Larry Lee shares his thoughts on attending a high school reunion and reconnecting with former classmates.
I just received the invitation for my 50th high school reunion that’s taking place in a few months. Unbelievably, it’s been a half century since I sat with classmates at the Cow Palace waiting to have our name called to walk across the stage. My first reaction about going was, “Why would I be interested in resurrecting difficult high school memories?”
Unfortunately, I had an inauspicious start as I missed my first semester due to an idiopathic infection. It set the stage for the ensuing years where I felt like I didn’t belong. I was an insecure 14-year-old face lost in a crowd of 950 other classmates. Looking back, I always felt as though there was some unfinished business to address. I thought, maybe going to this reunion would be an opportunity to finally lay some lingering issues to rest about those years. A refreshing thought was that we could meet again on different terms now, as adults, rather than hormone-driven adolescents.
We’ve matured past the stage where silly things like popularity, attractiveness, academic or athletic prowess no longer matters. I am looking forward to hearing about how my classmates have negotiated and coped through tough times, which in turn, can give me a fresh perspective to view my own story with new eyes. It would be a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our collective survival and share about what truly matters to us now.
Aging has a way of leveling the playing field as we’ve all had to negotiate the ups and downs life. If I could’ve spoken to my younger self, I would have told myself, “you are good enough, be patient, things will get better.” I hope that by revising this time in my life, I could look back to embrace my 17-year-old self with more kindness and compassion. Thankfully, even after 50 years, it’s not too late to add a better chapter to this period of my life. And yes, it does get better. With a Perspective, I’m Larry Lee.