ON SECOND THOUGHT

It's coming!

  

I received the email notification the other day that said it's coming.  There was a time when I really didn't care about this notification.  Back in May of 1971, my objective was to move on in life and go to college.  And I did just that.  I made new friends in college and really enjoyed it.
  
Then I moved to Oklahoma.  Imagine that. A kid from northern Iowa moving to the Sooner State.  Talk about culture shock y'all.  To this day, in a moments notice, I can switch to my 'southern drawl'.  I made friends in Oklahoma that became my family.


Then life's journey brought me to Nebraska.   So I went from being a Sooner to living with Huskers...ouch!  But once again, I've made some good friends and someone once said you can never have too many friends.


I've had some great experiences in my life.  I've been invited to The White House not just once but twice.  As a short-term missionary, I worked behind the Iron Curtain and had my well-being threatened at the end of a communist gun barrel.  I became friends with Steve Largent, an NFL Hall of Famer, and still remember him running a pass route and me throwing a pass to him.   Shoot, I've even sat down with Ted Giannoulas, aka the San Diego Chicken and had coffee together.  I've participated in adventure runs around the world including an 18 mile run at Whistler, British Columbia the site of the 2008 Winter Olympics.


But now it's coming!  This July the 1971 Class of Webster City High School will be celebrating it's 40 year reunion.  The Blue & Gold Lynx will be back!  Of all the adventures and experiences in my life this was one I can honestly say wasn't high on my list.


First of all it means as a baby boomer I have to admit to myself that I'm that age!  I mean really 40 years since graduation.  I'm not that old...just ask me.


Second, most of the 220+ graduates I didn't like.  I literally, with a couple of other best friends, grew up on the other side of the tracks.  For real.  We lived in nice houses, our parents were blue collar workers, but...we lived on the east side of town not the west side.  My parents did not belong to the country club.  It's funny now.  Webster City was a farm town of 8,000 people!  You know that high class society of farm towns.


Third, I know the guys who thought they were jocks and the girls who thought they were hot will be there...just 40 years older now.  I admit I attended my 35th reunion because a best friend asked me to be there.  Those guys and girls were there for it.  There was less hair and more pounds in most cases...but the personalities were still the same.


ON SECOND THOUGHT I'm going to my 40 year reunion.  I was a wallflower at best in high school.  Other then my two best friends, I kept to myself.  I was on the basketball team, ran cross-country and track.  I was involved in my church and was just a pretty good kid who kept pretty quiet.  I had 2 dates all through high school and both of those scared me to death.  Both were like required attendance as a Senior.  Christmas Formal and Prom.  Ugh


I guess when you're in high school you have NO idea what life is going to bring.  When you live  in a small town and where the high school is everything to the community,  it's hard to see past the city limits.  Then one day you leave and find out who you are and what you're capable of doing and being.  I can honestly say my life has been quite a trip.  The people, places, and events I could have never imagined have happened.  I have 2 beautiful children, four incredible grandchildren and a wonderful woman I deeply love.  Life has been good and exciting.  


So now it's time to go home and in some way complete the circle.  To walk into that same country club my parents could never have afforded to join and reunite with the Class of '71.
So yes ON SECOND THOUGHT I'm going to my high school reunion proud to be a LYNX...but better yet proud to be ME!