Fat Cheeks...

Time is amazing. Its been twenty years since I graduated high school. Sure doesn't feel like twenty years. But whats more amazing is the time I wasted worrying about how I looked in pictures I submitted for the reunion website. Who cares!

So I opened the site tonight and clicked on a name. It was a profile of someone that I didn't know well. I waited for the page to load and when it did something caught my eye. Not only did he have his senior class picture but he had a recent photo next to it. Bald and over weight.

He submitted a picture next to his old one? Hmmmm. I didn't do that. Everyone submits pictures of their family but no one posts updated photos of themselves. Why? Could it be that we look in the mirror and say damn I look different. Maybe everyone will remember me the way I was twenty years ago if I don't show them what I look like now. Maybe that's not the case for some of you but maybe it is for others. I have to say it crossed my mind.

How insignificant are all those thoughts? I have a daughter that lost 30 lbs., just lost her hair and I'm worried about my fat cheeks, triple chins, and gray hair! Worried about what people think of me? Terrible, not to mention petty and shallow.

Back to the classmate. He is balding and over weight yet he still proudly posted his picture. Confident and secure. The two words that I'd use to describe him. I'm impressed and I admire this guy from my graduating class. No, I envy him. I don't like that word but I'll use it tonight. This fellow Shawnee Mission North Alumni said here I am, take it or leave it.

I've really enjoyed looking at pictures of the spouses. I love seeing the different taste among my old classmates. I enjoy looking at photos of people I know with spouses I don't. Did that make sense? I'm curious about every ones story. Where, when and how did they find that person? We go to school with all these different people and everyone ends up with someone. It amazes me that we shared the same hallways yet somewhere along the journey we found people who wanted to share a life with us. Have kids, get a mortgage, and share a bank account. Wow!

It blows my mind to think that someone from my Science or English class was pursued, courted, and proposed to. Throw in the kids and you have a family. Maybe its all an illusion. Maybe I just want everyone to be happy and carefree because I'm sad one day, miserable the next, and happy on the third. Who knows and who cares? But I want you to know that I knew your loved one when they had the 80's hair, pastel jeans and Huarache Sandals.

So if you can walk into the reunion, and you have your health then who cares what you look like. Some of us have bigger things on our plate besides Pilate's and fruit smoothies. So lets have some fun and lets share some stories. By the way Rick Campbell, nice job!