I’ve been inundated with requests (oh alright, one person mentioned it) for an update on the school reunion. Was it fun? Did it bring back happy memories? Or should the past stay firmly in the past? (Hmm, starting to get a bit too Carrie Bradshaw…)
Well, 10 people out of a class of 30 showed up. Some had good reasons for not coming – holidays, moving house, giving birth. Others couldn’t be arsed or maybe never want to meet their classmates again; could the Poking Tunnel™ have something to do with that??
Much wine and cider was consumed (sadly not by me, as I had a 6 hour drive the next day), memories were shared and photos taken. Even though I hadn’t managed to lose any weight beforehand, I’m really glad I went. There’s something so comfortable about being with people who knew you when you were 11 and still found Dr Who scary…oh who am I kidding, it’s still scary! For heavens sake, who wouldn’t be scared by the Blink episode with those statues???? Nope, gotta stop thinking about it.
Anyway, here’s what I discovered:
- Personalities don’t change. Those who were quiet at school were still quiet. The loud, over-the-top ones were still loud and over-the-top. The funny ones were still funny and the nice ones were still nice. I can’t decide if this is good or not? It’s strange to think that it doesn’t matter what we do, where we go or whom we meet, we’re basically the person we always were. Evidently, leopards really don’t change their spots.
- Everyone ages. Doesn’t matter how much you spend on face creams, gym memberships, non-surgical procedures or full-on facelifts, you are not going to look the same as you did at twenty. Your figure is not going to be as firm, your boobs won’t be as perky or your skin as radiant. Accept it and move on. (Unless, of course, you are the one person at the reunion who actually did look exactly the same as they did at 16. You know who you are. What is your secret???)
- By the time you reach 40(ish), everyone has had some troubles in their life. It might be a bad divorce, redundancy, illness, depression, parents passing away or not being able to have kids, but very few people manage to escape unscathed. That’s life. And, whilst I’m not sure it makes us stronger, I do think it makes us more sympathetic and understanding of other peoples’ problems. Which can only be a good thing.
- A low-cut dress and a decent up-lift bra can really distract attention away from that extra stone.
Will it be another 27 years until we meet again? Well, I’ve already met a couple of classmates for coffee and plans are afoot for a Christmas meet-up. This time, I’m never gonna let you go….
BARBED WORDS 