Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Reunions...

So I was just filling out the rest of my "info" on the Class Reunion Website that I joined... and it came to memories of High School...  Funny thing is I don't have a whole lot of "good" memories of High School.

Oh I remember managing the football and basketball teams... I remember not going to Homecoming or Prom... I remember not having a date during High School... I do, however, have many fond memories of getting to know teachers... so I guess you could say I was somewhat of a dork!

Now I did have LOTS of good memories of my time in Boy Scout Troop 109 and Youth Group at Westminster Presbyterian Church... Boy Scouts involved Camping, Prune Pit Spitting Contests (there was a down side to winning the contest I found out as we had to stop at every rest stop on the way home so I, the "winner" could... um... you get the picture), and tons of jokes... Youth Group involved Church Camp and retreats... learning about the books of the Bible never mentioned in Sunday School Class (Song of Songs!) from our Intern (Youth Director)...

Meanwhile, back to reunions... and High School... yep, not a whole lot that I chose to remember... sadly... but it was what it was.  Funny thing happened though... something called Facebook came into being!  And so many classmates who are also wiser and more seasoned (note I did not say OLDER)... having let go of so many HS games and attitudes... we were getting to know each other "virtually" and realizing that we had all missed out on something back in the day... but were finding out that there was so much more to enjoy in life now with each other!

Instead of "teasing" someone and saying they were gay or a fag (been labeled both and it hurt, but I had no idea how much it hurt my classmates who were, in fact, gay)... or leaving them out of events because they were not "in"... we begin seeing through the facade we had put up (yes, we... I had done the same towards the "in" crowd and others...)  And we began to see each other as sister and brother... as fellow survivors of AHS and this thing called life... and, to plagiarize Genesis, we began to see that it "was good"!

So whether it is, in my case, discovering the wonder of that Minnesota Sensation called "The Gear Daddies" (hey, I graduated with Martin Zellar's sister Nel and knew Nic Ciola's mom Joan and brother Lou, Jr!) or reading the writings of Brad Zellar and connecting with folks that I hardly knew back then but who walked with me during a very difficult personal time (Debbie Iverson Long, Jane Jirele Lightle, Jon Nack, Nel Zellar, Mary Newton Martinson (from College)... you guys rock!)... I figured something out...

We all GROW UP!  Well... maybe we all grow OLDER... and we mature... and we drop biases and stereotypes and HS crap!  Bottom line?  We have fun... we laugh...we cry... we share stories... we share memories... we make memories... and in the middle of that find out that life, despite its twists and turns and dark tunnels, is good...

And, at the end of the day... no matter where we've been... or even where we are... the blessing is this...

"This is the day the Lord had made!  Let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)

So lets rejoice and enjoy what God has given to us... in my case?  A wonderful son, a beautiful fiancee, a church family and city I love dearly, and a house that will be ALL MINE in 14 years and 4 months!

Grace and Peace!

Michael

1 comment:

  1. Amen, Amen, and AMEN!! I wish I had your gift with words, you are wonderful! Love you sweet friend and brother <3<3<3 Debbie

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