Tuesday, May 30, 2006

update on Rite of Passage

It is over. I have now entered Middle Age.

Having completed this rite of passage called the 20th High School Reunion I can no longer call myself a young man. It was depressing, enlightening, affirming and disappointingly nice (actually it was only disappointing from a writer perspective, but good from a personal standpoint).

I learned a few things and have a few initial observations which will serve no one but myself.
  • I was too skinny in high school. Although it seemed an insult, people liked the way I had "filled out" since 1986
  • according to my wife, many females took great interest in me
  • People actually expected me to do something special
  • I have lived in more places than any other reunion attendees
  • I have exceptionally beautiful children (not my observation, but we were told by all attendees this countless times- should we exploit this?)
  • I have well behaved children
  • Being a pastor (even without a church) in a southern culture is like being a pastor in a black neighborhood. Everyone is proud of you and holds you in esteem
  • This is great because you do not have to be successful, just a professional Christian (it is a free pass)
  • If you have any pastoral background you will be asked to pray for everything
  • People are not used to pastors being funny when they pray
  • People in the south are not used to pastors drinking a beer in public
  • I am/was more popular than I thought I was
  • I have not changed much. I am still the strange guy with lots of opinions. Why did these people like me so much?
  • I am the only attendee that likes cold weather, big cities and Liberals up north
  • Local graduates do not attend these events. High School Reunions are primarily for those who left (but still liked people they graduated with)
  • I really like some people I graduated with
  • I look younger than the rest of the guys I graduated with (thank you hair and wife with a fashion sense)
  • I look younger than the women without "enhancements"
  • The guy that beat me for "best hair" is balding. I am not (can I get a recount based upon this update?)
  • The president of our Senior Class is still the coolest guy from my High School
  • Most people that attend these things have at least some measure of success
  • People do not ask a lot of personal questions at these events (like "what do you do?"). I suppose this is so no one is embarrassed
  • 80's music still sucks unless it is British New Wave or Rap
  • 37 and 38 year olds should not dance, seriously (unless it is ballroom)
  • Do not make T-shirts for HS reunions. Yes, it is a nice gesture, but I refuse to advertise my age publicly
  • The DJ, who was a friend and still works at the same radio station I did actually remembers my favorite song from the era (and I did not remember)
  • My favorite song from the era is Life in a Northern Town by The Dream Academy (I must download this on ITunes)
  • Did I mention how much I like some of the old friends I have not seen in 10 or 20 years?
  • video technology sucked in 1986
pictures are forthcoming

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Rick. Glad to hear it was disappointingly nice.

p8 said...

Well, I knew you in college, and you WERE too skinny then.

Glad to know you crossed your fingers when you signed the no-booze pledge at SWBTS.

Life in a Northern Town rocks.

I am local, and I am so not going to my 20th next year.

Anonymous said...

Life in a Northern Town DOES rock, and I sooo hope at my reunion (next year, gasp) we have some dude spinning records the way the geek in Breakfast Club did. I think the dancing thing has to do with our generation. The only way you could dance to those songs was to bounce up and down repeatedly.