So, my uncle from Florida has recently come back up to New Jersey to celebrate his 50 year high school reunion and we discussed the difference 50 years has made on society. If we do the math correctly he was the class of 1966. During this period, The Mamas and The Papas, The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, and The Rolling Stones were the artists of the time. A family's median income was $7,400; nowadays that could buy you a nice used car. My uncle's high school had split gyms one for the girls and one for the boys. Today that would be shocking and unheard of.
This got me thinking to what my 50 year class reunion would look like. I graduated in 2015 so my 50th reunion would occur in 2065. That number seems so far away. When in reality it will come sooner than you think. So what will happen in those 50 years? Will I be married with 3 kids? Will I have a successful job that I love? Where will I be living? All of these questions cross my mind. How will the world have changed in 50 years?Is the new phone going to be a hologram? Will robots run households? The list can go on and on.
There are so many different possibilities it starts to feel a bit overwhelming. When I walk into the dining hall where the reunion is held, who will greet me? Are my friends from high school still going to be around in my life? I hope everyone will be there, but will some have passed on. Its hard to even think of that, but sadly it happens. Most feel anxious before seeing the people who saw you at your most awkward, young, and (some may say) most important time of your life. High school was where you first start to find out who you want to be. That classic question of, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" You start to really ponder that during those years, and even more in college.
Sometimes one can change so drastically from their high school self that it is hard to go back and face the person you were and face the people who thought they knew you. These reunions are the times to reminisce, reconnect and discover who everyone has become. But, the collision of past and present is also a time of self-reflection: measuring who you are against, what you wished for yourself, and what you think your peers expected of you. For some, reunions offer vindication. For others, they’re a dreaded reckoning. For many they really are just a chance to catch up. For me a high school reunion is simply getting to spend time with the people you grew up with. We can reminisce about the days of social media and how popular One Direction was. In 50 years people may view our generations artists as 'the oldies'. We will be the new, old generation. The time where we look back on the good ole days. Who knows what the next 50 years hold for us? All I know is that I am along for the bumpy, crazy , and fulfilling ride.
