...Last night I sat down to stitch (as I usually do) and when I stitch I watch a movie (also as I usually do). These best laid plans were not to be, however. I chose to watch "Grosse Pointe Blank" which had a few things going for it: it's funny, I've seen it a few times before, and it's got John Cusack. That last thing is always a good thing.

Anyway, I started the movie and picked up my stand, unsheathed my scissors, and zeroed in on the part of the chart I wanted to work on. Three minutes later I put it all back after never touching the needle, because I knew I wanted to actually watch this movie and not listen to it and look up occasionally. Cusack does so much with his facial expressions in this movie, and they shouldn't be missed.

Ah, but I digress.

For those who've not seen the movie, it's the story of a professional killer who goes back home for his 10 year high school class reunion (and decides that he's going to do one last 'hit' and be done with it all). He also goes to see the girl that he jilted on prom night because he'd disappeared for these last 10 years without explanation.

While I was watching I realized something - it's been 15 years since I graduated high school, and no one planned a reunion. I saw no notices in the alumni bulletin, and I've been known to cruise the school's website and didn't see anything mentioned there. I've not moved in the last 5 years, so they have my last known address too (from the last reunion). And the 10 year reunion was a success, after all - out of a class of 172 students, 60 showed up. The 5 year reunion was cancelled because only 7 people were interested, 5 of those being committee members.

I don't know why the folks in charge of that class (cheerleaders all of them) decided not to organize something this year. Maybe they thought we peaked - maybe we did. Maybe they didn't want to deal with diets and all the assorted junk that would have to go along with it. Maybe they didn't want to see their regular female object of derision (me) show up in another black velvet dress and all the right curves.

Last time there *were* a few green individuals around, including a former friend who also showed up in a similar little black dress. Trust me, she shouldn't have worn it. *shoves the catty side of her that's coming out back down into the box*

I saw fellow track members who'd been through the military and back. Divorces already occurred. Two women couldn't make it, it was announced, because they were in labor or on top of their due dates. Two guys couldn't make it, it was whispered among ourselves, because they were in jail (one of them didn't surprise me). One guy married the daughter of a construction company owner and immediately became a VP and was working on child #4. Some were still professional students because they'd hadn't figured out what they wanted to do for a living. It seemed to me that out of the 60 people there, only about 4 or 5 (this writer included) had put themselves on a career path - one where they actually worked and succeeded.

I did *not* have a great high school experience. That's putting it mildly too - I was miserable for those 4 years - even with debate, yearbook, track, 4 or 5 honors or AP classes every semester to keep me occupied I was miserable. Got sick from a really bad flu and ended up hospitalized for a couple of days (I knew I was forgetting something on the A to Z's entry... that was my other hospital stay) no one visited. No cards. My track coach called, and that was the only contact from the school. I didn't have friends to speak of - the guys I was friends with didn't know what to say, the psycho ex-boyfriend was being strange and aloof, and all of the girls I knew from classes were busy studying in the hopes that this would derail me from being top of the class again. The track team? They kept running (literally) and one of them was working her times up so that she could displace me as the relay anchor.

Ah... the dreams of the young. I ran the relay anchor for the rest of that season and for another year, and wasn't quite at the top of the class, but very close to it.

Anyway, I realized last night as well that I didn't really need a reunion to tell me how these folks were doing. *I* know how I'm doing, and that's all that mattered. Anyone from that time who wants to get ahold of me will know how to find me - just call the Alumni Office and they'll forward the information, or find me on classmates.com to send a message. There's one person from that time that I still speak with once in a while and that's enough for me. *waves hi to the sportswriter in the Pacific Northwest* I think that's enough for him too.

So, here's to 15 years of my escape from hell and the beginning of my real life. Maybe there will be a 20 year... at this point in time, I don't think I care. Good luck to those still stuck in high school (mentally and physically)...

...because it only gets better when you're gone.