Yes indeed, the North Kansas City graduating class of 1962 is having its fiftieth reunion in September. There's a website set up for us to create a profile, add a recent picture, and tell a little about ourselves. So far, I have only seen one face I remember among the living, a girl who was in the popular group but was never condescending toward those of us who were largely invisible. She's the one who called me and told me about the reunion and the website.
The attendees will be the successful ones, the professionals, the ones who went to college.
There were over five hundred people in my graduating class. One hundred forty-eight of them have set up profiles on the website; so far, eighty-three of them plan to attend the reunion. They are the same ones who were so popular in high school.
Most of the class is missing in action.
I read the profiles and looked at the updated pictures: Some of them are actually much better looking in their sixties than they were as teenagers! Sadly, seventy-five of my old classmates have died. I did see a couple of faces I recall in that group, one of them a boy who went to the same church as my family. Interestingly enough, that kid's dad is 93. He was widowed and later remarried at age 87. I know this because my sister still goes to that same church and so does he.
I was a loner in high school, perhaps more so than I am now. I had no close friends. I didn't go to the prom. I didn't date, although a couple of boys asked me out and I turned them down. Good Lord, I didn't know how a person should act on a date! The very thought of it scared me to death.
Don't I sound like the kind of person who would take a gun into a mall and start shooting people?
Even though I didn't interact with anybody in high school, it's amazing the feelings that are resurrected when I see the names and faces from those days.
Not always good feelings, but certainly strong ones. I was
An outsider.
Peculiar.
Misfit.
Not branded with these names by others, but by myself. I had never learned how to make friends, and I wasn't sure I needed them anyhow.
I hear ya.
ReplyDeleteI was a brainiac who had friends--just as nerdy as I was!! However, I now hang out with people from high school who were in all different groups. Once we figured out our common experiences of illness, child rearing stresses, parents aging, divorces, etc. we found out that we were sharing the same life journey, as well as the same history. Makes for some great conversations.
ReplyDeleteWow a large class compared to mine. There were nineteen in my graduating class. We had our 50th a few years ago and some wouldn't attend. I'm still friends with some or at least keep in touch at times. I guess I was kind of an in-between. Not popular but not unpopular either. Once a boy from another town called to ask me out. I didn't want to tell him my Mama wouldn't let me go so I told him I was sick. lol Never heard from him again.
ReplyDeleteMy 50th this year too, You're right, it's all the smart, popular people that will be attending. I didn't hang with them in high school so it seems stupid to start now. Vicki
ReplyDeleteMy hubby had hiss 50th five years ago. He got all ready to go and ended up getting sick with fever, cough, sore throat the week of and had to cancel. He was devastated. Me on the other hand have no interest in attending mine. My best friend from back then has passed on. And so have a few of the other folks I knew. The rest of them were never friendly back in the day, so it is doubtful they would be now. Whatever you decide to do, be sure to get the commemorative book. My husband has poured over his a zillion times. Take care
ReplyDeleteI was just reminded that my 50th comes up next year. I have remained friends with only 1 of the class of approximately 500. She is the only reason I would go to the reunion, if she asked me to go with her. We are both widows and she does not like going alone. I went a few years ago with her and couldn't recognize many of them.
ReplyDelete