I can't believe that my high school class of 1987 held its...gulp...
20 year reunion at the Hyatt in Fair Lakes, VA. Are you kidding me?!? Has it been 20 years since my pals and I graduated from
Fairfax High? I have co-workers who were barely out of diapers in the mid-80's and some of Joey's teachers weren't even born when I entered FHS...ugh.
It amazes me how much an emotional impact high school was that it still
affects our daily lives and thoughts 20 years later. Members of our class still feel "intimidated" today because of it. One brave Rebel (call her "J") spoke up and wrote,
"in highschool...I felt displaceced... unsure of myself and very much adork. I am no longer a dork...however this whole thing about life wasbest in highschool.... well its not how I feel. So...why should Irevisit... the most awkward part of my life? Im not in any of thepictures... and truth be told... I painfully brought out theyearbook... to even know who the people making posts are. So..yes Imundecided... Id be there if I knew... I have a fun time..but Im notconvinced that it would be an excerise in masochism.
"
Even though I was disinterested in attending, it was for different reasons. I wandered if anyone would even remember me at all. I didn't know that many people I considered to be close. And those I knew then, I'm still in touch with some of them today. (see the
OBX in August blog.) Alas, I was inspired to join my classmates. As my good friend of 25+ years, Chris Jewell responded back to 'J',
"Most of us were shy and awkward and struggling to figure out our personality and purpose. Twenty years later, presumably we're all at peace with who we are and what we're doing in life. I may have been a generally miserable teenager, but because I'm a happy adult, I will attend the reunion."
So I did. I joined my pals,
Hyong 'Louise' Kim,
Eric (Weinberg) Magruder,
Marcus 'McKinney' and
Chris. I'd rather regret going than not going at all. We gathered at Tony's NY Pizza for a pitcher of beer, or two, or three...and some wings before heading off to the hotel. There, I met old faces and made new friends. It was a chance to laugh and remember about the old times, the hairstyles (where did mine go, by the way?), the songs, the cars, the fads and fashion of 1983-1987. Those high school days were simpler days then --- no mortgage to pay, no children to care for, no worries too big. My biggest worries then were waking up in time for first period in Mr C's math class or taking a pop quiz at Ms Fedricks' English class. Memories of my youth was generally good and it felt good unlocking those faint images that night.
I'm most proud of my 'mates who rallied and re-assured 'J' and the rest of us "dorks." High school is a confusing phase for teenagers and we all cope differently. But we're never alone whenever we reach out for the support and love from our family and friends. It's good seeing those from my past and realizing that teenagers do change into responsible, caring adults.
I realize that high school was at times difficult and overwhelming, but I chose to be happy and survived. I'm not the smartest or the strongest. I know I'm far from perfect, but I adapt and work hard on being a better person. What I see everyday is a challenge to my comfort zone, my self-esteem, my pursuit of happyness.
"Some people walk in the rain. Others just get wet. " - Roger Miller
So a toast to my Class of 1987 at Fairfax High - I am what I am today because of the friendships and experiences I shared with them.
"You've been, you are, and you will always be my friends." --- This one's from my pal Jae Pae (wherever he is).
Reunion photos courtesy of Chris Jewell.
Video clips from the movie,
Breakfast Club set to the music of
Simple Minds - simply awesome!
To our dearest family and friends, we hope this holiday greeting finds you all warm, happy, and healthy. As our boys, Jacob and Joel continue to discover the world around them; they bring us much joy and delight. They’re free to pursue and discover their surroundings to their hearts desire. (click on the picture of our boys for a little something from Jake and Joey)
Their pursuit of friendship... aside from the trust and comfort zone Joey gets from mommy and daddy (ok, admittedly, it’s more so his mommy and his primary teachers), Joey is more welcoming to new faces as he encounters new relatives, new teachers, and new friends. Jake enjoys his friends in school because of all the silliness only 4 year olds can find amusing. His eyes light up when his neighbors come over to play. Jake wishes that they would just marry him, so that they can stay over and always play together.
Their pursuit of knowledge… Jake continues to master his abc's. With the help and encouragement from his teachers at Kindercare, Jake is quickly learning to sound out words so he can write them on his doodle-board or spell them aloud. He’s also beginning to read his first books like Thomas the Train and Dr Seuss. We ‘re so proud that Jake is using his noggin more for cognitive uses and less as a battering ram. Joey is learning to communicate with what little he has. His yawps and his shrieks can mean anything and everything, depending on the context of his amusements or the mess he’s getting into. Unfortunately for the rest of us, even Paddi and Tyler, we’re all struggling to figure out what he wants and doesn’t want.
Their pursuit of tradition... despite our long daily commute to drop the kids off at daycare and the hours we put in the office, we’ve made a tradition of eating out for dinner every Thursday night. We all can’t wait to eat at McDonald's and share the events of our day. To the dismay of other patrons, I’m sure we’re missed at the other eateries where Joey has been known to fling a broccoli in their midst or Jakey’s strident insistence that nuggets be served everywhere.
Their pursuit of happiness... because we don’t always get what we want. Jake and Joey are going through the pains most siblings live through – sharing their toys, wrestling for mommy and daddy’s attention, and who gets to choose what book to read or what movie to watch. In the end, Jake and Joey, alongside Paddi and Tyler, they realize they’re each other’s siblings and we are a family. We treasure every little moment we have together. "This part of my life...this little part…is called "happyness.” - Chris Gardner.
affects our daily lives and thoughts 20 years later. Members of our class still feel "intimidated" today because of it. One brave Rebel (call her "J") spoke up and wrote, "in highschool...I felt displaceced... unsure of myself and very much adork. I am no longer a dork...however this whole thing about life wasbest in highschool.... well its not how I feel. So...why should Irevisit... the most awkward part of my life? Im not in any of thepictures... and truth be told... I painfully brought out theyearbook... to even know who the people making posts are. So..yes Imundecided... Id be there if I knew... I have a fun time..but Im notconvinced that it would be an excerise in masochism. "
So I did. I joined my pals, Hyong 'Louise' Kim, Eric (Weinberg) Magruder, Marcus 'McKinney' and Chris. I'd rather regret going than not going at all. We gathered at Tony's NY Pizza for a pitcher of beer, or two, or three...and some wings before heading off to the hotel. There, I met old faces and made new friends. It was a chance to laugh and remember about the old times, the hairstyles (where did mine go, by the way?), the songs, the cars, the fads and fashion of 1983-1987. Those high school days were simpler days then --- no mortgage to pay, no children to care for, no worries too big. My biggest worries then were waking up in time for first period in Mr C's math class or taking a pop quiz at Ms Fedricks' English class. Memories of my youth was generally good and it felt good unlocking those faint images that night.
I'm most proud of my 'mates who rallied and re-assured 'J' and the rest of us "dorks." High school is a confusing phase for teenagers and we all cope differently. But we're never alone whenever we reach out for the support and love from our family and friends. It's good seeing those from my past and realizing that teenagers do change into responsible, caring adults.
Trina and I celebrated our ten year wedding anniversary on Memorial Day weekend. To this day, we can't remember the exact date, but at least we remember it's on a three day holiday weekend. Who can forget that, right?
quiet dinner together enjoying the moment. Yeah right. Of course, we ignored for that fleeting moment, the blaring sounds of cartoons Jake was watching, Joey's screaming for milk, Tyler's whining to go outside, and Paddi's snout poking at our laps for dinner scraps. It was the most romantic ten-second dinner together between a husband and wife. We can only smile and appreciate what we have after ten years together and what will happen in the years to come.
Hey you. Here's our first attempt of opening up our world to the world wide web. Hope you enjoy our ride.