This weekend I celebrated my 30th class reunion. I was so nervous about it, and I have no idea why. I have attended all my reunions, and this is only the second one I have not served on the committee. I am used to these things. And yet, this one was feeling different.
Perhaps it was because I had changed professions over the past five years. My last reunion, I was just leaving the Shakopee School District, and so I still retained my identity as a teacher. In fact, most people who I spoke to asked me if I was still teaching. So I got the opportunity to explain that I am now a business owner of a wellness company.
Perhaps my nervousness was because I had changed so much in the past years. Not only were my kids now adults, which has dramatically reduced my stress, but I have the most wonderful job in the world, which allows me to bring stress-free moments to others. To be honest, as a person who picks up on others energy, I was nervous about the energy of the group, whether it would be stuck in that ’82 mode. I only heard of one person who was truly stuck in that moment, who came to the reunion with a vengence against certain classmates. Glad that I was not a part of that energy!
As soon as I walked into the door, I became overwhelmed. And so I told myself to not look at the whole room, but to face each person individually. That was so much easier to accomplish! I also learned that I was more interested in other people’s lives than my own, so I thoroughly enjoyed hearing what others were up to and hearing their issues at this time in their lives. Elderly parents was a common theme. Children getting jobs, getting married, having grandbabies, were common discussions. We had a few people with young children yet, but not many.
After the reunion, we ended up at a neighboring bar for another couple hours, as the group dwindled down to about 20 people. From there, some people went to classmate’s houses for the after parties. Not this girl, I was in bed by 3:15. The following day, a handful of us ended up downtown again, for a beautiful afternoon discussing the party the night before. It was really a fun time!
By Saturday night, I was exhausted and ready to settle back into my simple routines. I am still recovering from the changed sleep schedule, and the adrenaline is still a bit high. But I have to admit, it was really good to see and talk to so many people this weekend.
Life is good!