On the morning of my 20 year High School reunion, I awoke at 6:30am, which is a luxury in and of itself these days, and as I walked into the bathroom to shower and start the day, my first thought when looking in the mirror was, "I don't look old, do I?" I know it doesn't feel like it's been twenty years since I graduated High School but the calendar doesn't agree. How did this happen? It's all been such a blur. First there was graduation in that hot stuffy gym at what was once West Georgia College, then some college here and there sandwiched between Spring Breaks, a job interview, a first date, a wedding, a birth or two (four in some cases), some soccer games, and now this reunion. It all seems to have been a blip on the radar when one looks back on the last twenty years.
As most men over 30 years old, I have a very distorted self image. No matter how old I get, how bald I get, or how fat I get, to me, I think I've still got "IT". I not really sure that I really ever had "IT"when I was 17 or 18, but I am convinced that no matter what it was, it's still there. At least I have grown wiser in the last 20 years and for the fact alone, I will not try to stuff my self into clothing that I once wore in High School; God bless those of you who still can. But tonight is not about who we used to be or what we used to look like or act like. It's not about who's succeeded and who's failed. It's not about who has and who has not. No, tonight is about renewing old friendships, looking at photographs of kids and families, meeting spouses for the first time, and reminiscing about the good old days before mortgages and orthodontist bills clouded our thoughts. Tonight is about taking inventory of our lives from the past 20 years and appreciating the journey, both the good and the bad, that has shaped our lives and made us who we are today. Grey hairs, extra chins, and wrinkles are just the currency of experience.
Tonight, I get to spend some time with a brother from another mother that I have not seen or, until a couple weeks ago, talked to in over 12 years after we'd been almost inseparable for the better part of a decade. We got into a huge argument in college over nothing in particular and never spoke again until just a few weeks ago. We missed each others weddings and the sharing in the joy of the birth of each others' children over an argument I can't even remember. Through the wonders of Facebook, I friended his sister who gave me his cell phone number; I sat on it for months. Then one day I was driving home and God just told me to call him, so I did and instead of the call being awkward, it was huge relief of a burden I had carried in my heart for over 12 years. God is good and he's got a good plan for us. I'm looking forward to meeting his wife tonight and hearing their story and about their kids; I've got 12 years to catch up on. Tonight is going to be a good night.
Twenty years where have you gone? I guess once we take inventory of our lives it will be easier to chronicle those years and understand how they seem to fold away into the wrinkles of our lives. For tonight, I'm just looking forward to seeing all of these old friends. I'm looking forward to seeing Cheri and Meredith in person after living vicariously through their week of Facebook posts. I look forward to thanking Renee for all her hard work in organizing this event. I hope I get an opportunity to see Mrs. Cetti and complain one more time about that Senior Project that was tougher than anything I ever did in college! Ha! It will be fun to see who married whom and what everyone else has been doing with their lives this past 20 years. Maybe tonight when I get home and look into that mirror again, I'll have the answer to my predawn question, but it really doesn't matter insomuch as the journey has been worth every lost follicle.
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