After all, she's only 6. This trip is for me.Every other October, my college town in Kansas celebrates Svensk Hyllningsfest, complete with parade and Swedish dancing, and coinciding with Bethany College's homecoming, a football game ("Go S'WEDES!!") and class reunions.
People who graduated a few years ahead of me are having a milestone reunion. Don't ask what number. I'm not saying what number because I can't believe so much time has passed and I still don't feel all that grown up.
Anyway, back in the day, I hung out with several girls and dated some of the guys from the reunion class. And I'm hoping to run into these people. With my daughter, my very adorable daughter. See, I'm a mom!
So if Tessa and I can make it through the 7 hour drive there and the 7 hour drive back, I think we'll have a grand time. I'll show her the bar where I used to work (which is thankfully No Smoking now). I'll show her my dorm room (but not tell about the times I got busted for having boys in it after hours). We'll walk by the bandshell where I made out with Jim on my 19th birthday. (But I'll leave out that detail.)
So indulge me here and answer me this. I've been having good hair days lately, and I lost 10 pounds over the summer, and I've been working on my posture and loving myself and...so why do I still care about impressing people who are really quite insignificant in the scheme of my life?
I may be out of commission for a few days, but I look forward to hearing about when you think we outgrow the need for approval from our high school and college peers.
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5 comments:
I have thought about this a lot. I think we are enculturated in this country to be competitive with our peers. It is something we eventually figure out does not serve us and we find a way to be happy with our lives no matter what "the Joneses" are up to.
But that programming runs deep and when we return to a time in our lives where the programming was quite strong, we revert to the old way of thinking.
We also revert to that old way of thinking during times of crisis - such as when infertility strikes.
Interestingly, my 10 year high school reunion had a lot of positioning going on, but at my 20th it has mostly evaporated. People had made peace with their lives by then and no longer needed to compare. You might find the same thing at your reunion.
I hope you have a great time and Tessa survives the 7 hour trip.
Have a fabulous time! The drive sounds a bit grueling, but I'll bet you two can make it fun.
Kami has some good insights about your questions. It makes sense to me that we'd revert back to old mindsets when we return to scene. Don't worry.. .You'll be the coolest one there.
Hi Lori - Found your blog via Stirrup Queens and then realized that you had left a really nice comment on my blog and I forgot to thank you. So thanks! for your support.
I LOVE your Chakra Sundays. Thanks for writing them. I have been interested in learning more about them and your blog is helping in that regard. I sense from your blog that you might have some yoga connections. And, if you do, and, if I may be so bold, I have a question: should I practice any kind of yoga in my first trimester? I have had 2 miscarriages. No successful pgs at this point. My regular Ashtanga practice is definitely out. I have a good prenatal DVD but have conflicting advice about whether I should practice any yoga. Maybe your yoga friends could help answer this? My yoga instructor is Ashtanga versed only. Anyway, for what it is worth.
Hope you had fun at your reunion!
Kami, I thought of your words often over the weekend. "The programming runs deep" -- how timely that I'm working on root chakra issues as I'm blogging about them! I didn't feel at this 20th teunion (give or take a few years-- OK, give) that there was a lot of peace. Still a lot of posturing. Maybe that says more about me than about others.
Furrow, I was totally cool. More on some cool and not-so-cool scenes in an upcoming debriefing. Thanks for the ego biscuit!
Ms Planner, wow -- thanks! I'm so glad you're enjoying the Chakra series. I've passed your question to my yoga teacher. She may answer here, or reply to you directly. I'm still new to yoga and am nowhere NEAR being able to do the poses you've mastered! Congrats on your pregnancy, and best wishes throughout.
Would you believe that you are totally normal?!
Whole industries were based on so-called insecurities suffered by those gathering up the courage to attend their reunions. Attending my high-school 20th reunion this summer, I was in the worst shape I'd been in for 7 years.
And I worried much too much about it.
I'm glad you and Tessa got to share that time together. She (and you) will remember it forever!
PS - What we all REALLY want to know more about is . . . what happened with Jim Y?!
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