The Long and Winding Road - 30th High School Class Reunion

I've been waiting for it. I knew it would come. And I was just sure it would be a few weeks, months, or maybe days away from my vacation. But for once, I got lucky. I'm hardly ever lucky. I got the email about my 30th high school class reunion last night. I moved away from my home town a year or so after high school so it's not like I can just free a night on my calendar. I have to save money for plane fair, car rental, get vacation off work, close my ears to the kids pleading to go with me when I go away but can't afford to take. It's not a simple thing for me to pick up and leave for even a few days. I think I'm a prisoner. Anyway, amazingly, my reunion is while I'm on vacation in Cincinnati this summer already. And the weekend after, not of, my already paid-for romance writers' conference. I mean, wow! It worked out perfectly. Obviously, I graduated in the Class of '78. Norwood High School. It should have been Northwest High School, but that's another story... Anyway, high school was fab. I was 2nd lieutenant in the Flag Corps. I was co-editor of our high school paper, The Mirror. I was on the year book staff. I hung out at the disco getting down with lots of John Travolta wanna bes almost every night. I took a college night class or two while still in high school. I loved it. Still, I was nothing compared to my cousin, Vicky, who was president or vice president or almost every other club in school (my same graduating year), drum majorette, and on the drill team. Despite that, she's so nice no one can even be jealous of all her accomplishments, not even now when she has a rich lawyer husband, a huge, beautiful mansion of a house, and 4 lovely children, and looks to still be a size 6. Maybe only a 4. I loved 1977 and 1978 - and even 1979 (my Air Force schooling year and the Drum & Bugle Corps - more flag twirling, marching, and discoing). Of course, we didn't think we looked weird with the Farrah Fawcett winged hair, polyester jump suits, all the men with long and fluffy hair, gauchos, John Travolta white suits... We thought men with short, orderly hair were the strange ones, the nerds. I loved disco, but my husband was in the opposite camp - the "Down with Disco" group, the hard core rockers. I like rock 'n roll, too but then I like variety and I love to dance. I'm all over the place tonight. It was a really tiring day at work, so I'm scatty. But I was flying this morning as I was so excited about the reunion. I'm wondering why. The 10th (only reunion I've gone to so far) wasn't that great. Only one of my good friends came and I didn't recognize her at first as she had shaved her head, and died the little bit of spiked hair a shiny orange and she'd replaced her huge glasses with contacts. But once we connected, it was good to see her, and another friend. One guy I thought was a friend in high school totally snubbed me. My cousin was the center of all her worshipers so I didn't see too much of her, although she, of course, was her usual sweet self. My aunt and uncle get together once a MONTH with their high school class. Now it's morphed into all the people who graduated in the surrounding 5 - 10 years as well. They have lunch at the Golden Corral up the road from my dad's house. My aunt and uncle just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary if that gives you any idea of their graduating class year. I think they're awesome. So if they can do that, I can go at least one more time. It'll be interesting to see what everyone looks like. My boss today said it's amazing, the voices stay the same. He only attended his 40th class reunion and none in between. My mind is boggled. It doesn't feel like it's been 30 years. Time's flown! I don't feel old. But THIRTY FRICKIN' YEARS! That sounds like forever! I wonder if they'll play our prom theme - Long and Winding Road by the Beatles. The other choice was Bread's - gawd, I can't remember which one - not "Baby I'm A Want You". Something more appropriate for a class theme. Bread was okay, but not great. That's not my favorite Beatle's song, either, although I love the Beatles. I guess it has been a winding road, but it doesn't feel that long, not that long at all.