No, I did not list my occupation as "Professional Killer..."
I am home from Reading, PA, where I attended my High School 20th Reunion.
I must say that the reaction I got from my classmates was a pleasant surprise. *Everyone* I ran into -- not just my good friends who were there -- greeted me right away with a smile and a hug/handshake upon seeing me. Not that anybody really treated me poorly during my years at dear old Central High, but let's just say that I was one of the shy ones who didn't talk to many people, so not too many people really talked to me a lot. Perhaps the years have dulled my memories of the time there, or perhaps I was oblivious to how much people really liked me. Whatever the reason, it did my heart good to see everyone.
The reunion was a first-class job all around, and not the Ego Fair into which reunions often devolve. We all had little stickers with our name and our senior class picture on it -- I look about 15 in mine. Our two-time class president organized the whole thing via Evite and Facebook (ah the marvels of modern technology), and the reunion itself was held in the Reading Planetarium -- of which our classmate Mark just happens to be in charge. No "Laser Floyd," sadly, but the main reception area (and the open bar) could be found in the main dome, and Mark had the projectors set up to run pictures of us all from 20 years ago. My oh my but we looked so young...
My only regret was that most of my fellow "Cardinal Singers" -- the specialist choir that sang at the school Masses and usually filled many of the primary roles in the spring musicals -- could not make it. The only one who did make it was Joanna, who was Sharon to my Og in our senior production of "Finian's Rainbow." Her dad went to St. Joseph's Prep in Philly with my Dad (and coincidentally they had their 50th Reunion not long ago). Joanna looked... well, very much the same as she did when we were 17. Except for the loving husband at her side, of course. As could be expected, so many of my classmates came with the "spouse" attachment. I'll have to look into getting me one of those... :)
Still, it was a good time all around, and I'm quite glad I went. And it'll be interesting to see what happens at the 25th.
I must say that the reaction I got from my classmates was a pleasant surprise. *Everyone* I ran into -- not just my good friends who were there -- greeted me right away with a smile and a hug/handshake upon seeing me. Not that anybody really treated me poorly during my years at dear old Central High, but let's just say that I was one of the shy ones who didn't talk to many people, so not too many people really talked to me a lot. Perhaps the years have dulled my memories of the time there, or perhaps I was oblivious to how much people really liked me. Whatever the reason, it did my heart good to see everyone.
The reunion was a first-class job all around, and not the Ego Fair into which reunions often devolve. We all had little stickers with our name and our senior class picture on it -- I look about 15 in mine. Our two-time class president organized the whole thing via Evite and Facebook (ah the marvels of modern technology), and the reunion itself was held in the Reading Planetarium -- of which our classmate Mark just happens to be in charge. No "Laser Floyd," sadly, but the main reception area (and the open bar) could be found in the main dome, and Mark had the projectors set up to run pictures of us all from 20 years ago. My oh my but we looked so young...
My only regret was that most of my fellow "Cardinal Singers" -- the specialist choir that sang at the school Masses and usually filled many of the primary roles in the spring musicals -- could not make it. The only one who did make it was Joanna, who was Sharon to my Og in our senior production of "Finian's Rainbow." Her dad went to St. Joseph's Prep in Philly with my Dad (and coincidentally they had their 50th Reunion not long ago). Joanna looked... well, very much the same as she did when we were 17. Except for the loving husband at her side, of course. As could be expected, so many of my classmates came with the "spouse" attachment. I'll have to look into getting me one of those... :)
Still, it was a good time all around, and I'm quite glad I went. And it'll be interesting to see what happens at the 25th.