So many years had passed,
but only a few had moved away
from my high school town.
They were fascinated I had flown
all that way for just a day
to the reunion.
The same people. Still there.
Fatter, thinner, balding, bifocaled.
Time had scribbled unkindly
on some of the faces.
They had married each other.
The football team.
The majorettes.
They spoke of local politics,
names I didn’t recognize,
complained of the traffic on Main Street now
since the city people moved up,
were still debating the grade
Mrs. Moffit gave them in geometry.
Their kids play on the same teams.
They married each other too.
They clapped when a letter was read.
The class braggart couldn’t make it.
Two discs had been removed.
More applause.
Everything he had bragged he would do,
he had done.
The boy most likely to succeed
read meters for the gas company,
the peppiest died on skid row,
the most intellectual, when his wife left the room,
asked me to dinner.
He had always wanted to date a cheerleader.
In my Italian silk dress,
an exercised size eight,
wearing a ring I acquired in Sydney,
earrings discovered in Nice,
I was an alien, a UFO
Although I’d been a great dancer,
no one asked me to dance.
The trees on the mountains
were flaming red
as I drove to the airport,
so beautiful,
my heart hurt.
But, they were not my trees anymore.
It was not my town.
This is an excerpt from my book,
A WOMAN WITHOUT A MAN
Read more of it AT AMAZON - just click this link
A Woman Without A Man - Forward by James Kavanaugh
A comment from one reader -
“I thought you had been reading my mail.”
{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
Twitter: patriciasinglet
May 16, 2011 at 12:25 pm
You have such a beautiful way with words. I am still waiting for my first class reunion to see how many people even remember that I was a part of the class. They wouldn’t recognize me now, so confident and often outspoken. Have a glorious day.
Patricia – Spiritual Journey Of A Lightworker recently posted..Fear-You Might Not Like Me If I Have An Opinion
Twitter: miraclady
May 16, 2011 at 2:46 pm
Dear Patricia -
It is hard for me to imagine you not outspoken and not confident.
If they have one, be sure to go. It will confirm to you how far you have come.
BTW If they don’t have a nametag with a picture from High School, it will be impossible to recognize anyone!
Corinne recently posted..CLASS REUNION – Not my town anymore
Twitter: happmakernowco
May 16, 2011 at 1:04 pm
I went to one of my reunions. That was all I needed to let me know it wasn’t needed anymore.
Reunions are still for the home town kids, which I am not one anymore.
Anyway I did go to one reunion and I definetly am not good at writing poems like you Corinne. Wonderful and it does tell the whole story.
With the inter net now days if you want to find someone you can. I haven’t joined one of those site yet either. Not on my to do list.
Thank you for reminding me of those wonderful days. I like them in my memory bank. They were fun, but glad they are in the past. I have moved on.
Thanks again and I love your poems sweet lady.
Debbie
Debbie recently posted..5 Little Know Factors that Could Affect the Success of Your Marriage
Twitter: miraclady
May 16, 2011 at 2:50 pm
Dear Debbie -
I went to only one.
That was enough. The only thing we had in common is Mrs. Moffit also gave me a low mark in Geometry.
I was amazed at how almost all of them never moved on and left. It is not like it was a thriving community with lots of employment.
Not only did they never leave but they never traveled anywhere.
They thought I was wierd as I said in the poem.
I’ll never go again. Too far and no one I even remember much.
Your writing is so beautiful, Corinne. This one gives me goose bumps!! I’ve never gone to a class reunion, by the way…nor do I want to!
Twitter: miraclady
May 18, 2011 at 6:00 am
Thanks, Tricia -
A compliment from you goes a long way with me.
You might try ONE. It would be interesting to hear your response to it.
Some people get a lot out of connecting with people who they knew long ago. It also gives you a tally about how you have changed.
Didn’t happen to me. I won’t go again. First of all, it is 1000 miles away.
Second, I saw them already. It was enough.
Twitter: makegirlfriends
May 17, 2011 at 7:40 pm
You have a way with words my friend – As I read about this delicious group of folks, I envisioned you there – I also envisioned your classmates and how they’ve changed but yet they all stayed the same!
I’ve never been to a class reunion but thanks for taking me with you to yours!
Your BFF,
Nancy
Nancy Shields recently posted..The Forgiveness RX- It’s not what you think…
Twitter: miraclady
May 18, 2011 at 3:24 am
Dear Nancy – BFF -
I was blown away with your comment.
