It's golden...

Twenty five years ago this May, I graduated from high school.  If I remember correctly it was a very pleasant evening.  We heard the obligatory “it’s not an ending, but a beginning” speech.  We shared laughter and tears.  Somewhere during the pomp and circumstance a girl I didn’t know sang a song about birds, or possibly sunshine.  An Evel Knieval-like daredevil jumped a row of school-buses while doused in flames (since my last name is early in the alphabet, I tuned out after the G’s got their diplomas… some of this stuff might not have happened).

Class of 1988, are you ready to part...yoooff!?!

After the ceremony, I brushed off the party invitations that were flying around so I could promptly go home and fall asleep in front of the TV.  For me, it was the perfect end to a perfect evening.  It’s not necessarily that I’m anti-social (I am, who are we kidding), but I’m not really comfortable with crowds.  After the first 5 minutes or so at any party, my fight or flight instincts kick in.  And by “fight” I mean excessive drinking accompanied by belligerent outbursts and by “flight” I mean excessive drinking, belligerent outbursts all while attempting to jump off the roof.  Usually my non-attendance is for the collective good as well as insurance premium purposes.

Screw you all

Fast forward a quarter century.  As news of my 25^th high school reunion begins to percolate, I’m finding myself having the same desire to “skip the party” and fall asleep in front of the TV.  Is that wrong?  Part of me says it is… the part that desperately wants to go to the party because it could be fun.  Unfortunately that’s the same part of me that hopes for world peace and the end of hunger and for the original Guns n Roses to reunite.  The more rational side of me is usually able to bitch-slap that ninny back into line. 

The "jungle" is apparently full of cake

So for the record… I haven’t officially made up my mind yet.  I still have a few months to decide.  At this point I’m leaning “no”, but things could change.  I’m sure I’ll blog about this some more as the date approaches.  Stay tuned.