Back to 1998..

High school reunions. I don't know, for me, they'll always be more important than college ones (although to be fair, haven't yet had a college one, but I just know this).

I went to an all-girl's high school. Oh, that's right, not just high school, I went there from 4th through 12th grade. Nine years of my life at this lovely institution, where we flitted about in our adorable pinstriped pastel uniforms, blissfully focusing on just our studies, where there were no headaches known as the male species. We graduated 49 people our year, and even though there was no way that we were all friends with each other, nevertheless, with such a small number of students, we all knew each other's business. It was hard not to. Gossip spread like the wind, even after we left and went to our respective colleges (because attending college was a given, it wasn't really a choice.)

Anyhow, Friday night was our first big reunion. 5 years. I had kept in close touch with a small handful of people, and knew about others through the gossip mill. But this presented the perfect opportunity to get up to date on what people were indeed doing, straight from the source. None of this, "so I heard, from so-and-so, who talked to so-and-so-two, that this person was maybe perhaps in New York, but we're not quite sure what she's doing." Cold hard facts is what I was after last night.

I don't know what I was expecting. In 5 years, you expect that people will have changed. That we'd have looked older, more mature, wiser. After all, I feel that I've changed over the past years. That wasn't the case at all. Everyone looked pretty much exactly the same as she did when we graduated in our white dresses. Everyone sounded the same. Even the girl who had left in 8th grade, she hadn't changed much either. It was all too oddly familiar, as if no time had lapsed at all. There were still those who with every word, induced laughter so intense you were doubled over. There were still those who were too cool to talk with everyone else. There were still those who yes, 5 years later, remained as intensely dorky and weird as they were in high school. (I guess you expect some people to get over their awkward stage. Maybe it's not just a stage, maybe it's them.)

Maybe the next reunion will be different. Then we'll be 28, most will be married, some might even have children. That is such a scary prospect.

But let's talk about last night. Of course, there was lots of fake hugs and bright smiles and airkissing. The conventions of society. Even if you're not actually excited to see other people, you fake it. Because that's what is expected when you gather some 20 girls together (as obviously, some people did not attend.)

"Oh! How lovely to see you!"
"And how have you been doing?"
"That's fabulous!"
"It's great to see you!"
"What have you been up to?"
"So, are you seeing anyone?"
"Wow, you look great!"

Etcetera, etcetera, ad nauseum. A person would arrive. Whoever was already there would stand up and move towards the door, en masse, hugging and kissing the new arrival. Platitudes were gushed. The past 5 years of our lives were exchanged, once again. After awhile, it got to be a little overwhelming, and more than a little repetitious.

At least there was wine.

Wine makes everything better. Especially multiple bottles of wine.

Bonding is so much easier when alcohol is involved. The false excitement comes more easily, as does the big smile and the furrowed brow of interest. Time quite simply flies once you're in that alcohol-induced haze, and the next thing you know, it was 11PM, way past the planned ending time of 8.. oh, but the gossiping was so much fun!

Incidentally, upon revealing my plans to become a professor, several people remarked that I would be the professor who hits on her male students. I don't know where people get this erroneous assumption. They're not the first ones to say so, either. Younger guys don't do it for me at all, though I have to admit the bride and the MoH both have very attractive brothers who are still in college. But it's very perplexing, how somehow this is the way other people see me.

*Note to self for next reunion. Not eating all day, and then launching into the wine immediately upon arrival at 5PM, ignoring the tasty hors d'oeuvres, means that you will be hungover the next day, and no amount of post-alcohol water drinking will save you. It will also lead you to doing stupid things, like inviting the previously mentioned MoH, whom you have long claimed to detest, to a night of debaucherous drinking with a bunch of cute British guys. Why? Just why? Keep all the cute guys for yourself, you moron!