Two Decades

In July my high school friends and I will gather, in a local hotel ballroom, and reunite. Just the word reunion- "the act or process of coming together again" makes me fell nostalgic.   In 20 years a lot has happened.  We have traveled, we have moved, we have married, divorced, struggled with our health, given birth and experienced death.  

We have triumphed and we have failed....and change has become a constant we have learned to accept.  

But some things have haven't changed, and that is what makes the essence of who we really are. In 20 years, I still love photography and writing and socializing (God bless the internet and facebook for allowing me to indulge in these passions!). I have to say this wasn't always the case. I think that 20 years of reflection is much much different than 10 years...time and experience can sure change perspective.  

At my 10 year reunion, I felt like I was nothing like that highschool girl. I was a working college graduate who just got back from traveling Asia for work. I was busy getting on planes, meeting people, doing, running, being "out there" in the world, and coming back to my hometown to see the "same old people" wasn't high on my priority list.  I didn't want to go, I felt out of my element and I felt that that old skin just didn't fit any more.  That reunion, I only went to one of the weekend events and in the end I begrudgingly had fun. I drank too many glasses of wine to loosen up and relax, but I had fun. 

But now 10 years after that and 20 total years of high school graduation....that old skin does fit a little better and feel more comfortable.  Maybe I was tying so hard NOT to be that same girl, that I had to lose myself enough to take the time to "find myself". Only to discover, I needed to come around to being her again. 

 I ran, I saw, I conquered, I circled back.

In no way am I done with trying on new skins, new adventures. I hope in the next 20 years I have way more travel, adventures, loves, hopes, dreams and experiences that beat the last 20 years.  But, as that change inevitably occurs, as a I embrace new life and new dreams, I know that my constant, my true self that I can see reflecting back to me not only in old high school photographs but in the eyes of my friends who really "get me", will always be there.

That uniting, that coming together....it does something to us. I think it reawakens our inner self, I think it reminds that high school kid that, " hey....you can grow, you can change and you can see that same growth and change in your fellow classmates, but reunite! Come together and take the time to stop and the celebrate the journey." 

I look forward to our day of reuniting and plan on taking time to celebrate my journey.