Let's commence to bloggin' us up a storm hereabouts!!!!
20 years? Where in the Hell have you been? What in the Hell have you been doing? Who in the Hell have you been doing? How in the Hell have you been doing?
Did you vote for Bush? If so, don't you feel bad now?
Are we in the end times, or are a lot people hoping so in order to get out of huge credit card debts?
Have any of you seen Osama bin Laden?
Have any of you seen my car keys?
Are any of you book publishers in search of a very readable and entertaining novella about Morgan County hillbillies confronting weirdness over a weekend in 1986?
Can anybody spare $100 to get me through the week?
--guess

Color this a note to the disenfranchised (and the fulfillment of an obligation to Lindsey to finally post a blog). Seems that as we've been planning this reunion over the last several months that a lot of the talk has centered around attendance. We've been led to believe by past classes and by event planners that we should expect no more than a 33% turnout at best. While disturbing to some, your distinguished Class Prez, Jim Tuttle, relayed a very relevant conversation he had with a member of an older class who told him, "Hey Jim, just remember that not everyone had as much fun as you did in high school!" Sage words my friends. Sage words.
It makes me remember our 10 year reunion. I was very fortunate to spend a good part of that night sitting and talking with a lovely, charming former classmate. Someone who I had gone to school with since the good ol' Lincoln days yet someone who, through some stroke of scheduling fate, I never once had a single class with; not at Lincoln, not at Meridian Middle, and not at Perry. Considering all the time I "knew" this young lady we had never exchanged so much as ten words in twelve years of scholastic travel. What struck me most though is that my only memories of her at any of those points were of mistreatment at the hands of other classmates. This came to be the topic of discussion when we had our long overdue meeting that night.
Turns out this wonderful human being had only come to the 10-Year for what amounted to closure; to see just who the hell had grown up. During that night she recounted tales of verbal and physical abuse, including an incident well beyond grade school in which a fellow female classmate had come up behind her and lifted her skirt for all to see in a very crowded area and mocked her aloud as she did so. Classy.
I hope my newfound friend gained the closure or satisfaction that she sought that evening. I have not spoken to her since and have not seen her name on the "expected" attendance list, although I dearly hope that she'll show up this Saturday.
The point of that li'l anecdote I guess is to drive home the fact that not all of us had a really great experience in high school or even middle and elementary school. While attending Prom, Homecoming, and participating in the many activities that are such a rite of passage for teens was a given for some, for others those things only amounted to ethereal phantoms; things that "other" kids got to do.
Most of us were lucky enough to have parents or guardians who did their best to raise us but that simply wasn't the case for an awful lot of kids. Many were never given the tools to fit in or never shown how to use them. Whether by the way we looked, by being the "new" kid, by eccentric behavior, or through uninterested or abusive parents at home, many of us weren't set up to win or even play the game. Some of us fought back. Some of us compensated by keeping our heads down and mouths shut until graduation day. Some of us became prey.
A shame to say that the youth of many '86ers was served merely trying to survive, and in a lot of cases that extended to the breadth of our entire journey together.
Personally, I was a middle-of-the-road guy with the best of friends ranging from (pardon the old school terminology) burnouts and jocks to nerds and preppies. I took a lot of shit (just look at my yearbook pics and you'll know why) and to my eternal shame I also dished it out on occasion. I'm awfully sorry to anyone I ever hurt. Chalk it up to "kids being kids," or "survival of the fittest," but understand that none of these concepts are good reasons.
I urge ALL of my fellow '86ers to come out October 21. Trust that time has opened not just your eyes but also those of your peers. Like it or not, we're all connected, part of each other's story. Time to write some happy passages. Honestly, I didn't like high school and a lot of the people in it, but boy I sure do miss you.
--Jerry Johnson
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Nice post, Jerry. As I attended PMHS for only 3 years, I missed out on knowing a lot of you through grade school and middle school. But I still have friends from Perry, and I look back on it fondly. I attended the 5 year reunion and had a blast, and this one should be even better. I hope everyone undecided will consider attending.
--Kevin Bryant
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Hey everyone,

Wish I could be there this weekend and say "hello" to some old friends, but unfortunately we can't make the trip afterall.

I've only been back to Indiananpolis a few times since 1988, but I will always consider it my hometown.

Have a great time at the reunion, and drink a beer for me!


--Laura Hausbeck Salvador
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For those who missed it. It was a blast and standing room only! It was great seeing people I haven't seen in 20 years! Thanks for the folks putting it all together; thanks for the folks that came in from out of town; and, thanks for a great turn out. We all need to keep in touch.

Last night was excellent! I can't remember a time when I had more fun. Midnight came way too soon! A huge thanks to everyone who put it together-a job very well done. Hope the website stays active as a way to link up.

