were there 40 years ago. It was this time of the year that I always enjoyed! I can still remember the smell of the Santa Ana’s blowing through the pine and eucalyptus trees, and the foothills looking like you could just reach out and touch the highest mountain peak.
But I also remember your band playing at the Civic and YMCA dances. Your Dad and you making “clackers” that we would play with for hours, driving our families crazy with the sound of the two plastic balls hitting together. And finally, you becoming a part of the pep squad at CV and leading us all in cheers as CV would fight to beat the Glendale and La Canada football teams.
You were, and with your writing still are an instigator of many CV memories and helping to maintain the specialness of La Crescenta. So keep up the good work and no excuses when the 50th reunion rolls around!!
All the best, Lynne Kennedy