Reconnecting with the Past

I did not attend my ten-year high school reunion, which was in the spring of 2006. For one thing, I was living in Dayton, Ohio at the time and my high school is in Gray, Louisiana, over 800 miles away.

Another thing, I had not seen or talked to my fellow classmates since I graduated in 1996. There were a few exceptions for the first few years where I kept in touch with a few girls and boys; but former boyfriends, prolonged time, and distant cities between us caused the drifting that often happens among friends.

I didn't really want to face those folks when the reunion took place. I wasn't feeling nostalgic or sentimental at the time. Still in my own world and happy to be away from my hometown, I didn't fully appreciate those memories or those friendships.

Now, three years after that reunion, I'm feeling very different. I was just chatting with my incredibly beautiful and funny friend in Texas named Danielle about her recent ten-year high school reunion trip to Utah. She had a great time visiting with her old pals from school. Hearing her stories makes me a little sad that I made the decision to skip mine.

It's amazing how having a child changes you -- your perception of life and your priorities. Shortly after I had Vivian (in October 2007), I began thinking of my childhood and the friends who were such a part of my early years. Soon I wanted to reach out to those girls who made me laugh, cry and dance around my bedroom so long ago.

Thanks to technology like facebook and the internet, you can now reconnect with people in your past even if they live in another state. People find you and you can find them whether you want it to happen or not.

So in January of 2009, I took a chance and first contacted my friend (Jynell) whom I really missed the most over these past 13 years. I've known her since we were in diapers together. We were babysat by the same lady and lived a few streets from each other. Our moms taught together at the same school. Oh the stories this girl has on me! We made up words, sang songs in the gymnasium, had crushes on our older brothers' friends and spent many nights talking about life and what we wanted from it. To my happy surprise, she accepted my invitation to be "friends" again. I even saw her the last time I visited my hometown of Houma, Louisiana. She had me rolling with laughter with stories of the goofy things I did when we were kids (I had forgotten many of the silly things I had done!) We call each other from time to time now and it's almost as if no time has passed between us. I'm so grateful to know her again.

That's the true test of friendship - if you can pick back up where you left off like no time has taken place. After that dear friend reentered my life, others soon followed. I began reconnecting with lots of folks whose faces from my yearbook had collected dust on them.





Soon I was chatting with a neighbor who lived down the street where I grew up (Lynette). She reminded me of how we jumped on the trampoline and got in trouble on the bus. Not long after that, I exchanged notes with my crazy pal (Jill) who I would do cartwheels with down the hallways of junior high.

As it turns out, many of us have children the same age or close in age. We're all moms now and going through the same challenges. It's kind of cool to talk and share stories about the good ole' days.

One of those old friends (Rebecca) recently told me that she started reading this blog and that she's really enjoying it. I didn't know she had even visited this site. She sent me a virtual note telling me I made her laugh and that she could relate to some of my stories. Her kind words truly made my day when I read them. She and I conversed on slumber parties and forgotten songs we used to sing together.

Blasts from my past are popping up almost every week now. Some of them find me. Others, I look for. Not too long ago I remembered a girl (Donna) I worked with at my first job out of college. She was so kind to me, knowing that I was fresh out of college and new to living in New Orleans (the big city). We ate out for lunch often after I started working at the Superdome. She took me to restaurants and shops around the town that I would have never known about otherwise. She has an old soul in a young woman's body and taught me about Italian cuisine and classics like Frank Sinatra and Perry Como. We just reconnected (thanks to the internet) after almost nine years and I thanked Donna for her generosity and gift of friendship. She was there for me at a time when I was vulnerable and needed it most.

Even if it wasn't for technology, the past can still find you. Just a week ago, my parents brought their car into a dealership to be serviced near Baton Rouge. Their mechanic turned out to be a guy (Timmy) who graduated with me. He recognized my parents and told them that he'd been to their house before (Oops, did I forget to mention I had a party while you were out of town one night, mom and dad?) Anyway, this guy told my parents that he was best friends with one of my old boyfriends (Ryan). Oh how that brought back flashbacks of my utterly, head-over-heels crush for this boy!

My mom will constantly run into folks I went to school with while she's shopping in the mall or going to see a movie. Or sometimes the town gossip would reach my other family members and they'd tell me the juicy stuff. I used to groan and not want to hear about it. But now I like finding out who is still in the community and what they've been doing these days. It's fun to hear about who has children and where they are living now.

I have done a lot of stupid, crazy, wonderful, geeky, hilarious, jaw-dropping, over- and under-achieving things in my former days. But they all have helped shape the person that I am today. So instead of running from my past, I now embrace it. I like looking back and remembering incidents and conversations from people who were there and witnessed (yikes!) my youth.





I'm glad that I left my hometown, went away to college and lived in other places. That decision to leave was the right thing for me (It's not for everyone but I know it was good for me). Being away and out of my comfort zone helped me grow as a person. Moving enabled me to meet some new, wonderful people whom I currently call my friends. Now when I go back to visit (or maybe, if we move back to Louisiana again someday), I have a greater appreciation of my roots and the life I have led.

Thank you to my friends, both old and new, for the relationships and memories you have given me and continue to offer me. My life is so much richer and more fulfilling because you're a part of it. I love you all!