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7/14/2004
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Steven Scott
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I just wanted to share how the 10th reunion (the last one I was able to
attend) changed my life, in hopes that those who are still on the fence about attending will remove the barriers (real or imagined), and just show up.
It was 1984, and I was living in Houston, Texas. I was contacted about attending, but was resistant to the idea. After all, Orange County was still a very conservative place, and I had come out since my graduation. I had been living with Bob, my partner of 5 years (it will be 25 years this August 2nd), and thought the last thing I want to do is visit these people from high school, with whom I probably have little left in common, and who were, in all likelihood, still stuck in a 1974 mindset.
It just so happened that I had to be in town anyway, and debated whether to attend. Finally, I thought, if I do go, what's the worst that can happen? The worst was that I might have a bad time for a few hours, then leave. But the best that could happen was an intriguing mystery that could only be answered by attending. Ultimately, the idea of reconnecting with a few incredible friends from the past (Scott & Roger Wojahn, Candy Rey, Alan Shucker, Christy McDonald, Lee Alexander, Kent Zbornak, Greg Sands, Heather De Valois ...) proved too much of a draw to resist, so I risked it.
I ended up having one of the best evenings of my life.
I had unfairly underestimated my fellow alumni. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. It was such a relief to see that I wasn't the only one who had been through some changes, and grown as a result. Everyone I ran into seemed to have mellowed a bit, become a little kinder, and more accepting of life's inevitable slings and arrows. I had some of the most engaging conversations with people I had barely even known in high school, but who were simply friendly and eager to chat with a fellow traveler from that era. If you have never attended a reunion, it's hard to quantify how powerful being around your fellow classmates, who have traveled down the same timeline on different paths, can be.
Trust me; don't miss this rare opportunity, regardless of whether you ever felt you fit in at Edison in 1974 or not.
So how did the 10th reunion change my life? From that point on, whenever I was faced with a social or business situation I was unsure about, instead of avoiding it out of fear, I remembered my reunion experience, threw caution to the wind, and just joined in.
I continue to be amazed and surprised by what a satisfying time I can have with that mindset.
If anyone's interested in what I've been up to professionally, the following link to the Internet Movie Database will show you my latest projects: http://imdb.com/name/nm0779817/
By the way, I am planning to bring my little sister, Paula (Class of '76) to the reunion, and I know that Scott and Roger Wojahn's little sister Holly will be attending as well. I only hope others will invite their friends that were part of our Edison experience, but who were not necessarily members of our specific class. Some on my wish list would include Mark Shaw (73), Diane Poundstone (73), Debbie Gaynor (75) (where are you!), Cary Miller (76), Kevin Miller (75), Nancy Knock (75), Tina Hill (76), & Leila Saheb-Ettaba
(76) to name a few.
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