Bodacious Boomer

Not actually. It was 40 years ago last May. How can that be?  Four decades- no way. But it was. Yes, my high school graduation was that long ago. Tonight is my high school reunion. I have never been to one before and am unsure what to expect. I wasn’t sure for awhile that we were going to be able to attend. However, Doug has made it back from Dallas, so we’re going. I haven’t gone to any of the other ones- ten years after I was still single and living La Vida Loca. (If I remember correctly I was also hospitalized with meningitis that very day). Twenty years later I was busy re-habbing Brett, usually taking him to two different therapies a day. My thirtieth reunion just came and went unnoticed so here we are.

My friend Dianne Ledet has been the driving force behind this. I just Facebooked her and she said there were 568 people in our graduating class. (I’d really forgotten that our class was that big). You’d think I would’ve remembered because I was on the school newspaper, The Tribune. Dianne, Laurie, Bonnie and I were all on the Tribune staff. Our journalism teacher/sponsor was Mrs. Early. As I recall she was nice, if a bit scatterbrained. Back then she was probably the age I am now. (That poor woman. Now I understand). After graduation, Laurie and I both went to UT and were in fact roommates for a year and a half.  (We had a falling out the spring of our sophomore year at UT and we’ve not spoken since). I think I heard she’s in Colorado. I hope she’s doing OK. I believe Bonnie went to UT also and in fact pledged Laurie’s sorority. Wanting to me as different as possible, I never went through rush. I stayed a rampant GDI.

These days it’s so much easier for the kids to keep in touch with their high school friends with the advent of Facebook and other social utilities. Brett has 921 Facebook friends. (Of course, he’s much more the social butterfly, so to speak, than I ever was). I had friends in high school, not hundreds of course, but quite a few. I think some of my apprehension about tonight is that no one will recognize me. Last night, I was watching a Time-Life infomercial: Flower Power, the 10 CD set.  Peter Fonda was the host. There were a few people who must’ve been my age sitting on the couch discussing how they remembered the music. They looked so OLD. Do I look that old? I don’t know. I joke about it all the time, but I really can’t tell.

Do we always see ourselves through rose colored glasses? I found a cute B&W polka dot skirt to wear tonight. The reunion is at a popular Tex-Mex place in town. I could wear jeans. However, then I may have to break my commandment about no Spanx for me, so a skirt with a casual shirt it will be. Overall, I’m pretty happy about my appearance when I’m clothed, except for my neck. It really bothers me. Every fall, just to be safe,  I go into hiding, not to reappear until at least after Thanksgiving. My friend Camille (Chin Hairs & other Nasty Surprises) would tell me “Are you crazy? Forget about it and go have fun”. I ‘ve really tried to embrace that philosophy wholeheartedly and I’m doing better. However, I’m not quite there yet. That being said,  I’m eagerly awaiting a FedEx package today. My set of  African neck rings should be here this afternoon. I know they were a splurge. However, it’s almost a BOGO. One, they will make me look taller, counteracting my wizened appearance and two, my turkey neck will magically disappear. Two problems solved for the price of one. I’m hoping they’ll catch on here. They might… I’ll let you know how tonight goes. Wish me luck. Today’s trivia answer- 550 tons.