The Difference Between 18 and 58

In the summer of 1972, all I could think about was getting out of school.  I was going into my senior year and I only needed two credits.  The school system wouldn't let me go half days or graduate midterm.  I had to go to school all day all year for two stinking credits.  To me, this was totally unacceptable.  I thought it was ridiculous and I had a plan.  Somehow, I was able to talk my parents into letting me go to night school and finish.  I could go two nights a week and graduate midterm.  That was that and I never looked back.

I never looked back until a few years ago when I discovered social media.   My arrival in the world of social media was slow.  I first started by blogging with some coaxing by a friend.  .After that, I decided to try Twitter and Facebook and Facebook was a whole new world.

With Facebook, I was reconnecting with people I hadn't seen or heard from in so many years.  People who had moved away and I lost contact with.  It was amazing.  There was even a page set up for just the class of 73 from my old high school.  My "real" high school.  Not that one that I graduated from.  It was this page that would change how I felt about high school and my class and myself.

In the fall of 1972 when I started night school and everyone else started back to my old high school, I figured that was that.  That was the end of my connection with that class.  I thought that my friend and I were the only people who weren't going back.  Little did I know that I would find out 30 some odd years later that definitely wasn't the case.  Every five years, I would get the reunion letter from the class of 73.  It almost always fell when we were going on our annual family vacation, so I never gave it much thought.  Sometimes, I would send in an update for the book, but not always.  What did I have in common with these people anymore anyway?

As it turns out, I have a lot in common with a whole bunch of my old classmates.  Many of us are proud parents and grandparents.  Many of us love to travel.  Many of us love photography.  Many of us are exercise enthusiasts.  Many of us felt awkward for lack a better word in high school.  The list goes on and on.  Wow, I did have a lot in common with these people.

It was one thing to get to know these people again through a computer screen, but it would be something else to meet them face to face again.  That time came a few years ago.  One of the girls from our class invited us over for the first of our now famous get togethers.  I made myself put on my big girl panties and go.  There was maybe 20 of us there and I had the best time ever.  It was so much fun.  I loved every minute of it.  I look forward to these meet ups, even when they try to ditch me!  Funny story for another time.

Fast forward to Thanksgiving weekend 2012.  Lots of people are in town for the holiday, so a bunch of us meet for breakfast.  Talk begins abut our 40th (gasp) class reunion.  People start asking when the date is.  One of the guys throws out July 13 and everyone agrees.  In the back of my head, I'm thinking this is something but I can't place what.  I put it out of my head and return to the conversation.

I get home that morning and start talking to my husband about the breakfast and tell him the reunion date.    He immediately remembers it is the day we leave for our annual family vacation to a lake house in Michigan.  Wonderful!  The first time in 40 years I want to go to a class reunion and I can't!  There is no way to change the vacation because the date is set a year in advance and there are 20 some other people coming too.

The good news is that I will be able to go to the Friday night pre party.  I've also decided to have a little party of my own at my house on Thursday night.  Nothing fancy, snacks and drinks.  But, another opportunity for me to be able to spend time with these wonderful people that I let get out of my life for too long.

I'm excited.  Even the guy who grew up across the street and lived there our entire growing up years will be there.  I couldn't even tell you the last time I saw him.  This is going to be awesome.  At 18, I had no idea how important long time friends are.  At 58, I wouldn't give them up for anything.

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