we're all mad and tangled
sounds as if the ten year reunion is approaching quickly. always had mixed feelings about going... although i was never quite at the point of wanting to go, i guess i got more comfortable with the idea of seeing folks from high school again...
i know i'm different now, that my time in college, doing younglife, working in the industry, being married, it's turned me into a totally different person. i've enjoyed coming to terms with the fact that my value isn't tied to what other people in my class think of me. i was such a scared, clueless kid back then, much as i think everyone is during those years... and there's always the fear that going to the reunion will quickly revert me back to that person, lacking in confidence and social consciousness.
i kind of want to face it, give myself a sense of closure, hammer the last nail into the coffin. to show up knowing my life is wonderful, an incredible gift, unchangeable by any memory of how people treated me.
sounds a little too much like gross pointe blank to be real, though, and the only reason all of those feelings come up is that i've sort of internally magnified the scope of those old wounds. i don't think about high school that often anymore, probably because the ten years since have been startlingly satisfying and unpredictable. all the melancholy above makes it sound like four years of solid misery. when in reality (freshman year aside) it was all pretty good.
so i'm not sure that closure would happen, or if it's even something i'm interested in anymore. yep. thinking i'll pass on this, and the world will go on just fine.
it's been interesting how both renee and i have run into quite a few old childhood friends recently, though, a very strange coincidence.
high school sucks. 2 wonderful things came from high school- (1) i met christ, (2) i met my wife. everything else sucked. i can't imagine i'll be going to my reunion... i don't see the point, as the good things (jesus, robyn) are a part of my everyday life.
Fact...I went to my Reunion weeks ago...Fact... i planned the thing...Fact...I'm 100% different then i was in High school....fact...everyone else accept a few are exactly the same as they where in High school. It was sad actully. Most are worse then they where in High school. So although i'm glad I went...i'm sad i walked away feeling sorry for others...but felt even more proud of where I am now. SO I say go and be proud about who you are Justin. I conected with people and am now getting emails from people about Christ. That is worth more then the reunion it's self!
Fact: bears eat beets.
Thanks for the encouragement. I think what I realized while I was writing that is: I don't need to go to be content with myself, my character, my personality, like I originally thought I would.
correction .... if you went to your reunion and killed somebody THEN it would be like gross pointe blank.
oh did i not mention that part?
Fact: Bears beats Battlestar Galactica.
J....have you watched the British Office? Hilarious! Not as good as the American version...but I would guess it is because of the cultural references that I don't get.
then why was Mr. Belvedere so damn funny?
nick: yep, i have. the American Office is awkward enough - the Brit one is an overload, it was difficult to sit through. but funny.
i'm telling you all: check out The IT Crowd, you don't need to be a geek to enjoy it. brilliant if you dig British comedy.
So I'm confused by this mess. Are you going or not? I thought we were getting out of town during the reunion weekend. Though I did promise Lauren Thorpe that if she dropped $1200 on a plane ticket to come home, Em and I would show up. I only told her that because she had already told me she wasn't going to make it. However, now she really wants to come to the reunion. I'll kill her if she returns. Yep with a pen, just like in Gross Point Blank. It would be easier if I spent the last 10 years killing people for money though. Late
nope, not going. that might not be a bad weekend for a quick trip, though - if you want to bail, i'd love to plan something. i still wanna go hit up the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland...
fact: I currently have gas and am glad no one is near me.
fact: I keep in touch with everyone from high school that I actually care to keep in touch with.
fiction: I will be going to one of my own class' high school reunion in my lifetime.
J - when are you planning on going to the Hall of Fame. Jaylene has been wanting to go for a long time.
you guys should totally come with us - if we don't go in october on the weekend of the reunion, we will go sometime in november, whenever you all are free. maybe on veterans day weekend...
J,
I have a question that relates to this reunion that has been battling in my head for months. Maybe you and I should go because we are called to show people what it means to have Christ in our lives. No I'm not saying we go preach, but maybe we should be there to be a light. Think about it. You and I are very happy in many of our relationships. We have peace in our lives for the most part. I think because most of our friends are Christians we forget that the real world doesn't have half of what we have in our freedom. It just gets me thinkin' we should probably be there not for ourselves, but for others and God. Who knows what can happen if we just go to serve? You obviously don't need closure from your statement above and probably because you realize that those of us who know you love you for who you are. At one point I thought I needed closure a few years back for some of the wounds that were still healing but after talking with a few people I realized that I wasn't upset with others anymore but rather with who I was in my actions back then and that is when it hit me...I may have hurt others who need closure without even knowing I hurt them. So maybe I'm called to be there for them. I don't know about you, but my life is amazing. I don't have anything to brag about or show off. I'm not rich or in a career making six figures. I'm not driving anything fancy and I don't live in a huge house in Mason, Lakota, or Indian Hill, but on the big topics God has been great to us. I think we are supposed to share our secret to success with others. Maybe I'm wrong, but think about it and tell what you think.
Please forgive the longest run-on sentence of all time above.
i've thought about the same things. and i completely agree with the sentiment of what you're saying. there is a lot of potential for good to come out of showing up there, spending some time with those folks... maybe some of them have never seen forgiveness or unconditional love, and hopefully those things would walk in the door along with us.
so the flipside: i know myself. i'm not sure i can walk in there with the attitude i just mentioned. i don't feel the need to prove anything to anyone... that's not it. i guess i get worried i would do more harm than good.
in any case, you make an interesting point, and i have some more to think about.
And that Darren is exactly what happend with my reunion. I have people emailing me now because I'm a christian and showed Gods love just by showing up and serving. Opened up good stuff and THAT is why i went to mine and even planned the thing.
Fact: Justin needs to go to prove that he did not, in fact, marry Susanna.
Fact: Lauren Thorpe is going to try to hook up with Darren because she is missing that Glass action. She wants it so bad that she is going to pay $1200 for it! Just make sure to wear a hat!
Just go and have a beer with some friends. Don't get all philosophical--its just a friggin reunion.
I agree with Eric. It's just an event. Nothing more nothing less. Too much thinking.