I would’ve posted the answer to the mystery sooner but I was looking for some old photos (these photos) to scan and, of course, I couldn’t find them. What made this particularly infuriating was that a few days ago, in the process of looking for a totally unrelated photo, I found *these* photos but *not* the one I was looking for. Today? Found the one I was looking for the other day! These? Nowhere. Obviously I found ’em *eventually* and by the way, does your brain hurt from all that??? Kee-reist!

That halfway demolished building is my old high school, which was torn down in 1985. Although I go “home” many times a year, I almost never see anyone I went to high school with. Heck, a lot of them don’t live in Siberia any more either. And I don’t really do reunions. I went to our 20th and it was overwhelming for me. I don’t do very well with crowds in general and I have terrible small talk and schmoozing skills. And I will admit to having all of the usual anxieties about those events. “I wasn’t one of the popular kids, yada yada yada.” I *know* that stuff doesn’t matter any more. I know *everybody* thinks similar thoughts. I am a baggy old bag and I have come to terms with who I am. Still, reunions are hard for those of us who aren’t particularly extroverted. So I usually make excuses. “My daughter will be home from California that weekend, etc.” And that *is* actually a good excuse in my book.

So. I ran into Susan on line. I’ve known Susan since we were in 4th grade at Stinkin’ Linkin. Camp Fire Girls and band and skiing and sleepovers. She said, “A bunch of us get together for dinner once a year in the Lansing area. Do you want to be on the email list?” Ulp! *Did* I want to be on the email list? Well. Yes. I shot back what I hoped was a nonchalant-sounding, “sure, that might be fun”. Or something like that. Actually, it felt a bit like jumping off a cliff! But I’ve done a lot of cliff-jumping in the last five years or so and it’s getting easier all the time. One thing led to another, and then yesterday afternoon I got into the Ninja and we drove over to the Lansing area to meet up with 20 or so other 1972 Sault High graduates.

Did I have fun? Heck yes! Did I feel like an angsty geeky little teenage outsider? Heck no! Well, maybe “geeky” still fits. Susan and I figured out that we hadn’t seen each other in 30 years. And Mimi and I took ballet together when we were four! You can do the math on that one if you want and yes, I took ballet, wanna fight? And, as for those that I *didn’t* know all that well in high school, why exactly wasn’t I more friendly?

No pictures. What would be the point?? We still all look just like we did in high school. Just older. Typical 50-somethings, all. Spirited ones who made enough noise last night for a party about five times as large!!! So here’s my old high school instead*. Click on the pics to enlarge them.

*This was my *first* high school. We moved to a fancy new facility my junior year and it’s still around. But that’s a whole ‘nother story.

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