A famous poet once told me that a poem was a painting with words.
If you felt you were there with me at the reunion, I may have succeded this time.
Thank you for that wonderful affirmation.
Time waits no man so it’s not surprised when you see your friend different.We have class reunion every year on New Year’s holiday.I look forward to seeing them so much
van025 recently posted..How can I sell my Mexican Mayan Palace timeshare
Twitter: miraclady
May 18, 2011 at 3:27 am
Dear Van025 -
Glad to hear that some people have good experiences with reunions.
I was disappointed. I guess I wasn’t prepared to see everyone there exactly the same as they were years ago.
And they were not prepared to see I had moved on.
Twitter: joubess
May 18, 2011 at 11:33 am
Corinne,
I went to my ten-year reunion, a lot of people came, and most of us had moved away to go to college so we were spread out all over the country.
I got back in touch with my best friend from high school, and we stay in touch. Her middle child and my son have the same birthday, but not the same birth year.
Our 30-year reunion kinda took place on FaceBook. Being from a New Orleans public school, and after the big diaspora, there isn’t much there. We could have hung out with one of our classmates who has a band and maybe taken a Mississippi River boat cruise. The spirit just wasn’t there.
There has been hair loss, weight gain, some added and subtracted neuroses, and some have finally grown into themselves. I’m sure a few haven’t made it this far, but I didn’t know any of the people in my class who passed away (there were over 600 of us). It surprised me how many had become lawyers, Ph.D.s and doctors; not the ones I would have thought.
But those who were my friends turned out just about how I did: good careers not in New Orleans. I’m not sure how many have gone through lay-offs, but I bet a lot have. We are not from the same place anymore, but we are from the same life, an advantage of being from a big city.
Great poem!
Sherri
Being the Change I Wish to See recently posted..Papers Please- Mr President
Twitter: miraclady
May 19, 2011 at 8:05 am
Dear Sherri -
It is sad that the disaster of Katrina interfered with your 30 year class reunion.
But what an incredible idea to do it all on line.
Half the people who come are spouses and we know nothing about them. And they must have a boring time.
This way we could hear directly from our old classmates.
– if they would do it.
Geez! Thirty years? Is it really that long? What happened to all that time?
Twitter: TrueLifeSuccess
May 18, 2011 at 12:00 pm
You have such a beautiful way with words. I smiled at a few of them! I don’t go to reunions. I didn’t care for most of those people then and am sure i wouldn’t care for them now. The town I grew up in was full of people who thought they were better than everyone else and I really didn’t want to be a part of that.
Life does change after high school! And the change is our choice!
Thanks for a great post!
Tammy
Tammy Matthews recently posted..I Am Human!
Twitter: miraclady
May 18, 2011 at 5:57 pm
Dear Tammy -
The people i recounted in my poem did not think they were better than anyone else.
I doubt if any one of them had attended college – or even visited New York City – 30 miles away. or seen a Broadway play.
They were good country folk. Looking back, they were probably a little intimidated by someone in the class who had moved to another major city – opened a travel agency and had traveled the world.
(mostly for free in those days)
This poem is not to make fun of them.
It was a picture of contrasts. The poem is all true.
Our decisions -and opportunities make the difference in our life experience.
They may have had a much more peaceful and happier life that I could have imagined.
Better than mine – which was so much more glamorous on the outside.
To each his own..
Twitter: MichelleVan
May 18, 2011 at 2:50 pm
I’ve never gone to a reunion. Looking back always makes me sad. I don’t go back over my photos, don’t look up past friends… I’m a looking forward kind of gal.. its self protection! .. but you going to your reunion, worth it for this beautiful chapter…
Twitter: miraclady
May 18, 2011 at 5:41 pm
Dear Michelle -
Your comment resonated with me.
I recently spent some time in New York with my sister.
She had acquired my mother’s scrapbook from years ago.
There were pictures of me, my brother and sisters – aunts and uncles I did not remember.
It was as if I were looking into a lifetime which had nothing to do with me now.
Who was I in those pictures? Who were all of those strangers?
It was as i my life had been sliced into segments. Some of which I barely remembered.
I guess, given this, I am with you in living just now. The person I was no longer exists.
