Home Again

I'm working from home this week. Literally. In Cincinnati. I'm in my Dad's bedroom, taking over his desk until Thursday.

I came home for my 20th high school reunion and to help Dad clean and organize the house. I'm currently downloading some updates and drivers, so trying to do a quick post while I wait (i.e., this will be scattered and likely full of typos)

Impressions from the reunion:
"OTRgirl, you look just the same! You haven't aged a day. You're still as funky as ever."

(Due to some fun family drama, I'd spent the morning running around to the pharmacy. I didn't have time to clean up before the school tour, so I ran out with leggings, boots, miniskirt, cute jacket and my little wool cap.)

My Sadie Hawkins date (who has now been with his partner for the past 10 years) was there. A couple of his comments: "You didn't bring your husband either? I can say this to you then, I told my partner not to come. Honestly? There are so many of us here who want to catch up, who wants to waste time talking to someone's spouse?!" I'd been sad that Jrex wouldn't be able to make it, but it probably was for the best.

A note about our Sadie Hawkins date. He was from the 2nd wealthiest suburb in Cincinnati. Grew up going to cotillions. One of the popular kids, tall, thin, dark and handsome. From 7th-9th grades, I'd been completely embarrassed about living in the ghetto. I'd always said I lived downtown, near the library. It was sort-of true: I could walk to the library in 15 minutes. By 10th grade I mostly stopped caring what other people thought about me, but I had residual fears of being judged. DS picked me up at our house and we went down to Mulane's for dinner. Since I'd asked him, it didn't feel like I could ask him to pay for dinner, but I couldn't afford to pay much. We went dutch. Mulane's had great food, but it was in the bottom of a downtown office building. Nothing fancy.

At the reunion, DS was talking to me and one of the other kids from the art room. He said, "Oh my God. I think I might have told you this on FB, OTRgirl, but in high school, I thought the two of you were so sophisticated. I just thought you were just beyond high school. For Sadie Hawkins, I picked OTRgirl up at this cool townhouse and we ate ate a really sophisticated restaurant. It was so much fun." I rolled my eyes and said it certainly wasn't how I felt at the time!

Overall, it was like our 10th renunion. A reminder that we went to a great school and that I actually likes a lot more people than I remembered. In a city that is often segregated by class and race, our high school drew kids from all walks of life. Just from being forced to deal with so many different people, we received great training. Our classmates are scattered all over the country and the world. My Dad told me that when he joined the Cincinnatus Society, they did introductions. People weren't impressed by his Dartmouth/Harvard Law credentials as much as they were by the people who'd graduated from my high school.