So I had my 10 year High School reunion last Friday. What a trip.
Nobody really changed, they simply became more of what they already were.
Sure some people got big, others got small, some got bald, some got boobs. Overhearing conversations, it was a lot of people explaining where they were now… and adjusting it accordingly depending on who was at the other end of the beer. Speaking of which… Budweiser, Miller Light, and Coors Light. I felt like I was at a Nascar event. Just because it’s a high school reunion doesn’t mean we should still drink that crap – don’t even get me started on the wine. Deplorable. I’ve tasted better from a box.
I’ll admit I felt like a cattle sitting in coach most of the evening, first having to move my car a whopping 10 feet from where I initially parked it as a gentleman explained in broken English why I couldn’t park where I had. The open bar gradually became a bullpen as breathing room became a luxury, waiting tables remained vacant as everyone caught up on things. Dautaj wasn’t really made for such an event. Had we a crowd half the size, or both sides of the restaurant… Sure. However when I quizzed a waiter as to the title of the in-flight film – the ensuing laughter justified my irritation.
My prediction came true… I ran into the 4 or 5 people I had planned on seeing, and spent dinner with them – but that wasn’t the prediction. The prediction was that nobody would sit with us and I was right. Everyone fell back to their old clicks from High School and nary did one deviate from the relative safety of prep, jock, or bubble heads. The table we sat at was the last to fill as everyone scrambled to fill the adjacent rows. Finally, when all the extra seats were exhausted – our table filled.
While the drink left much to be desired, the food was outstanding as was the company. The waiters gradually served large plates of faire, allowing each person to take a bit before the next plate circulated. My fiancee and I snuck out about a half hour before the event was to end – no real desire to explore and dessert options as everything for the most part seemed rushed and disorganized.
I just figure for $50 a head, we probably could have gotten a local legion hall or some larger venue with a bar and a buffet that would have allowed some more breathing room and a little more mingling… Still, it was my first and last 10 year reunion, I got it out of the way – maybe in another 15 years I’ll consider seeing what the rest are up to.
Till then, Cheers.