Ten Years Later

November 29, 2011 at 7:36 am | Posted in Friends Then and Now, Life and Living | 1 Comment
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half a pic, half my 8th grade class on our trip to DC. Can you find me?

This past weekend was my ten year high school reunion — a much anticipated event that I went back and forth with about attending.  Why? Because I really didn’t know what to expect.  Part of me was worried about awkward silences, old rivalries and unfinished business.  Who was going to be there?  How would everyone act?  But what kind of blogger would I be if I missed out on the opportunity to report back on this pivotal event? And well, what if I missed a really good time?  So I pushed my worries aside, got as dolled up as I am capable of doing, and headed down to the main event, and I’m really happy I went.

I got to see so many people that I haven’t spoken to since high school.  Sure, we are all connected on Facebook, but it’s really not the same as that real face to face time.  Face to face we can relive old memories and reignite old relationships.  With the benefit of hindsight and maturation, we can laugh at the silly things we did when we were younger.  We can return to our roots and make connections with how we became the people we are today and see how far we have come.  Some of the memories old friends shared with me were things I really didn’t expect to be remembered for.  Everyone’s perspective is so different and when you are in the moment, you may not share how you are feeling or reacting to something with someone.  The reunion was a chance to revisit those memories with the people we made them with, and make new connections.

These are the people who knew me before 9/11, before the world changed, before we were forced to change with it.  The world has changed so much since we graduated, but some things don’t change.  Our class was together through many highs and lows, including losing one of our own.  That memory, I don’t believe, is lost on anyone.

Through bad hair cuts and braces, through classroom pranks and playground fights, through cliques and caddy behavior, best friends, 2-week “relationships,” puppy love, crushes, and heart break. Through first kisses, messy hook ups and bad rumors.  Through class trips, Bar- and Bat-Mitzvahs, birthdays, prom and spring break. Through secret languages, parties in the woods, driving lessons and car pools. We grew together at times, and sometimes we grew apart.  But in the end, there is a true sense of family, of shared experience.  A familiarity rushes over you and the fear of awkwardness dissipates.   With these people who knew you before you even knew yourself, there is a comfort.  In a way, it is these people that bring you home.

Ten years later, we are all grown up.  We are all on our own paths in our lives, but our roots remain the same.  And to remain true to who you are, you can’t forget where you came from, or the people who impacted you along the way.

Here’s to another ten years Class of 2001!  I’ll see you when we get there.

Where will you be in ten years?

May 25, 2010 at 7:42 am | Posted in Life and Living | 6 Comments
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Ah yes, the question asked of every high school senior since what seems like the beginning of time.  Where will you be in ten years?  A page out of my yearbook takes a stab at it for every graduating senior.  It’s actually more like a jab since most of the answers are meant to be funny like the guy who will be a Chippendales dancer in Vegas, or kind of mean like the girl who discovers she’s not where it’s at.  Mine too was sort of a personal jab that I guess might offend some people, but it takes a lot to offend me which I think is a pretty well known fact.  It also helps that I happen to have an idea of just who may have written the one for me.  This guy and I had this sort of kindergarten crush relationship all throughout school where he would try to say mean things to me but I never would get offended, but then he’d say something nice a second later.  This is just a reminder of that interesting piece in my history.

A typical night out in high school -- to be fair, I borrowed this shirt from a friend

Anyways, back to what it said.  Ready?  Dana stops shopping in the Kiddie dept. That’s it.  To be fair, when I was in high school baby tees were popular.  I didn’t dress any differently than anyone else.  It just so happens I am a small person, and I haven’t grown since high school, but the point has been taken.

So how accurate is this statement?  Well, I still shop in the juniors’ section of department stores and such, but I have added some more sophisticated stores to my list.  I was given some advice at my last job regarding this topic.  My old boss was a little girl like me, and since we were consultants, we needed to look worth the money.  Being little is a disadvantage when it comes to trying to look older than you are.  Luckily, I’m back in mainstream non-profit where the dress codes are a little more lax.  With that said, I have tried to at least look my age, and on the rare occasion that I need to look more sophisticated, I am more prepared to do that.

Professional Dana!

I’m not gonna lie.  I still have some tee shirts from when I was a kid. Would you believe that my elementary school tee shirt still fits me?  Sure it fits differently, but it still looks fine for a weekend hang around the house shirt.

It’s still one more year until this ten year mark, but I don’t know how much will change in that one year.  I think that I dress appropriately for my age though.  I no longer wear shirts that show my stomach and most of my clothes are not as tight or short as they used to be.

So I guess I have started to stop shopping in the kiddie department.  Good prediction!

A typical night out nowadays

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