Tuesday, December 2, 2008

I Can Do Hard Things

Well, I did it. I survived a rite of passage that many people often stress out about, myself included. Last Saturday evening, I went to my 10-year high-school reunion. And, (drumroll please)...I really enjoyed it! I was afraid I would wimp out and not go. But I stayed true to my RSVP and to my friends who were going, which I'm very pleased about. It's not every day that I make smart, brave decisions!

I had a great high school class, and as a result my high school years were a lot of fun. There were less than 100 of us, and by the time senior year came along most of them kind of felt like siblings, or cousins, to me. With the exception of my closest friends, I haven't seen most of them since we graduated together in June of 1998. I've often wondered about my former classmates, so it was really cool to see so many of them again, to see what they looked like after ten years and where their lives had taken them. I had a lot of fun, despite the huge migraine I got later that night after I left (I tend to internalize my anxiety, which produces big ol' migraines from time to time). I was fine once I was at the reunion, but why was I stressed out beforehand? I guess because I worry too much--will I say the right things, what will people think of me, what if I get stuck in a conversation rut, what if I forget someone's name, etc. But there was really no reason to worry and I'm so glad that I went. I would totally be regretting it if I had given into my fears and stayed home.

I'm finally going to join Facebook so that I can stay in touch with my long-lost friends and classmates a lot more easily. And now I can't wait for the 15-year reunion. Maybe I won't stress out as much by then!

Have you ever gone to one of your high-school or college reunions? If so, how was it? Were you nervous like I was, or was it no big deal?