In the spirit of the 8 Things meme, here are eight things I learned at my brother’s 8th grade graduation:
1: The person who used to swarm up my body like it was a jungle gym is taller than I am even when I am wearing heels. This is simply wrong.
2: There are some people who just. Should not. Sing. In public. Ever. My Darling Brother is probably one of them.
3: I am somewhat suspicious toward nostalgia,
4: And, I am quite hostile toward sentiment,
5: But that doesn’t mean I don’t cry at the drop of a hat. Bother.
6: Eighth graders should be taught to stand up straight. I know that makes me sound like a fogey, but for goodness sakes, they looked like they were slouching off to their own executions. And could they have at least smiled when getting their diplomas with some show of enthusiasm?!
7: Eighth graders should probably not be allowed to choose their own class colors: royal blue and black? Let’s just swap that for the ‘black-and-blue’ we know it sounds like, hm?
8: Seeing classmates you haven’t glimpsed since high school and finding out she has three kids now… married the childhood sweetheart and recently dumped him for a new guy and has a seventh grader, a sophomore and a three year old to show for it… can be kind of a shock.
9: The shock is worse if she’s wearing a sleeveless black silk pantsuit, black 3″ stilettos and a gold lamé belt around her eighteen inch waist, the wench.
10: Seeing a high school crush you haven’t seen since high school at your brother’s 8th grade graduation makes your inner child feel very old.
‘Bemused’ is the word that most comes to mind when I approach social events that mingle ‘auld acquaintance’ and nostalgia, and immense crowds. Introverts really shouldn’t socialize; we worry people, I think. I think six or eight people are feeling quite sorry for my poor brother and his schizophrenic sister running around with a camera and trying to smile at everyone long enough for people to register her presence, so she could go the heck home…