“Hinkley High School, how does it feel to be state champions?” Marcia Neville from CBS 4 said those words 10 years ago during our high school’s pep rally the Monday after our football team won the state championship! Those words resound through my body every time I think of high school. What an exciting year our senior year really was!! Not only did we win state in football, but the boy’s basketball team swept the playoffs and won state as well.
Tonight at 6 p.m., Kevin and I (we went to high school together) will enter the APS stadium to reunite and celebrate with the football team, as the entire team will be honored during halftime for their incredible accomplishment 10 years ago. My dear friend, Jessica was the place kicker and won a couple playoff games for Hinkley. Jessica was the first female place kicker at our high school, and that same year, the first male joined the cheerleading squad.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited about tonight. I haven’t seen many of these guys since high school. I’ve heard such stories from my parents about how much people change over the years, but not typically too much at the 10-year reunion. As Kevin and I talked about it last night, we agreed that there’s some logic to why it seems people remain the same 10 years later, or at least appear to. It’s because they have to impress their fellow classmates with their life, appearance and success stories, ignoring the fact that we all are 10 years older, some have kids, are married, possibly divorced, etc all meaning that we have all really changed. For good, or bad, after 10 years, it’s reality, things aren’t going to be exactly the same.
As Jessica and I were talking about tonight’s festivities, she expressed her nervousness of worrying about what people will think of her 10 years later, especially if the clichés are still formed. I have always thought clichés are pointless, and if they are still formed after 10 years, the only thing you can do is feel really sad for the people in them. As we talked, I reassured her that she’s become more beautiful inside and out since high school. We both agreed that we are different people than we were in high school, and we’re both really okay with that.
Our official high school reunion won’t be until next summer, but tonight, we will get a taste of what others have been up to, where they are in their life and how life has been since high school. Maybe we can even reconnect with those high school friends that we lost touch with. It should be a good night. And, to make it even better, it’s a rivalry game against the Aurora Central Trojans and it’s Hinkley’s homecoming game. Just one more thing...GO T-BIRDS! YOU KNOW!
(Note: I know I said I would post on our vacation this week, but I wanted my photos to accompany the post, and I have yet to get them on the computer or on a CD. So next Wednesday, I promise, I will get a post up!!)
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'Twas a lot of fun in high school -- for the two of you and for me, once upon a time. Our 10-year reunion (about the time you and Kevin were, what, 7?) was as you describe here .. those in the cliques stayed there and aren't likely to leave. Sad. I stay more in touch with the elementary school folks these days. No cliques there. We were too young then, and we're all pushing 50 now.
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