Thursday, October 29, 2015

I had my 20 year reunion on Saturday night and learned a few things . . .

1. I was way better at remembering the names and faces of the men than the women. This is largely due to the fact that I had crippling shyness and horrible self-esteem in high school, and as a result didn't talk to girls. As a matter of fact, I didn't go to one school dance, didn't make time with any ladies, didn't have a girlfriend . . . none of that good stuff.

This isn't something I think about very often because I made up for lost time and dated enough women in my twenty's and thirties, but it's something I was unexpectedly sad about at the reunion and during a pretty awful hangover the next day. I'm not a dwell on the past type of guy - more of a let's look forward type - but there is just something pretty shocking about talking to close to 100 people that I had no relationship with back then. They had all those parties, played on all the teams, and had all those old times to talk about . . . All I could think about were all those miserable years I spent so scared to be embarrassed somehow that I spent the whole day in hiding, avoiding human contact. I just got through the school day in hiding until I could get home to my Metallica and Ozzy c.d.'s.

2. Just like at our 10 year, we took pictures of groups of people who went to certain grade schools and junior high schools together. It was those grade school people that I most wanted to see and hit it off with most that night. There's just more history: More times of people pissing their pants and eating paste and shit. I can't explain it.

3. One guy who was really quiet back in school showed up at around 8PM completely hammered. He has a drinking problem, and that's something that I know about pretty well from his younger brother. We were cracking up watching him corner people in the most awkward conversations ever, and at one point he unleashed a whiskey fart that cleared out the one whole half of the bar. Maybe, like me, he was having some crappy feelings coming back up and anxiety about seeing and talking to people so he drank even more than usual. Poor guy.

4. Speaking of drinking, it was kind of fascinating to stay and watch which classmates stuck around late into the night and kept boozing. I made a mix of songs from 1991 to 1995 to plug into the stereo system at the bar, and I got a lot of compliments on it. I had around five hours of music listed alphabetical according to song title. I remember asking for my iPod back around midnight to head to the after hours bar with "Waterfalls" by TLC playing, so the mix was just about over. Some of the classmates at the bar had told me they had kids at home, and one of the hardest partying ladies had four boys. Everyone was cool and a lot of fun.

I really should have given people more of a chance back in high school because that was a bar full of great folks. Except for the guy who was excited to show me that he had a business card with his picture on it and said I should come stay with him next time I'm in the area in his 10,000 square foot Victorian mansion. I'm guessing/exaggerating the square footage figure, but he for sure said Victorian mansion. He was kind of nerdy back then, and now he is an over confident nerd. I wanted to let him know, "It's okay, man. Everyone is cool and grown up now. No one will make fun of you. Come, let's get a beer at the bar together and listen to "In the Meantime" by Space Hog." You too, readers, should grab a beer and hit play on that one.



8 comments:

Exile on Pain Street said...

They might have seemed like great folks at the bar but there's a good chance they weren't so great in high school. Do you have selective memory? I never attended any of my reunions. Not one. It's not something I wanted to dredge up. I probably should have.

Gorilla Bananas said...

I'm surprised you even went if you were never close to any of them, Dr Ken. You must now be a really mellow dude. :) What the hell is a whiskey fart? I don't think I've ever smelt one.

billy pilgrim said...

well, it's not how you start the race, it's how you finish the race.

you didn't party yourself out in high school so you're in good shape to enjoy life now. when i went to a reunion several years back, most of the cool party guys were train wrecks and most of the nerds were successful.

The Grand Wave said...

I had my ten year a few years back and it was somewhat awkward but still fun at the same time. I married a girl from my high school in the last few years that I reconnected with later in life so it made it easier to go back. I honestly don't even know if I would have gone if we weren't together. I partied a bit back then, but not with the super popular jocks as I was kinda nerdy/ a stoner surfer. I'm still kinda nerdy and an avid surfer, but grew out of the stoner phase. It was really interesting to me to see who was stuck in the past and who had turned into a functioning adult or had lots of kids. One chick that was pretty square back in the day showed up in a limo and prom dress, got black out and passed out in front of the hotel in the lawn. I will definitely be going to my 20th.

Mr. Shife said...

Jesus. Space Hog. I haven't thought of that bad in a long time. I like BP's comments: Well, it's not how you start the race, it's how you finish the race. And I think you, my good buddy Dr. Ken, are doing just fine and turned out alright.
Take care, buddy.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater said...

Exile: I would say only one or two still had "dick-ish" tendencies, but it was even good to catch up with them. Everyone was really chill. We have a good class. The one below us and the one after us seemed more butthole-ish by most accounts.

Gorilla: I think I didn't represent myself well in this post because I was cool with everyone - I just didn't get laid. Ever. I played sports and stuff with everyone though. I think a WHISKEY FART is unearthed by a full blown alcoholic with a totally destroyed digestive tract that just powers out a foul blast of unhealthy death gas. That's what I would add to urban dictionary . . .

Billy: Nerds are the way to go. Take notes, ladies. They appreciate a woman and they know their way around a computer -which makes them money. And eventually they know their way around a woman too . . .

Wave: The story about the limo prom dress gal needs to be told properly in the form of a blog entry. Hop to it!!!! Always good when you stop by to comment, brother.

Shife: Yeah, I believe it all worked out. But I just wish I could go back in time and not be governed so much by fear and self doubt. It wasn't until i was older that I figured out just who in the hell I was and didn't give a hoot what people thought. That's the only way to do it. But in the meantime . . . .



stevenjared0853 said...

Very interesting post to read! I am so inspired to throw such an interesting party for my employees. I would definitely search for such fun corporate party ideas. If you have any ideas then please share!

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater said...

Steven: This looks like a random advertisement, which doesn't really bother me. I just don't think you're going to get many leads from my shitty bog with my 7 readers.