And other high school reunion-related questions

As I sit in the backseat listening to some home-grown (Cheticamp, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia) country music, I can’t help but look back at the weekend that has just passed. You see, it was my 10-year high school reunion, and with this momentous event comes a mixed bag of emotions, thoughts and questions. It’s fairly safe to assume that many of you have yet to reach the age of reunion, so allow me to give you a sneak peek, as you live vicariously through my experience. Hang on. The ride may be as bumpy as the Cape Breton roads that are currently destroying my penmanship.

Some of the typical worries that accompany reunions include, but are not limited to:

• Am I successful?
• Am I where I thought I would be?
• Will I look better than my former classmates? (don’t worry, Henry, you will)
• Have any of us changed drastically?
• How many people will show up?
• Will I be the only bachelor without a house, family, car or money? (but WITH a cat)

For the purpose of this entry, I’m going to focus on the first question (as tempting as the last one is to delve into). Everyone’s definition of success varies, right? By some standards being in a position where a person would ask question #5 would mean a resounding NO to question #1. When examining whether you’re successful, it helps to know whose definition you’re using. Are you asking if OTHERS will think you’re a success or are you the one determining it? By others’ standards I might be the farthest thing from successful, and based on where I thought I’d be by now (10 years ago, when I envisioned this day) I might be inclined to agree. Something about listening to My Girl, as sung by my friend and her British rockstar boyfriend, makes a guy yearn a little. Oh universe, why’d you make me go to my reunion as a bachelor? I kid; it wasn’t the depressing situation you might think.

Success is one of those hard-to-actually-define concepts, like justice, freedom, or talent (a quick listen to the radio will prove my point about that last one). But seriously, it’s tricky to evaluate whether you’re successful, overall. Many of us have achieved our high school goals and others among us have gone off the beaten path altogether, forging ahead on our own journey of personal exploration. Make a list of some of the things you’re most proud of and see how many of them are unique to YOU. Maybe you haven’t done some of the things your former classmates have, but it’s entirely possible you’ve done plenty that they haven’t. And they might even be a little envious.

I may not have the house, car, family or money but I’ve tried spoken word, beatboxing, stand-up comedy (all on stage, including Yuk Yuk’s), received a scholarship to create a short black-and-white silent film (that was then featured on CBC Radio 3’s website) and now I blog for a national bank using words, videos and comics to reach out to all of you. The point is, we’ve all done things that contribute to our “success”. If you haven’t achieved certain goals (whether they’re yours or someone else’s) by your 10-year reunion, it in no way means you NEVER will. I never aimed to become a blogger in high school (in fact they didn’t really exist). Right place, right time. We don’t all work on the same success schedule, and new goals will present themselves. Something about the bickering of my friend and her beau in the front seats makes me perfectly happy to be single. OK, it was playful, but bickering nonetheless alright? And yes, I’m trying to justify my bachelor status. And the 50lbs I’ve gained since graduating from high school IS intentional! *gulp*