Reuning
So as promised, I attended my 10-year reunion last weekend. I was able to make an entire vacation out of it, leaving here after my last class on Wednesday; spending Thursday in Port Orchard with my sister (and later with our brother, who took the ferry over from Seattle); Friday in Seattle with our aunt, doing some eating and shopping before meeting up with my class that evening in Auburn; Saturday reunion-ing and holding lots of babies; Sunday brunching with friends and then meeting up with the sibs in Seattle; and Monday, traveling, and, believe it or not, even returning in time for some school.
Here are some of the reunion pictures; you can browse this and other albums from the weekend here:
The reunion itself was really quite fun; I enjoyed spending time with some of my still-best friends, as well as those I hadn't seen in five or ten years. I also really enjoyed holding the babies--who'd have thought that our class could produce so many, and such beautiful, small people?
I had approached the event feeling quite confident: in the 10 years since high school, I've earned two degrees and am working on a third (and getting a PhD in Art History at least sounds cool); I've traveled and lived in Europe; I've run three marathons; I've lived in four states and two countries; I'm as thin as I was when I graduated, and in better shape.
The thing is, none of those things really counts in a reunion setting. Visible accomplishments are a spouse and/or children. Reunion attendees are probably self-selected for those characteristics, and that's fine. I guess maybe I expected to have to be more defensive about my lack of either of those, and to buttress my self-esteem with the accomplishments I listed above, but, perhaps surprisingly, no one really seemed to care. Maybe, as a colleague suggested when I returned, everyone was busy feeling insecure about something.
It was great to see my former classmates' new families, and especially to talk to the handful who were doing really interesting things--traveling the world, starting businesses or schools in other countries, going back to college, having adventures. Yes, it was a little weird to see some of them--especially the ones who looked dramatically different from when I had known them--but my overall sense was that we are doing well, doing very different things, and that that is very good.
5 comments:
I think in some way everyone is jealous of every one else. No one can accomplish everything all at once.
I envy those who have degrees and world travel under their belt as those are things I've always wanted, yet I chose another path; and perhaps those who chose the other path wish they had the other things.
The thing is, that all things can come in time if you strive for them. And all are praiseworthy!
(Stepping off my soapbox now.)
Goddess, everything you do is impressive. I don't even have a master's and I've never run a marathon. Thanks for posting all the pictures. I feel like I got to "see" people a little bit at least.
Ceri...you are wildly successful. You have so many accomplishments packed into 10 years. I second what the churches said...the other things will come in time, at just the right time I believe. =)
Awww, thanks, ladies. I hope I didn't sound like I was fishing for compliments or reassurances. I'm not jealous of my friends who have families; I'm glad to see them happy, and am happy where I am, too.
Well jealous was the wrong word. I actually don't like to use it in everyday language as it usually implies something bad, but maybe desire would be the more fitting word (in a different sentence structure of course). ie., 'I desire to be world-traveled and highly-educated.' ;)
Post a Comment