if the past is so bad, why relive it?

I received a notice about my high school reunion. Actually, if I had never joined Myspace, I would never have found out about it. Surprisingly, I received my notice through Myspace.

Since the days following graduation, my particular class was intent on staying in touch. A website went up just for my high school’s class of 1996 (one of my classmates, a computer geek, set it up). I know of people who used that for a couple of years in college. And now, there’s a Myspace group just for my high school’s class of 1996. Since I only recently gave in to Myspace, I wanted to join some groups to feel like I “belonged” (some of us never grow out of those high school ideals…thank God I grew out of other things) and just happened upon my class group.

Before joining the group, I perused its members. Of the 425 people I graduated with, over a quarter of them are in the Myspace group. When reviewing the list, I didn’t look at any faces or names. I only looked at their locations. Where are my classmates? I wondered. Not surprisingly, they’re still in California. In fact, a large percentage of them are still in Southern California. Out of the over 150 names in the group, only 3 are outside of the state. To be honest, I’m not surprised.

My conservative, private, Catholic high school had felt like a bubble to me. While inside of it, I only knew of my own little world—wearing plaid skirts above the knee and pulling them down when the dean walked by, finding a date to the next dance, judging the girls who got pregnant, keeping hush about the kids who did drugs and dealt them. The message to “do what Jesus would do” was constantly shoved down our throats, but rarely genuinely lived by. People faked it all the time. This little bubble fostered ignorance and prejudice. The hypocrisy of it all still disturbs me.

There is one positive thing I can say. The academics were outstanding. Almost everyone struggled to be the smartest one in the class (I was content with top 5). Your peers praised you for setting curves (and cursed you behind your back). Academic achievement was praised every which way imaginable. I don’t regret attending that high school for successfully setting me up for college. It just didn’t set me up for life.

Actually USC did that. My college, with its diversity and opportunities, truly made me the person that I am. I began to see what the real world truly was and I began to question everything I was taught in my high school religion classes. I took nothing at face value and began to think for myself. And the sports teams kick ass!

So, when I found out that my high school reunion falls on the same day as the USC/Notre Dame football game, I was ecstatic. The planning committee was asking me to choose between my high school and USC. Hmmm…let’s see…a clash between traditional football powerhouses…or reliving the miserable high school years? I’m glad you agree with my decision.

If I’m even in town that day, I’d much rather catch the football game at a sports bar with fellow Trojans, then go to a silly reunion.