High School Reunion approaching
Ξ February 25th, 2008 | → | ∇ Blog |
Welp, I received notice that my 20 year high school reunion is coming up. I went to St. Johns Prep in Astoria NY. I can almost hear the gasp of some of you when you read that. A prep school? Really? I realize that I may not fit the mold of one that was educated at a prep school, but I graduated (by the skin of my teeth) with the class of 1988. I’ll certainly go to my reunion, but not without being a little nervous. A lot has changed over 20 years. In 1988 my career plan was to join a biker gang and sell crystal meth . I had already started working on my tattoos and I had no intention of going to college because I did so poorly in High School. In 1988, I was a regular at CBGB’s and listened to New York Hard Core and Death Metal. I was rarely seen without my black leather jacket and motercycle boots. I was ALWAYS up to no good, and the local police and I were on a first name basis.
Now, twenty years later, I’m a big disapointment to my former self. I not only finished college but went on to grad school .. and .. *gasp* .. I work for “The Man”. In 1988 I was looking for employement of the variety that would allow me to “wake and bake”. I hated Corporate America back then, I don’t remember why though. I never even owned a motorcycle, much less had the opportunity to ride cross country wearing the colors of an outlaw biker gang. I may still have some hard core punk on my IPOD, but it shares space with Kelly Clarkson, Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, 50 Cent and Avril Levine. I would have been appalled. If you couldn’t slam dance to it, it was no good. I’ve gotten married .. something I was adamantly against in my younger days. And children? In 1988, I would never have seen the reason for wanting one of those things. Sheesh .. get a dog, at least they don’t drool snot.
I have other feelings of trepidation as well. I’m on the down side of my prime. My knees crack so much, it sounds like I walk on bubble wrap. I still go to the gym, but I don’t have the 3 hours a day I used to work out with. I can squeeze in an hour and a half (more or less) a few times a week, but thats nothing compared to what I used to do. I’ve put on a few pounds since high school too, and my dreams of having pro fights are dashed. Have I aged as well as my classmates? I hope so. Am I working on children later then everyone else? Have I achieved a professional status that I can be happy with? I don’t know about any of that; I strive to be the best I can be in life but who knows where I fall. I do know that in life I am happy though. My work in interesting, I have a close family and friends and best of all, an awsome wife to share it all with.
I’ve always marched to the beat of my own drummer. Its one of the things I’ve always been proud of. Its weird to feel like I have to be competitive with people I don’t even know anymore. Is competitive the right word? Probably not. I’ll use it for now, for lack of a better one though. In any event, the 1988 version of me would have been disapointed in the current me for even thinking along these lines. In 1988, I would have extended the middle finger and muttered something about yuppies at myself as I strutted past.
4 Responses to ' High School Reunion approaching '
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on March 3rd, 2008 at 11:35 pm
as someone who just got the notice too. let me tell you it will be great hooking up with “Club Murph” again. back then I knew you were better than you aperared. you acepted people for who they were and even though you tried to hide it you cared about people.(I know for a fact since a certian keg party you made sure to wake me up at.) And so what you don’t listen to iron maden or ozzy as much any more it just means you have expanded your tasts. And your true friend will always acept you for who you are and to hell with the other asholes.
on March 5th, 2008 at 1:29 am
Won’t your high school classmates be surprised to find out that you are gay?!?!?
on March 5th, 2008 at 3:51 am
Angusshangus: I can’t quit you baby.
on March 5th, 2008 at 3:53 am
Mike, Thanks buddy. I do care .. not the same was as I care about angusshangus .. but I care