My High School Reunion

Between Dad working at IBM and then changing jobs every few years I went to 3 elementary Schools, 2 Jr High Schools and 2 High Schools, lived in North Carolina, Maryland, Florida and Massachusetts during that span.

Westford Academy Class of 1980 is holding it's 30th Reunion this weekend.

I only spent 2.5 years there and spent 1st 5 months adjusting to the cold as moving from Orlando in Dec 1977 to enjoy some of the biggest snowfalls Massachusetts had seen in February 1978 did not prompt me to go outside. Eventually I did start playing Hockey on local pond but I had no skates (nor ability to skate) which limited me to playing goalie. My only other activities were the Chess Team and the 'Math Team' so I only really met a few people because I was still bummed to have moved away from another set of friends.

Late in my Sophmore year Mom told me that they would not be able to afford to send me to college. I started to work there the beginning of summer and through most of Jr. year, worked at a gas station 4-11 Friday, 8-8 Saturday and 8 until closing Sunday in an effort to save money on my own for college. I did get to know a few more people but not many and I was always too nasty to go directly out on Saturday and was really too tired after getting cleaned up at home.

Sr year I decided to try to get ROTC scholarship so went on Scarsdale diet (dropping 40 lbs) which I had gained since leaving Florida. I decided to apply to Georgia Tech (because Uncle Jerry went there and application was free), I was accepted couple of weeks after I mailed application so I only ended up applying to a few other schools as Georgia Tech out of state was cheaper than U Mass in state. January of Sr year Dad changed jobs and was working in Virginia and coming to Mass ~every 2 weeks. Knowing I would soon be moving away again and going to school even further away I wasn't anti-social but was pretty sure I would not be seeing most of my classmates any time soon.

It is really strange to me that I am as saddened as I am that I am not going to reunion. When I reflect back on it there were maybe 20 people in my graduating class and another 10 from other years that I spent any time with. I have a bad habit of starting a new job a few months before milestone reunions so I have little vacation time and board I designed is not quite functioning well enough for me to take the days off required to fly cross country.

There are a few people I would like to see again and a few that I honestly know more from Facebook than my time in Westford that I would like to see.

I am wasting another opportunity to connect with people who have something in common.

Hopefully I'll make the next one.