FUHS Reunion Class of 1968 Baby!!! Day 1

Could it really be that a week ago today I was in sunny southern California? I was whisked back in time to an era that was perhaps the happiest of my somewhat unique upbringing.

On Friday last I climbed aboard a Southwest flight from Raleigh and flew to San Diego via lay over in Denver. I arrived in beautiful San Diego at 4:30 in the afternoon, went to the car rental people and picked up my sporty, if not zippy, Ford focus. In minutes I was flying up the "5" towards Oceanside... okay, I was driving in 12 lanes of traffic ,which normally would terrify me, but it was rush hour and so people were going 35 miles an hour most of the way. This makes the whole term "rush hour" somewhat oxymoronic. Before leaving the sweet little rental car agent, I asked dumbly, "How do I get on Rt. 101 to Oceanside?" He then asked how long it had been since I had been in Southern California.... "well other than a quick weekend to Costa Mesa in 2005 ... ah... about 40 years I guess... what do you mean there are other ways to go north other than Rt. 101 or 395 ???" Silly me... but I digress. I arrived in Oceanside around 6 pm and drove straight to the apt. of a high school friend, whom I had not seen since graduation!
Robin had told me I could crash at her house for the weekend and so I was thrilled to have a safe place to stay and a friend with who I could talk about our high school years.

She was not planning to go to the Friday night event but I talked her into going. We followed our map and entered the secret code and found our way to the home of another classmate. When we drove up, we knew we would be late and were not certain where the house was exactly, but as we got closer we encountered Allen DeLong's classic 1956 Chevy and we knew we were in the right place.

We arrived about a half hour late.... but found our name tags.. (Thank goodness for whomever thought of putting our senior pictures on the name tags) and went out to the back yard. And there before me were about 75 former classmates and spouses... How had all these other people gotten so old.??... surely I will not recognize any of them .. but they will no doubt have NO problems recognizing me!!!HA! I mean how much might I have changed in 40 years?? Hmmm, well I have gained about 30 lbs, I have highlighted hair now, hiding the white and gray, glasses (darn... should have worn the contacts), and oh yes, a chest
(regardless of where it might actually reside now.. should have worn the wonder bra.. drat!)... which I certainly did not have in 1968!

Some people remembered me...but most of my group of girlfriends were NOT there! A few of the guys on whom I had huge crushes in high school were there, not that they ever knew that of course. And well to see them now... I am just as glad maybe nothing ever came of my day dreams. I guess it brought home to me that in fact I was not very "popular" in high school. I was not athletic, I was not in the band, I was not a cheerleader type, I was not academic. I was in choir ... I did like school... I was just not very good at it. Early on I had been labeled as "not college material" and so I seemed determined to live up to some guidance counselor's expectations of me!

But now it is forty years later and I found myself doing much the same thing as I did then... I would have loved to have been in the thick of things, but found myself sitting on the outskirts and observing. Don't think that I was not having a great time.. I really was. I was wonderful to see the amazing way in which the organizers had put the whole thing together. Our host's home was absolutely beautiful, both inside and out. And I did enjoy talking with people... after a few hours I could not figure out why I was sooooo tired and I looked at my watch and it was still on
Eastern Standard Time and it was 2:15 AM. even though the night was still young on the other coast! Stay tuned for my Saturday and of course the BIG EVENT!

to be continued...