Wow. I had a terrific time and am SO GLAD i attended. I echo Michelle's sentiment that it's a shame that certain things and 20 year old clicks/attitudes or feelings of 'not fitting in' might have prevented some of our classmates from attending. I saw none of that at our reunion and feel very fortunate to have been (and hopefully still be)friends with so many of you. Can't wait for the next one!

Cat
--Cathy Snyder Keith
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What a great time! I am so glad I attended. Thank you's especially to those who put this together and to everyone who attended at well. I am so thankful to have been included in this class, though I "technically" didn't graduate with '86. It made me feel so good to see and speak to those I've known for (many of you) my entire life! Please keep in touch! I hope our friendships can and will continue throughout the years to come. Can't wait for 30!
--Nancy Simon
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I first of all want to say thank you to the committee. A lot of hard work goes in to planning such an event and I must say it was a HUGE SUCCESS. I think Michelle pretty much summed it up. Yes, how shallow we were back then. I think over the past 20 years we’ve come to realize what’s really important.

A lot of us are probably not proud of a lot of things we said or did in high school. I for one can say that I’m not proud of how I acted or treated some people along the way. To those people, I am truly sorry.

I hate to admit it, but this was the first reunion that I have attended, and yes, I must also admit that I second-guessed whether I was going to come to this reunion. But after a lot of deep thought I would have regretted not going more than going. I would have been the one that missed out.

It was so great to see everyone that came out on Friday night, Saturday night, and those that continued to party way into the early morning hours of Sunday. It definitely turned out to be a weekend that I hated to see end. It was great to see everyone and to reminisce about the good times, and some bad times, in high school. Although, yes, most of us were pretty immature, Saturday night proved that as a class we grew in so many ways and in the end came together.

I feel bad for the people who chose not to attend. It was definitely a time to put the past behind and start a new beginning. I hope that everyone was able to rekindle some old friendships, and maybe even make some new friendships with people that maybe, unfortunately, never really knew each other during those school years. The weekend was a definite growing experience for me, and I hope for others as well.

I don’t look at it as if midnight Saturday was the end of our 20-year reunion, it’s only the beginning of many friendships, some old and some new, for years to come.

I wish everyone only the best and look forward to the next reunion; however, I don’t want to wait that long to see, or even talk, to you. Please keep in touch. I would love to see and hear how everyone is doing.



--Leigh Ann (Cooksey) Belton
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Well, it’s Friday and I think that I have finally recovered from our Reunion! What a great time! Thanks so much to everyone who was involved in planning the event. You all did a great job! I will admit that I was more than a little apprehensive about attending the reunion. For many of us, high school was an extremely awkward time in our lives. However, after being at the reunion for just a few minutes, I realized that I was nervous for nothing. Everyone was so incredibly nice! Even my husband, Rick, couldn’t believe how great everyone was. He had such a great time that he thought that it had been his reunion instead of mine! Thanks for making us feel so welcome. And who would have known that Jimmy “Mad Dog” Tuttle could BUST A MOVE so well! Way to go, JT!!

All of you looked so great. Everyone seemed to have a glow about them. OK – maybe it was the booze; but really, you guys were glowing! If you were like me, it was so nice getting away from all of the pressures in life (work, homework, housework – AAGGHH – SO MUCH WORK) and reminiscing about old times and learning about where life has taken everyone. A big OOH RAHH to all of you that have been in the military and especially to those who served in Iraq.

Life can be incredibly challenging, so it is nice to know that we are not alone. We are actually sharing many of the same experiences from changing diapers to learning how to sing to the "Black Eyes Peas"! It is fun seeing our kids grow up even if their taste in music isn't nearly as good as ours!! Ha!! As Jerry said in his message, we are all connected. Let's not forget that! I hope that we can stay in touch - even if it's just to say a quick "hello" in an email. Take care everyone!

--Alison (Smith) Beard
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Wow!!!!The reunion was so much fun! I did not know what to expect but it was great! Thanks so much to the reunion commitee, you did a great job! It was so good to see all of you, Allison you wild woman! Kim so glad to be back in touch! Michelle although we keep in touch through email it was so good to see you! LeighAnn,Lisa, you all look so great! Brad it was wonderful catching up with you and meeting your beautiful wife. Jim Tuttle have you recovered yet?!
I have to admit, I was ready to retire to our hotel room after the reunion anticipating our early morning drive back to Green Bay but my fiance Brian wouldn't hear of it, he was in party mode! I am glad we went to the after party and that so many people showed up! So although 7am came way too soon, and the kids were WAY too loud and demanding on the 8hr drive home, it was worth it! Can't wait till 30! Just one rule: David Ambs is not allowed to buy shots next time! To my fellow Marines Happy Birthday!!!!!!
--Trish Charlock
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