I thought I would tell you all a little about my weekend. It was one of the best weekends I have had in a really long time! And not just because I got to go somewhere ALL BY MYSELF...thats right, no kids, no husband, no animals, just me, myself, and I! I spent the weekend with what I would call an extended family from my high school days in Germany. We went to an American High School in Heidelberg and although we were not all there at the same time and the attendees spanned many different years, we all have one thing in common, once an HHS Lion, always and HHS Lion!
I am not a military brat, but my Dad worked for the government and in turn worked for the military. The area he worked in hired civilian personnel to work on installations through out his career and the places we lived. We spent several years in the Washington DC area while he worked on different installations. Then we moved to Germany, when I was 12 years old and starting 7th grade.
Before moving to Germany I spent most of elementary school in Catholic Schools. The year we arrived in Heidelberg was 1975....and the Seniors that year graduated in the USA's Bicentenial year 1976. This was my first experience in a public school and I was in awe of the upper classmen, but the Seniors in particular were the coolest people around! At least to me.....the boys were all the cutest and the girls were all so pretty, I was a gawky 7th grader who wondered if I would ever be as pretty as those girls.
Now please don't think I was one of the cool 7th graders, I was far from it. The cool 7th and 8th grade girls made fun of my clothes....but I had plenty of friends and I was never one to let mean remarks bother me.....I had fashion sense even then and I wore dresses alot and didn't care what anyone else thought. I had braces in 7th and 8th grade too. One of the boys who was always very nice to me when the other cool kids weren't around wrote, "To the Dog of the Year" in my yearbook that year....it hurt....but I got over it. I guess he didn't want anyone to know he was nice to me, if they read my yearbook while signing it, whatever!
But back to this weekend.....I got to spend time with a whole bunch of those way cool Seniors from 1976, and I even took the time to tell them that I worshipped them when I was a lowly 7th grader.....we had a good laugh about it! There were people there who graduated or attended HHS through the 70s and 80s, some I knew, others I didn't know back then, but will keep in contact with now...and can't wait to see at the next reunion I get to attend.
This was the first reunion I got to attend with the bunch from Heidelberg. I didn't get to graduate with my class, we moved the summer after my Junior year....something I am still very bitter about. You see the prom and graduation were held in the Castle, yes a REAL castle, and being a Senior there was very special, with class trips to Spain and parties around the castle, etc. But don't get me wrong, I had a great Senior year with my Dugway friends, it was just hard to be in one school for 5 years and then move as a Senior.
But even after more than 30 years, and contact on Facebook with several of them, I was welcomed back with open arms, hugs, and kisses! It was great! I met new friends and visited with several old friends. I have heard people talk about being nervous about High School Reunions and that they were going to back to show everyone that they were successful and looked just as good or better than they did in high school. I don't think anyone worries about that at our reunions. We are just happy to see each other and ready to have a good time. And boy do we have good times!
So the next time you have the opportunity to go to a High School Reunion, don't worry about whether you are fat now, or didn't become the Doctor everyone thought you would become, or the proffessional athlete, or whatever. Go visit with your old friends, make new ones, and have fun!
HAVE A GREAT DAY!
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