Memories

Last week I was sitting on a bench outside during my lunch break enjoying the beautiful weather. A guy across the square, sitting on the steps of the church, looked familiar to me. I turned to my friend and said "I think I went to high school with that person". The suspense was killing me so I rushed over and asked him "Are you Mike McGrail"? Sure enough it was him.

I graduated high school in 1988. High school was not as sensational for me as it was for the more gregarious types. I tend to be a shrinking violet in group situations, resigning myself to observing and listening. I prefer to connect with that one special person.

So seeing Mike sitting alone on the steps, it was very easy for me to approach him. Nevertheless, it was awkward talking to him after all these years. Like every other high school in America, we were seperated by clicks. I was more alternative/ punk rocker chic. Mike was the epitome of popularity. He was the football captain. The class voted him "Best Looking Male" in our senior superlatives. Even my friends worshipped him from afar.

Not surprisingly, our conversation revolved around our fellow classmates. In particular our 20 year class reunion and Facebook. Mike marveled at how we missed each other at the reunion. Granted I am more outgoing than I used to be, but it seems perfectly normal to me that we didn't "catch up" at the reunion. I have mixed emotions about it. A part of me thinks it is fake to show interest in someone I never related to in high school. I explained my theory to a friend of mine recently and he answered "but we're adults now, aren't we supposed to be beyond all that?" True, however, I'm certainly not going to accept a friend invite from someone on Facebook who in the past threw cigarette butts at one of my best friends either. (true story by the way, the friend invite and the cigarette butts)

All in all it was fun seeing Mike, even if it was only to satisfy my curiosity.



20 year reunion-

Image 1-there's me, holding my camera, in the pink satin top behind and to the left of the girl in the purple dress.

Image 2-there's Mike, not dancing with me-LOL!