The Show must go on!
The Show must go on!
Inside my heart is breaking,
My makeup may be flaking,
But my smile, still, stays on!
- from The Show Must Go On! by Queen*
When last we met, I droned on for two segments about an epiphany I'd had regarding my friends from high school. What was so interesting about that blinding flash of clarity was that, as we chatted and reminisced, a number of my friends said much the same...that they just never really felt any sort of peer pressure from their classmates. It was a wonderfully warm feeling to have my own observation confirmed.
Another interesting revelation was how some of my classmates viewed themselves during high school. One of the best examples of this is Diane.
I was in awe of Diane in high school. In my eyes (and those of more than a few of my acquaintances), she was beautiful, elegant, sophisticated, intelligent, talented, worldly, kind, eloquent, fun, inspiring...did I mention beautiful? She had traveled the world...had experienced places I dreamt of...lived in cultures outside of our own. When she was on the stage, it was like watching one of the stars of the golden age of theater. In my mind, she was the Katherine Hepburn of our generation. Imagine my surprise when, during our reunion lunch, she described herself in high school as "nerdy, clumsy, and goofy."
This was the young lady for whom I had spent most of a week working up the courage to ask her to accompany me to an awards banquet our Junior year. I was totally self-conscious the night of that banquet...afraid I would embarrass myself in front of her, while secretly basking in the pride of having such a special person as my date. Her revelation of her self-image from back then served to make that night that much more special. The fact that she felt like that on the inside while projecting the outer image I and others saw served to justify my personal belief in how special Diane is. After all, she was one of the people who inspired me to continue striving to graduate with the Class of '79.
Our lunch that Sunday, as was the entire weekend, was filled with observations and revelations such as these. I deeply believe that they have helped strengthen old friendships and create new ones amongst the Class of '79.
After several hours, we all finally admitted that we had to go our separate ways. We took a few group photos, along with a portrait of Frida Kahlo the restaurant had on display (unbeknownst to me, it was the day before the 55th anniversary of her death), and began to head out. Even then it was tough to let go...after more hugs and promises to keep in touch, several of us gathered on the sidewalk outside of El Guapo's and chatted for another half hour. Finally, we reluctantly parted and headed to our various modes of transportation. After all, the show that is our current lives must go on.
Next time, a look into the Crystal Ball. Until then, best regards...
* The Show Must Go On! © Queen Productions Ltd. 1991
© James P. Rice 2009
My dearest Jim, I've just now had a chance to read over your 30-year reunion blog and I must say I'm blushing. You're more than kind with your words, and Thank You.
ReplyDeleteBtw, I had the time of my life at Drama prom '78.
You're a love and Marilyn is quite the lucky girl.