Fast times at Madison High...

That was me 10 years ago in all my glory as a Senior
@ James Madison High School.

Need a closer look?

Here you go.

To be PERFECTLY HONEST I like this picture of me, probably said so because my hair looked great and my make up was nearly flawless, all thanks to my older sister Tricia who did both my hair and make up on Senior picture day. Normally my hair didn't look half as good as it did the morning this picture was taken, which I always found disappointing because my hairdresser who cut it short for me then guaranteed me that it was a simple "do" and easy to manage- little did she know she was promising a "hair retard" it was a "simple style" to keep up; her promises did me absolutely no good after I left her booth in the salon... and the only bit of makeup I used to wear back in high school was lip gloss and a little bit of concealer to hide unwanted zits; I hadn't yet discovered eye liner or mascara- the two beauty "must haves" to make my eyes PoP or blush to make my cheek bones stand out...

10 years have come and gone and NOW I've received a few letters on Facebook, and in my Gmail account and even in the mail informing me that our class's 10 year reunion is just around the corner; this SEPTEMBER! It seems this will be a joint reunion for both our class, the class of '99, and our fellow classmates, the graduating class of 1998 (they didn't have enough graduates in their class to have their own 10 year reunion-poor unfortunate souls, so they have to crash our party) . I've discarded what invites I've already received for the reunion, as I'm sure there will be more to come in the following weeks. The details are simple. The reunion is for all those who graduated from James Madison High School in 1998 and 1999. It is to take place on September 19... err maybe it was the 20Th or the 21ST (okay so I already forgot the most important detail); the function is to be held at the Hard Rock Hotel in downtown San Diego; $$$tickets cost a fortune$$$, probably to cover the expense of the open bar (those organizing this event should have considered giving anyone who doesn't want to drink at the event a SERIOUS DISCOUNT). I'm pretty positive EVERYONE in attendance,- 1 or 2 people, will be hammered by nights end since it is an open bar... a lot of my classmates LOVED to drink and party 10 years ago, I doubt much has changed now that they can do it LEGALLY! ... anyhow, those are about all the details anyone needs to know. OH WAIT, I forgot one other important detail... the time. Yeah, I pretty much forgot the times this drunken fest will start and end; not that it's of any importance to me because I'll be at home, in Utah, with 3 little boys and a newborn baby, my husband, probably already fast asleep or settling in for the evening, but most definitely SOBER.

For 10 years, anytime anyone has brought up the idea of my class reunion, I've wondered whether or not I'd go. A lot of adults I've encountered claim that high school was such a drag or one of the worst times in their lives; my experience however was MUCH different.
I LOVED HIGH SCHOOL! I was a transfer student @ Madison High School my sophomore year; I left U.C. High after 9Th grade, sacrificing a better education, to be closer and nearer my best friends from church. For one year- 10TH grade- I was the "new girl" on campus; it was easy to find my "in" amongst different crowds at school, especially the "cool kids". By 11Th grade, my "newness" had worn off, but thank my lucky stars, I'd managed to impress the "cool kids" and the "jocks" the year before and still found myself in their social circles- not to be forgotten. By 12TH grade, my network of friends expanded. I didn't limit my friends to only those who were part of the surf/skate crew, the jocks or the "cool kids club"; I was friends with the band geeks, the drama nerds, the choir nightingales, the homies, the single unwed moms, and the underclassman. Between required classes to graduate, I spent my time on the Yearbook Staff as a photo editor my Senior year and Student Body Government. I was the Commissioner @ Large , in charge of organizing the schools food drives, student exchanges and overseeing that the other commissioners on student counsel were doing their jobs they were appointed to. I also spent 2 hours a day during school hours teaching grade school kids, pre-K, Kindergarten and 1st and 2ND graders, through a course I took called Child Development. I LOVED it! I excelled academically... well sort of... the curriculum at Madison wasn't as challenging as it had been at U.C. High. I found myself in pre-calculus my sophomore year, surrounded by only Seniors... Once I learned that taking pre-cal wasn't necessary in order to graduate, I dropped out of math and never took it again (big mistake because I didn't have to take it in college either, and now I've forgotten ALL of my basic math skills. I'm lucky if I remember what 1+1 is). My academic adviser in high school also always placed me in A.P. classes at school, but by the 2ND semester of school each year, I had always managed to weasel my way out from taking those classes; I'd beg to be placed in the normal classes, because I didn't want to be concerned with studying, instead my focus in high school was centered on the more important things in a teens life, like sports (I played Varsity soccer, field hockey and softball at Madison), my wardrobe, and what boy was the "flavor of the week" (boy oh boy did I crush like crazy on LOTS of guys at school! I only had one requirement for a boy I liked: He had to be HOT, preferably a kid who liked to skate or surf. After crushing on a guy for a week or two, my crush was usually no longer because I'd realize that even though the crush may have been smoking hot, they were total losers. Usually the kind of looser that liked to indulge in the fine art of smoking pot or scoring easy, sleazy high school chicks. Not my forte.)


Sometimes I don't understand people who complain that high school was HELL for them... what was there not to like about it?! With that having been said, I enjoyed the time I spent in high school, the friends I met there, but BOY, please don't misunderstand; I'm so over it! I had a blast in college- I found what I learned from my classes there to be helpful in life and I appreciate the relationships and friendships I made there with people who shared similar standards to my own; my mission to Portugal was an experience NEVER to be forgotten, and I've found JOY in being married to my sweetheart Spencer these last 5 years, raising our 3 boys. The classes I took in high school (yes, even those A.P. classes I dropped out of) and the classes I took in college aren't even as challenging as the challenge I find it is to raise a family these days; a doctor can get his degree in 8 or so years, a lawyer can have his in 6 or 7 years, and a teacher can have his or her degree in 4 years, but I'm afraid it will take me a lifetime to earn my degree in parenting 101.

I've wondered for 10 years now, whether or not I'd go to my 10 year high school reunion, and I think I've come to a decision... The answer is NO. Who needs to spend a fortune in going and trying to impress old class mates for one night?! Not I. I'm happy with who I am, where I am in life, and thank goodness for modern conveniences like Facebook, Blogger, and email- they've all allowed me to still be in touch with most the friends from school I care to be in touch with. Adieu Madison High!