Mossy’s Blog

I went to the park for a casual, family-oriented reunion of my high school graduating class yesterday.

When I think of my high school days I remember an overwhelming need to be popular, a willingness to do almost anything to get a laugh, fear of rejection, and sadness.  This, coming from someone who probably was not seen as sad, rejected, or needy, would probably surprise my old friends.

Of course we look older.  I struggled to recognize the faces of people I knew very well, and it was embarrassing at times.  There were a couple of people who might have sent a proxy in their place – no one would have known.  Our aging hasn’t hurt us, but we are getting a lot older.

After we left the park, I was thinking about how much everyone’s personalities had changed.  Some of the quiet people were more outgoing and there was a genuine warmth and caring feeling that I hadn’t noticed, or more likely, didn’t notice 20+ years ago because I was so wrapped up in myself.  (still trying to unwrap that thing even to this day)

Regrettably, many did not show up.  Whether it was haunting memories or other commitments, only they know.  Someone brought along an annual and we shared a few of the happy memories, and mourned the loss of so many of our classmates.

That last point takes me back to the first reunion I attended in 1987.  I was a relatively new Christian at the time and a little intimidated at the prospect of sharing my faith with classmates who knew how I used to be.  At that reunion I spent a while telling my friend Greg Hughey about Jesus.  One month later Greg was killed in a car wreck, one of the first of my classmates to die since graduating.