Old School

I went to a small parochial school until 8th grade. There were probably 28 kids in each grade, so everyone knew everybody.

I stayed in touch with Denise after leaving CA for AZ, and we remained friends even as we became adults. Unfortunately, I lost touch with everyone else after only a short time of being away.

Now, 27 years later, I have been contacted not once, but twice in one year by old classmates. (Jenni first, and then Darin) While nothing will compare to all the things that Denise and I have shared through the years, it does feel nice to be back in touch with some of my other friends. It seems like just yesterday sometimes when we chat.

As a result of this contact, now many of us are on a little bit of a quest for the rest of the class. Unfortunately, some of our classmates had very common names, so they will be difficult to track down. Little by little though, I hope we can network our way back to a complete group again.

It is sooooo weird to see pictures of my old mates and know that they are all (about/at least) 40 like me, and yet still see the junior high kids I knew when I look at their pictures. Even stranger still was to get a voicemail from Darin and have to convince myself that it was not 1982! Not to say he sounds like a kid now, but he still sounds like the Darin that I remember! It's so hard to explain! I keep meaning to call him back, but, as with most grown ups, life keeps happening around me. I also keep promising to call Jenni one of these days, but that hasn't happened yet either. As I imagine it, I can hear her voice in my head. I wonder if it will sound the same in my ear when I finally live up to my word?

As the old quote goes, "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." I have so many pleasant memories of those years we all shared. Granted, junior high DID happen during those years, but that doesn't change that I couldn't help but sometimes feel everyone was like an extended family since we shared such close quarters on that tiny little campus.

I've played a little catch up on Facebook in the last week or so, but there is just not enough time in the day to do so with every new friend as I add them. I love that every day or so, someone shows up somehow. (My first thought on the group we started was, "If you build it, they will come!) I just don't feel like I have time every day to catch up with them the instant I see them, and I hope they don't take that for lack of interest. In that way, it's not so great to add so many friends at one time. I feel like I shouldn't add a new friend until I catch up with the others I've already found. How silly is that?