Rant #3,778: Getting Together

I came, I saw, and I conquered ... I guess.

I went to my 50th high school.reunion on Saturday evening, and my goal--to speak to people about the job plight of my son, and to pass out his resume--was fully accomplished.

Most of the people I spoke to about this subject were at least accommodating and heard me out.

Others ...

Well, it was like talking to pieces of wood, and I was quickly dismissed.

My trepidations at attending this event were fully realized, as quite honestly, I could not remember just about everyone there.

Names meant absolutely nothing to me, and quite frankly, it was embarrassing.

We all wore name tags with our high school yearbook photos prominently displayed on these tags, but even with that benefit, I really could not connect the dots with anyone.

I would go up to people and ask them, "Do you remember me," and some did, many didn't, and I couldn't remember all but a scant few.

It is not early dementia nor the onset of Alzheimer's Disease.

I actually have a very good memory.

It is funny how the brain works.

I had such a terrible time during my four years of high school--i was newly moved right before high school, could never make any friends, my grades suffered greatly, and the only thing i wanted to do was go back "home" to my friends in Rochdale Village, Queens--that my mind has pretty much simply forgotten about everything having to do with high school during those years.

Many of the people who attended were not very nice to me 50 years ago, or even on Saturday night.

I had people at the table I sat at that did not speak to me at all, giving more credence to their knives and forks than they did to me.

People also spoke over me--one on the right side of me, the other on the left, with me the proverbial "monkey in the middle"--and yes, it was truly uncomfortable.

Once I moved onto college, and later, graduate school, I got back to where i was prior to my high school years.

My social skills kicked in, my grades returned to normal, and I pretty much put high school very quickly behind me.

But as for the reunion ...

At this event, there simply was absolutely no "connective tissue" with my fellow graduates there, nothing to collectively speak about, nothing that joined me at the hip with any of these people.

I did have one or two.people who pushed me to go up to people there, but honestly, it was all hollow.

I spoke to one fellow, in particulsr, who was nasty to me all those years ago, and he was equally as dismissive all these years later.

I even refused to be part of a group photo. I mean, I felt no connection to these people 50 years ago--

Why should I feel.any connection now?

There was one nice touch.

The organizers set up a section of those graduates who had left us.

it was in a table in the back of the room, with each one of these grads highlighted by their high school photo and a light for remembrance.

I went up and down the rows, and much like the living graduates, I didn't recognize any one of these people--

But then I saw one girl whose name I remembered.

She was in a couple of my classes and was always pleasant to me, nothing more, nothing less.

I then saw a name of a fellow who was just the opposite to me all those years ago.

He was nasty, condescending, a druggie who stole my brand new winter jacket right out of my locker way back when, and then the very next day, had the nerve tp proudly wear this jacket, parading wearing it in front of me to make sure I would see it.

The school would not do anything about it, so my mother had to go out and get me another jacket.

When I saw his name as one of those who had departed us, I instinctively shouted out, "GOOD!"

I quickly took it back, but taking it back or not, I meant what I originally said.

I attended because of my son, and once I had my meal and had dessert, i flitted out of there--with my commemorative coffee mug--without a trace.

I doubt anyone missed me.

I have to say the organizers worked hard to get this all together, and they get kudos from me for their efforts.

But honestly, I was a fish out of water at this event, felt very uncomfortable, and when I could, I left, driving home in the pouring rain.

I will bet that I was probably the first one to leave.

Having been one of the organizers of the Rochdale Reunion 11 years ago, I know what goes into such an event, and to me, that is the only reunion that is important to me, or will ever be important to me.

My high school reunion was simply a blip on my personal radar screen, something I felt I had to attend because of my son's predicament.

So in my own way, I successfully filled in all the boxes of my game plan on Saturday night--

But it brought me back to a time and a place that made me uncomfortable, and one that I hope to never go back to again.

Those horrid four years are nothing but a blur to me at this point in my life--

And I want to keep it that way.