Twitter: MichelleVan
May 19, 2011 at 5:35 am
That’s exactly how I feel. I’m no longer that person. well said!
Michelle Vandepas recently posted..Trish Bishop from The Question Journey Answers Conscious Livelihood Question
Twitter: andrewrondeau
May 19, 2011 at 3:47 am
Corinne
I wouldn’t attend a school reunion. I have fond memories of my school days and seeing some of my old school friends would ruin them (the memories).
Andrew
Andrew recently posted..7 Things You Should Know Before Manufacturing And Monetizing Your Own Products
Twitter: miraclady
May 19, 2011 at 8:09 am
Dear Andrew -
You don’t need to go to a class reunion because you have a whole new class now – and you are the teacher.
Yep! It’s your blog. We appreciate your guidance.
Some people are made for small town life and some are not. Funny how people find their places, marry each other, divorce each other and settle in to strange but common lives. A great perspective.
Nicole Rushin recently posted..The Well at the End of your Holler
Twitter: miraclady
May 19, 2011 at 8:17 am
Dear Nicole -
I remember loving living in a small town.
But now?
One of my sons is always encouraging me to move near him. He lives in a charming town of 3000 about 75 miles from Chicago.
What would I do there? When I visit, I sit on his front porch and
count the cars that go by. About one every hour.
It’s not as though I take advantage of everything in the city but there is comfort in knowing I can if I want to. Without traveling two and a half hours.
As they say – it’s a nice place to visit.
Don’t be dissapointed Corine.You should know that there’s nothing perfect in life.Your classmates are not beside you but you have close friends and that’s the best motivation for you to live a happy life.
Take care!
van025 recently posted..do college students go on vacation with their family
Twitter: GrowMap
May 23, 2011 at 12:19 pm
I almost feel like I was there with you – the mark of a talented writer – happy to have found you. I can imagine that IS just how the reunions go in many small towns I’ve lived near.
I moved from southern California (which should really be Southern California – almost a different state from northern) to outside a town of 885 where many had never traveled beyond the first largest city thirty miles away. Most had never been out of state.
They marry their neighbors children and live their entire lives where they were born. They ask me “so, where y’all from” and I ask “what DOES that mean? Where was I born, or raised, or lived the longest or live now?”. They just look at me strangely like an alien from another world.
I always thought I’d go to a reunion. Never did. I only remember one person I even knew – well maybe a handful but no more than that. I didn’t fit in there, either. I love the Internet.
Gail Gardner recently posted..Small Business Internet Marketing Starter Package
Twitter: miraclady
May 24, 2011 at 5:52 am
Dear Gail -
It is always such a pleasure to hear that something you write resonates with a reader like you.
I almost ended up like the people at the reunion. Married the captain of the football team and I was a cheerleader.
Unfortunately, the connection from high school was not a good basis for a marriage.
Moved on – just as you did.
Sounds like you have had an interesting life. I did – and still do.
Hi corinne,
It is so refreshing to read your post especially that you know how to play with your words. So poetic and romantic! This was my frustrations when I was in my high school years. And your post made me reminisce of my life during those years. Looking forward to hear more of your post.
Hi, I always enjoy reading what others have to say about personal development.
I myself write on a daily basis on anything that has to do with self improvement and I enjoy it tremendously. Personal Growth.
Twitter: fancydressqueen
August 23, 2011 at 12:47 pm
Corinne this is a great piece. I have bottled out of my last few reunions as I just think my life has moved on and left that part of me behind. I don’t think it would benefit me returning to my past as I have grown out of that life.
Corinne:, I graduated in 1947 from East Grand Rapids High. Our class still has an annual get together. We had an exceptional class and thanks to class scribes who keept us in touch with one another stay closely knit to this day.
We had an exceptional class. One member became president of Dartmouth College and head of the Aspen Institute. All went to college and led responsible lives.
Back at my last reunion one of the joys for me was to see how a number of my high school femail classmates who then were unattractive”wall flowers” have developed into charming self confident women.
“Thanks for the memories”, Corrine. My best to you, Reed
Twitter: miraclady
September 12, 2011 at 7:02 am
Dear Reed -
How great that you still stay in touch – and yearly!
That’s important after 50. So many leave this world. We need to connect often.
I haven’t heard of a recent class reunion. But my class is in Nyack, New York.
A long way to go for one night.
Glad to hear from you.