The 20th Reunion That Wasn't

Tonight was the My Small Town High School's 20th reunion for the class of 1991.  I graduated from MSTHS in 1992, but my friend Amber's husband had to work tonight, so Amber asked me to be her "plus one" for the evening.  Because I'm not only a Good Daughter I'm also a Good Friend (at least, so says my friend Becky), I accepted.  I thought it would be fun!  I was living in Japan when my class had its ten year reunion, so I thought this event would be great practice for next year. 

Know that the following were the stipulations for the event:

1.  Bring your own chair.
2.  Bring your own alcohol. 
3.  Bring your own corn hole set.

My chair stayed in my trunk... I didn't need it.  I did carry in a six-pack of Amstel Light, my grown up light beer of choice, in a cooler.  I don't own anything related to corn hole.  (For those of you who are not from small towns, corn hole is a bean bag game where one attempts to toss a bean bag into a piece of wood with a circle cut out of it.)  Really... couldn't they think of a better name than corn hole?  It's so gauche!  But maybe it's supposed to be.

The aforementioned friend Becky opted not to attend the reunion for the above three reasons.  I was sorry for that, because although I just saw her last week for dinner, it would have been nice to see her again. And friendship is more important than scoffing at the idea of bringing a cornhole set.  Or a chair and a cooler full of beer.  We're not in high school anymore.  It's hard to catch up with these people!!!  Yes, I know, Facebook has changed the landscape of maintaining ties with those with whom we attended high school or college, but it's not the same thing as actually standing in front of an actual human being, talking about life or even current events.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Although they were offering barbecue at the reunion (for a fee above the $10 it cost to attend the function), Amber and I opted to meet for dinner in a cute downtown restaurant somewhat close to the reunion's location.  We had a great conversation, got caught up on each other's lives (her dog had puppies, my current romantic adventures and family drama), and enjoyed our time alone before braving the social anxiety of making small talk with folks we hadn't seen in twenty years.  At least, Amber hadn't seen them in 10 years.  She attended her last reunion in 2001.  We started listing names of people from her class.  It was funny speculating on what they were doing now.  And scary how many names we couldn't remember!

Amber and I have known each other since I was an awkward twelve years old, and we were in our church youth group together.  In high school, we were teammates on our high school swim team, and we were also in the drama club.  We acted in Steel Magnolias together.  We were in the same social circle, listened to the same new wave music, and she tried her best to get me to loosen up.  Later, after I graduated from college, we shared an apartment in Orlando.  She would make me go to Nickel Beer on Wednesday nights.  Some Wednesdays, I wasn't up for it. 

Come on, Jen... you always act like your job is more important than mine.
Am, you wake up in the morning and put on a MASK...  I wake up in the morning and have to face 35 second graders! 

Amber worked in Entertainment at Disney.  I taught 2nd grade at a Catholic school in Winter Park.  We had very different professional lives.  But we loved each other.  And I truly appreciate that she made sure I let my hair down every once in a while.  In fact, I am pretty sure that Amber is the only reason I cut loose at any time during my stressful first year of teaching.  I owe her a lot.

So tonight I was her plus one.  It was really helpful to be her wing man, and vice versa.  We would spot someone who had come in, and she might know the first name while I supplied the last, or the other way around.  At one point this guy walked up to our group, started pointing his finger saying, I remember you!  And you!  And you!  I was the final you.  As he moved in for a hug, which I accepted and returned, and amused the group by declaring,

I don't remember you! 
Oh Jen, how can you say that?

Then I knew.  The first, make that only, guy I'd ever had a stage kiss with, Mike G., who played my husband in The Crucible.  He pretty much looked the same.  Shorter hair.  He brought his kid, which I wouldn't have done if I had kids, but hey, other people brought kids too.  We chatted for a minute, then Amber and I moved on to make the rounds.  It was really interesting to observe the cliques.  Everything was still the same.  The redneck guys kept to themselves (and had really large beerguts!).  The beautiful girls, for the most part, were still beautiful... the misfits were still misfits (and looked exactly the same!) and those of us who fell somewhere in the middle stuck together.  I may be biased but I believe our group had the most fun.

Amber had to leave early in order to get enough sleep before her early morning run tomorrow, and that was fine with me.  I had made enough idle chitchat, and definitely felt prepared for next year.  And the ultra-casual venue?  It actually turned out to be perfect, even if it was a little bit hot.  (Okay, a lot hot.)  So even though for me it was the 20th Reunion That Wasn't, for those in which it Was and for those who worked so hard to pull the event together I say job well done!  The decor was charming, and while I wouldn't have chosen the dreaded corn hole, those who attended and brought children were most glad for the activity.

The funniest quote from tonight came from my friend Shawn, who looks amazing, and was a lot of fun to know in high school:
I still know all of the words to I Heard It Through the Grapevine because of you!  (I had performed this song at my church talent show.)  Then she started singing the song.  Seriously.  Only in my small town.