Last weekend I attended my high school class’s 40th reunion. Among the activities was a photo scavenger hunt, where the objective was to post photos taken at various places around town. This was rather memorable for me as I ended up visiting my first home, my first elementary school (now a college satellite campus), my junior high (now combined with the town’s other junior high into a middle school), the fast-food place where I had my first job, and many other memorable locations.
As it happens, lately I’ve been working through some painful old memories from a decade before my high school graduation. My family had a perfect storm of crises that year, and I (being rather young) had a hard time understanding what was going on and also coping with it. The worst part, for me, was an abrupt move we made that fall. The school year had just begun when I was uprooted and thrust into a new home and a new school. Eventually I made friends, some of whom I saw at the reunion, which was great as it reminded me that there were plenty of good times, too.
So I have, to a great degree, made peace with that decade. Going back and walking around the halls of my high school helped me lay some ghosts, and reminded me of better times. And getting back in touch with old friends – who somehow look exactly the same – was a very positive experience. Here’s to you, Toppers of ’78.
