Generations

Welcome back my friend to the blog that never ends; we're so glad you came along, move along, move alone.

 

Something of note happened yesterday; there was this party that involved the reunion of people from my secondary school, which is something like 7-9th grade for you Americans. And as it so happens that I do not get along or have been keeping contact with most of those people I decided to happily go since, as they say, curiosity was killing me like a cat. Curiosity to know what had been of their lives.

 

Or rather, if they had life at all.

 

My first surprise was when some people did not recognize me at first sight and to some I actually had to say who I was to enlighten their minds. Instead of being upset by it I actually found it pretty comic. Have I changed so much? Hell, I looked at them and immediatly I knew who they were or at least knew I was supposed to know them but found no correlation of their mugs to a name in my brain's synapses. Maybe my overgrown hair and beard where not what they were expecting at all.

 

So, you know, these are people you have not seen for seven years; therefore you tried to catch up with some of them... gossip... you know... the usual... who's gotten pregnant, who died, memories of that king sized schitt at the toilet, breaking windows with the football and old, crazy teachers. I got to be honest, others I did not care if they were there or not, if they were studying or not and pretty much less interested if they were actually alive. Yet I have to say some cought me by surprise; suddenly people who had never done well in math are studying Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering like it's kindergarten to them.

 

Maybe in some ways that cought me off guard. I will not beat around the bush and say that yes, I was... am... somewhat of your classical geek, intelligent guy. Somewhat being the keyword. So I felt kinda odd when people asked me what I was studying and I answered non-galantly: "Well, I pretend to study computer system engineering in my free time. But I mostly spend my time in theater." My take is that the twisted, funny faced they did were because one of two reasons:

• They did not expect me, who came out the 2nd highest grade average at the time, to be wasting his brain and time in such a stupid and worthless activity such as theater; or
• Now that I think about it, my answer sounds a bit like computer system engineering is kindergarten to me... heh... and they thought I was insulting their intelligence.

... not that I think about it... the worst part is probably I am wasting my brain and time in theater, computer system engineering is like kindergarten to me to some of them I was insulting their intelligence.

 

I'm such a devil.

 

And then I spent around four hours of my life talking to people whom I had not crossed a word even back then when we were at school. It made me wonder: "Why? Why the hell did we not get along back in the old days? What was it that even made us antagonist at some points?" If I must be honest, I had a good time and the changes on some of us from back at that time to now are funny and grand. I wonder where we will all end up in....

 

Still, another matter arises that also circles around my head. Speaking to another friend he suddenly asks: "Who are these people? Do I know them?" He makes a clear point when you think about it. Though we spent three years of our lives together, and with some even up to nine/ten years, it has been over 7 years since the last time we saw or even spoke to one another. Who are these people indeed.

 

Yes, I walked in and some greeted by name, others I had to think a little about it before remembering and other I had to pretend I knew who they were and then ask another person who the heck that was. After picking a safe spot with the prescious few friend whom I kept contect with there was silence. Who are all those strangers whose faces I remember, names I know and laughter once shared? After seven years of not knowing anything about them it is like meeting someone new for the first time. A blank page.

 

Perfect strangers. In the end that's what they are.