High School Reunion

They say that life resembles high school. Some argue that the habits and social status you establish in high school will persist long after you graduate, radically and permanently affecting how you interact with the world thereafter. I’m not entirely sold that the die is cast by the age of 18, but there’s probably at least a grain of truth to the theory.

As for me, I went to high school at an all boys prep school in the suburbs of New York. I’m having a hard time coming up with a stereotype for my high school persona. I was nerdy in so far as I got good grades, went to class, was liked by my teachers, did drama, and speech. But, at the same time, I was cool, because I was pretty good at sports, hung out with the jocks at lunch, drove a cool car, and made people laugh. It was like I led two different lives. My cool friends didn’t care much for my nerd friends and vice versa, but right in between was where I fit best.

I distinctly remember the conundrum I faced when it came time to write my senior quote for the yearbook. They basically only gave you enough space to mention 5 people and/or memories. I realized that 5 would be inadequate to cover both groups, so I didn’t mention anyone in particular. The funny part is that two of the people that mentioned me by name were (1) the uber-jock – my high school’s all time scoring leader in basketball who went on to play D-I hoops and (2) the kid who won like 10 academic medals at graduation and is presently getting his PhD in robotics. See what I mean?

My school had its 5 year reunion a few years ago. I was somewhat tempted to go, because I was curious to see what everyone was up to, but I was then in law school half way across the country and it wasn’t worth the effort. It’s probably best I didn’t go. It would have been odd, as I’m sure those kinds of things always are.

Today, my high school reunion came to me. I had set up a MySpace account like 2 years ago, so I could check out the pages of bands. I never did fill in any of the optional fields though. Well, just a few days ago, a friend somehow found my page and try to add me as a friend. Lord only knows how he found me, because I didn’t have ANY personal information on my profile, but that’s beside the point. He found me and wanted me to be his friend. Now I’ve been found out and need to set up an account for real. I filled in the bare minimum and added him. But then it looked stupid that he was my only friend. Well, him and Tom, so I decided that if I was going to do this, I was going to do this for real. I added some pics, filled in my schools, and I was cooking.

24 hours goes by and some dude that I went to high school with finds me. He wants me to add him. He was like 2 years behind me, and I haven’t spoken to him in 8 years, but he was good people, so I add him. Another 24 hours goes by and this other kid wants to be my friend. I figure it’s spam, because I don’t recognize him, but when I go to his profile, I see that he graduated with me from high school. Who the hell is this kid? I can’t place him. What’s more disturbing is that in every pic he has, he’s in army fatigues and carrying a giant machine gun. Now I’m afraid that if I don’t add him, he’ll find me. Heck, he’s found me once already! Wait, I think this kid was in my homeroom sophomore year, which would mean that we haven’t spoken in 10 years. He doesn’t look exactly as I remember him (maybe because fatigues and machine guns were against dress code) but this is my only guess. I’m about 60% sure it’s him.

I think to myself. How in the world are these people finding me? Then I see that there’s a button you can click to pull up all the people that went to your high school. Ok, let’s play. Wow! What a trip down memory lane. I remember that kid; he went to my grammar school too! Oh, that kid was one of the very few people I’ve met in my life whom I legitimately dislike. Arr, he still rubs me the wrong way. Oh, and that’s the kid that used to walk like a pimp! Hey, there’s my best friend from middle school. That’s the kid that works at the corner deli now! Oh, that kid was so funny. His older brother once drove off at a gas station with the pump still in his car! Haha!

Here’s what I notice though. Pretty much everyone (there are only like 20 profiles) still lives within 15 miles of our high school. Not only that, but it appears that a lot of these people still hang out together! It’s been 12 years since the start of high school and they’re still hanging out together! Wild. It’s like I moved away and everything else stayed the same.


So, this kid wants to be my friend some 10 years after I barely knew him in the first place. I feel like I’m back in high school, trying to figure out a way to be friends with everyone and no one in particular simultaneously. Maybe those theorists are right. Maybe you never really graduate. Today, at least, is looking a lot like high school, all over again.