30 Years Later

East High School, Class of 1991. That's me. Thinking back on those four years really makes my brain get twisty, to use the gymnasts' phrase. What on earth? Which way is up? How come 4 years can take a lifetime and the 30 years since then can seem to talk half as long? It's so weird.

I had a great high school experience. I know there were times that were hard, that I felt all the feelings all the time so fiercely that I thought I was going to explode or just drive my parents and friends all crazy. But I also had so much fun. I'm so grateful I had a place at EHS. I loved the theater department so much and the friends I had there. I also connected with so many other people of all kinds, even though I often felt intimidated by them or looked down on by them. That may have been true - there may have been times that people really thought I was odd. After all, I loved big hats and no shoes. But also a lot of that was probably just in my head. 

I went to my 20 year reunion and it felt like a much bigger deal than this one. I wore fancy clothes and heels, spent a lot time fussing over my hair, and got really nervous to go. For some reason, our 30th didn't feel that way. I don't know if it's because we all got so shaken by the state of the world over the past 18 months, or if we just grew up even more, but this reunion was so fun. It felt more relaxed, more joyful, more full of people just wanting to be together. I had several long and deep conversations with people I swear I never spoke to in high school at all. 

I loved the causal gathering - and what was funny was that the Highland High 1991 reunion just so happened to be scheduled at the other pavilion at Sugarhouse park at the very same time. I kind of wanted to go over and say hello, but since I really only know two people from that class and both of them are boys I dated with kind of awkward breakups, I decided to not do that. Instead, I just stayed forever at this party, even to the point where the sprinklers at the park got turned on and I got totally blasted in the face and was totally soaking wet. Luckily I had not picked a white shirt so it was benign and also hilarious. 

A highlight of this reunion for me was getting the assignment to create the playlist for the party. What fun that was! I tried to fill it with a mix of the classic old things that our class loved like Cat Stevens and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young as well as things that came out that year like The Samples and The Sundays, plus the leftover 80s hits that we love as much now as we did then like Howard Jones and General Public. I confess that I can not stop listening to this playlist.

The only sad part of the evening was that it didn't last longer. I didn't get quite enough time with some of the people I had hoped to, and I know there were many people who didn't come at all. I know our class was way bigger than I even know, that there are dozens of people who would never consider coming to a reunion or feel like part of a group at all. I'm sad about that. But for someone who sometimes felt a little bit like an outcast myself, I was grateful to be there and feel a human connection with so many fellow classmates. 

Also, I really should have taken more pictures.