Visions of the Good Ol’ Days and Dreams for the Future
When you hear “’tis the season,” you might get excited, thinking I’ll be talking about Christmas—or even Christmas in July. I don’t mean to burst your bubble if you’re one of those doing a “countdown to Christmas,” but I’m referring to the season for class reunions—the high school kind, not Marita’s awesome C.L.A.S.S. workshops.
Summer is often reunion season, when we gather with people we haven’t seen in anywhere from five to sixty-five years who share the same alma mater.
Does the thought of a high school reunion leave you with excitement or trepidation? Have you attended one of yours or even helped with the planning? Whether you choose to leave those relationships in the past or reconnect with former classmates in the present, thinking about a reunion can stir up flashbacks.
High School
Reunions are a great time to gather and reminisce about marching band moments, crazy camps, fun (yet sometimes awkward) dances, glory days of competitions and sporting events, favorite teachers, sleepover shenanigans, dates gone wrong—or maybe right, leading to marrying Mr. Right!—and carefree times in general.
Unfortunately, looking back can also trigger unpleasant memories such as losing the state championship, huge heartbreaks, cliques, horribly embarrassing moments, or even “mean girls.” Let’s face it—some kids could be cruel.
High school. It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times.
We Had It Rough down “Memory Lane”…
Times have changed. At reunions we laugh about “back in the day” when there was no…
- Venmo, Cash App, or Apple Pay—only cash, checks, or charge accounts.
- FaceTime with a friend to help us decide what to wear—or Facebook to show it off afterward.
- Hundreds of TV channels. We had ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS…unless someone rented a VHS from Blockbuster.
- Mini handheld devices to store phone numbers, deliver breaking news, play games, or stream music. We memorized phone numbers, watched the six o’clock news, visited the arcade, and called radio stations to request our favorite songs.
- Devices documenting every embarrassing decision we ever made.
I’m thankful there isn’t a video of the day I was driving a friend home from school when a couple of cute guys in the car next to us yelled, asking us to share some of the cookies we were eating. My friend rolled down her passenger window, stretched halfway out of the car to hand over a cookie while I matched the other car’s speed.
No, we didn’t get caught.
If that happened today, I’m sure it would have gone viral.
In the “Good Ole Days” We Did Have…
- Delayed gratification and patience while we waited for photos to be developed, Casey Kasem’s Top 40 countdown, school closing announcements, and the morning newspaper.
- Essay questions, short answers, and fill-in-the-blank tests that proved we actually knew the material—even if we celebrated the rare day we heard the magical word Scantron.
- The school of hard knocks that taught us some of life’s most valuable lessons.
- Books covered with brown paper bags.
- The ability to think through problems and create solutions instead of expecting answers at the touch of a screen.
- Bologna with a first name!
Graduation
Four years led up to graduation—the day we had all worked so hard to achieve. Do you remember yours?
I confess I don’t remember much about the ceremony or the parties, but I do remember having far more questions than answers.
What career would I choose?
If I went to college, would it live up to my expectations?
How would I meet my future spouse?
I was excited about no more curfews or parental oversight, even while wondering how I’d balance classes, studying, tuition, and living expenses as I pursued my dream of independence.
Dreams
After graduation, some of us felt insecure and uncertain about the future, while others felt excited, unburdened, and invincible.
We dreamed of meaningful careers, happy marriages, and lives that would somehow unfold exactly as we imagined.
And Here We Are
At reunions, we remember those who are no longer with us.
As for you, you’ll probably be asked whether you reached your dream destination—or whether life sent you on a few unexpected detours.
We share stories about careers, raising children, the joy of grandchildren (often accompanied by a few of the 50,000 photos on our phones), caring for aging parents, and sometimes the physical and emotional wounds we’ve carried through devastating losses.
Make no mistake—you’ve survived 100% of your worst days.
At this stage of life, we have more memories behind us than ever before. Yet just as a car’s rearview mirror is smaller than its windshield, we were never meant to spend more time looking back than looking ahead.
Now
Now you probably have more answers than questions—and yet you may still find yourself asking,
“What am I going to do with the rest of my life?”
Our best life wasn’t only back then in the glory days of youth. It can be right now—because now we have wisdom we didn’t have then, perspective we couldn’t have imagined, and the freedom to decide what this next chapter will become.
Even if we can no longer dance at our reunion after a hip or knee replacement, reunions are wonderful because they allow us to open the memory box for a little while, reconnect with our younger selves, and celebrate the people we’ve become.
What are your current dreams, hopes, and aspirations?
It’s never too late to make this your best decade yet.
What are you looking forward to in your future?
Take a few moments and drop me a line below. Share something you’re dreaming about or looking forward to in this stage of life—or tell us one of your favorite high school or reunion memories.
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Wendy Clements experienced the struggles of going through unwanted separation, divorce, and single parenting before falling in love with Jesus all over again. Now, as a Christian speaker and life coach to Christian women, she helps those who, because of various circumstances, aren’t sure who they are anymore and don’t feel adequate, to flourish and love again. An Athens, GA native, Wendy holds a BBA from the University of Georgia and is a member of the AACC and ICCA. She enjoys speaking to women’s groups, cooking, reading, and spending time with grandchildren.
Thanks, Wendy! My mind was alllllll over memory lane with this one! And yes, that name was”o-s-c-a-r!!! LOL I am 65 and am with you. Don’t stop living and serving, making memories, and having fun!