My 40th year high school reunion is coming up in 2026. I was curious to see if there would be one. As far as I know, my class of ’86 has not had any official reunions yet. Since we had several hundred students and 40 is kind of a big year, I though there might be one and wondered who might attend.
I found a web site where some people are organizing a multi-class reunion to occur in 2025. Several dozen people have commented online saying they’d be attending. Of those, I know exactly one person. Coincidently, she was a good friend in high school. After decades of not seeing each other, we reconnected in 2019 after my wife died. I even visited her at the beginning of my road trip in Florida. Although, to be honest, I was an emotional and mental wreck at the time and could not have been good company.
I wouldn’t mind seeing her again so maybe I’ll reconnect with her. But I won’t be attending the reunion.
My online trip down memory lane led me to searching for other high school friends whom I haven’t spoken to in decades. I came across a Facebook photo taken by one of my best friends from high school.
In it were 4 of my closest friends from that time. I recognized their faces but if they hadn’t been on my friend’s Facebook page, I couldn’t have picked them out of a lineup.
One had been a tall, lanky, standout, natural athlete. He is now fat and bald with a gray goatee.
Another had six pack abs, was extraordinarily strong and was a decent athlete despite eating a box of lucky charms everyday for breakfast. He too was bald and fat with a white goatee.
The third had been a rake skinny metro-sexual looking dude. He had gained at least 50 lbs. and had a full had of white hair.
The fourth actually looked pretty good which was the most surprising because in high school, he was the least athletic, kind of pudgy and didn’t work out. He looked to be in solid shape and had short gray hair.
In my mind’s eye, all of my friends still looked like they did at 17 or 18 years old. In the picture, they looked like old men.
Then I thought, well shoot, they are all about the same age as me. My hair and beard, if I let them grow, are gray and white. And if I wasn’t so strict about my diet and exercise, I’d be at least 30-50 pounds overweight.
I am extremely lean and fit which makes me think I look younger than my age. But I don’t. I’ve been shaving my head bald for 6 years now. I’ve got plenty of wrinkles, a permanent frown, laugh lines and other typical signs of aging.
I don’t look like I’m 17 anymore either. Nor do I look like I’m 35. Or 45. I look my age – like an old man.
So do my old friends.
Having seen so many movie stars and celebrities with full heads of dark hair, sculpted bodies, perfect teeth and wrinkle-free faces, I have lost perspective on what 57 looks like for normal people.
That picture of my friends helped reset my expectations. 57 looks old.
Because we are.
5 old gray men. Jeff greg koz tony and eric. Bald. White and gray hair. Fat.