Facebook and old classmates.

I've been thinking about this post since last week. I first have to start off by thanking another blogger and former classmate. If I would have never found Darren Carter's blog. I wouldnt be sitting here today writing this. We all graduated from Bedford High School 20 years ago this year. As fate would have it I have missed every reunion. I have always had other plans (or was that god working AGAIN!). The first one > 5 year. I was getting married that weekend. 10 year, we had plans to take a trip on the same weekend. This year when I got notice for the reunion, I realized it was the same weekend that we would be in Mid-Ohio racing motorcycles. I don't think I am ever going to make it to a reunion. Truthfully, I wasn't real sure I ever wanted to go to a reunion. Honestly, I am glad I made it out of Bedford High School in one piece and actually did something with my life. Long story short, 8Th grade ended bad at Heskett. 9Th grade started worse with the loss of one of my dearest friends 1 month into school. After that, I didn't much care anymore and I didn't care for 4 years. I remember plenty of teachers trying to set me in the right direction. I remember lots of friends trying to get me to care. I didn't. I just wanted to get through school and get away from it. There was NOTHING fun about school and being here. I know now a lot of it I made so much harder on myself, then really needed to be. I know I didn't keep the friends I should have kept, heck even most of the people I thought were my friends at graduation, we have lost touch with.

Anyway, about the time Scott's cousin got married in June, I was just getting interested in face book. At that point, I think I had only seen one person in the last 10 years that I graduated with and that was Deann Hegidus (some time in March or April of this year~ again god at work here) So I knew I wouldn't be looking for very many classmates on facebook. I just didn't feel like I connected with a lot of people from high school. And the ones I wondered what happened to, I know they wouldn't be out there. I think Deann was one of my first friend requests. In the mean time. Michelle Grecko left me a message on classmates.com, off I went looking for her too. Okay, long short getting longer here... Jump ahead to August sometime. I was searching blogs from the Cleveland area one day and happened on Darren's, just as he was posting info about pictures from the reunion. Wow.. I couldn't believe it. I don't remember if I left him a comment on his blog or facebook, but I added him as a friend. I started looking for other people we went to school with. I've been kind of shy about requesting friends with some people. I just don't know who remembers me and who doesn't. I've connected with about 16. Some I have talked to more then others. Some I've even shared a drink with recently.

Last week, I started pulling out old pictures. Anyone that knows me present day, I have a serious issue with taking pictures. I can go to a motorcycle race and click off 2000 good pictures. I went on my honeymoon and took 30 rolls of film (before digital, that was a pricey honeymoon) So of course 95% of my photos are sorted and in boxes waiting to be scrapbooked. Well I guess if I didn't travel so much, I would have time to do that, I digress. I pulled out the three OLD boxes of pictures and started pulling out photos. Scott started scanning. Here I pulled out pictures from Heskett. Some of Scott's pictures when we just started dating and he was still at Bedford and I was already working a full time job. I pulled out picture of my cousins through the years, just so many pictures and so many fun memories. So I started by posting some of my family pictures late Thursday. Wow, talk about feedback and response. Amazing.
Last night, I posted some more from School and tagged the people I was friends with on facebook. (I still have a ton more pictures of more people not yet on facebook, maybe someday, those will get scanned too). Feedback almost immediately. People couldn't believe I still had photos and they wanted them burned. No such luck there. I now have digital proof! Its been fun talking with everyone and seeing how some people remember more then I did about what class it was. Its been great to hear that. I wish I had more pictures of school and I know somewhere in my parents house, there is probably still pictures!
Now to the point of this whole post.... When Scott and I were scanning the photos, I came across my senior proofs. Hey anyone notice, I am not in the yearbook for my senior year. Yeah, I planned it that way, thanks! I asked him what he thought of me back then. He said I always looked like a was a bitch and to look at some of my senior proofs, I came off with that unapproachable look. Did I really? Was I that unhappy and that bad? Wow....Amazing what time does now, doesn't it? I think life is way too short now and I don't let what I used to think about people still rule on what I think of them today. We are all so much different now. Maybe there are reasons I haven't talked to some of the 'friends' and why I do talk to people from high school that I never did before. I do know one thing. I wont miss the next reunion or get together! I can only think god has a plan in all of this and it just amazes me sometimes how he works. I try not to question it and most times I've learned to just go with the flow and let everything happen the way he has planned it.
So to sum this rambling up! Thanks Darren, had it not been for you I might not have ever connected back up with old school/classmates.
And Darren, if you happen upon this, no you aren't old because you are searching out talk radio. I'm doing it to. I know Scott does it too. Age is all a state of mind!