Where Were You 20 Years Ago?

There are not many dates on the calendar I can remember where I was 20 years ago, but today I can. 20 years ago today I was climbing into the driver’s seat of an Eagle Summit (memory is a bit foggy on that detail), but I do remember it had a sunroof! Heather and Carrie, my two dear friends, climbed into the car with me, we all had the biggest smiles on our faces as we reached out the sunroof and sang along with Billy Joel at the top of our lungs to “Only the Good Die Young”. We were on our way to our high school graduation, Class of 1993!

Take note of the bulldozer in the upper left.

Not smiling only because I'm talking (as usual). Do you see my Middle Eastern father behind me?

Thanks to Facebook I am being reminded that I remember very little of the actual ceremony. I remember it was hot, we had 400+ graduates and we had the “honor/bragging rights” of being the last graduating class in all of Connecticut, and I think the largest as well. I remember the dark cloud overhead while praying it didn’t rain, which it didn’t. I remember being able to see Carrie’s face on the other side of the stage on the football field. I do not remember the marbles and/or apples some people handed to the principals upon being handed their diplomas. Never even heard about it, I don’t think, until someone posted it on Facebook today, 20 years later. I don’t remember seeing my family at graduation. There were so many people and I have no photos with them. I have a few photos with friends though. It makes me both sad and nostalgic about not having photos or a memory of seeing them. Sad for the obvious reasons and nostalgic because it reminds me of who I was then, what my relationships were like (not all bad, I promise), but also how excited I was to be graduating with my friends. It was such a happy day and I remember how excited I was to be leaving for college at The University of Alabama in less than two months. The day I was leaving for college was marked in my brain with a Sharpie. Looking back I may have missed out on some opportunities because of my focus on the future, but I was so excited it was forefront in my mind.

The 1992-1993 school year was full of construction. The freshmen were being moved up to our school for the following year. This is the only year in my education career school started after my birthday, September 10. Christmas break was extended because asbestos was uncovered during the break. The April blizzard canceled school, heat waves resulted in us getting out of school early and cold weather kept us home. Construction! Construction! Construction! This I remember. What the speakers said that day? I do not remember.

In early November I plan to board a plane to attend my 20^th reunion with Carrie. I’ll be sure to have Billy Joel on my iPhone and I promise that I will not recognize or know the names of over half the people there, but I also know we will have huge smiles on our faces as we laughingly reminisce.