Catching up and Looking Forward
Yesterday evening, I got the chance to catch up with an old friend I had not seen since I graduated High School back in 1998. Ife and I ran track together at Lake Howell HS, and I missed her over the years but could never find her. Well, thanks to my Myspace page and all the other "networking sites out there, I stumbled upon Ife a few weeks ago, and was dying to catch up.
I cannot believe its been almost 10 years since we graduated (damn, I feel old.) but its a great feeling when that long has past and you can still catch up like no time. That's how last night was... you would've never guessed it had been that long (except for the fact that we were so busy talking, the waiter came by no less than 10 times before we even looked at the menu).
Its always interesting to see what has become of someone over the last 10 years. Its great to see (though no surprise) that Ife is doing wonderfully well. We talked about all of our old classmates, did some online surfing to see what others looked like/were doing, and chatted about our upcoming 10 year reunion. I used to stress about this upcoming event... I mean, its taking me forever just to get my degree, I'm divorced and not married or even close to having a family nearing my 30's, and I spend all my time running around the country as a "racecar driver". No house, no corporate big-wig title, no perfect husband or cute little toddlers...none of the "rights of passage" of life that people move towards as they exit their 20's.
But, as Ife and I looked over our classmates' profiles, we both realized neither of us were doing that bad.... some had gained weight, others had failed out of college, others had learned tough lessons in life and still struggled through their adulthood. In comparison, neither of us had changed much, and though I might not have that Master's degree or career I envisioned I'd have, I am quite happy with my life. I work hard, and have been chasing a dream of something I'm passionate about for the past 10 years. Maybe I'm not Mrs. Successful Business Woman, or the perfect Soccer Mom, or even the Honors Auburn Graduate that I wanted to be, but I am living my dream and have a purpose in my life, and that's okay with me.
Now, I'm actually looking forward to the reunion. I can't wait to see where everyone's paths have led them, and what the future has instore.
... but still, Ife and I vowed to call and harrass each other about hitting the gym for the next year! Gotta get into that slammin' dress! We're not taking any chances!
I cannot believe its been almost 10 years since we graduated (damn, I feel old.) but its a great feeling when that long has past and you can still catch up like no time. That's how last night was... you would've never guessed it had been that long (except for the fact that we were so busy talking, the waiter came by no less than 10 times before we even looked at the menu).
Its always interesting to see what has become of someone over the last 10 years. Its great to see (though no surprise) that Ife is doing wonderfully well. We talked about all of our old classmates, did some online surfing to see what others looked like/were doing, and chatted about our upcoming 10 year reunion. I used to stress about this upcoming event... I mean, its taking me forever just to get my degree, I'm divorced and not married or even close to having a family nearing my 30's, and I spend all my time running around the country as a "racecar driver". No house, no corporate big-wig title, no perfect husband or cute little toddlers...none of the "rights of passage" of life that people move towards as they exit their 20's.
But, as Ife and I looked over our classmates' profiles, we both realized neither of us were doing that bad.... some had gained weight, others had failed out of college, others had learned tough lessons in life and still struggled through their adulthood. In comparison, neither of us had changed much, and though I might not have that Master's degree or career I envisioned I'd have, I am quite happy with my life. I work hard, and have been chasing a dream of something I'm passionate about for the past 10 years. Maybe I'm not Mrs. Successful Business Woman, or the perfect Soccer Mom, or even the Honors Auburn Graduate that I wanted to be, but I am living my dream and have a purpose in my life, and that's okay with me.
Now, I'm actually looking forward to the reunion. I can't wait to see where everyone's paths have led them, and what the future has instore.
... but still, Ife and I vowed to call and harrass each other about hitting the gym for the next year! Gotta get into that slammin' dress! We're not taking any chances!
Posted by Erica Ortiz on Wednesday, August 22, 2007 at 7:59 AM | Permalink 
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