Wow! It has been more than 40 years since my classmates and I graduated from Central Davidson Senior High School in Lexington, North Carolina (NC). As a side note for those not familiar with NC, Lexington is located in the Piedmont region and is almost the center of the elongated state of NC. Lexington at one time was a furniture-making mecca, but once the furniture factories were shuttered the town seemed to slip into disarray and went the way of many small towns in the United States (US). The jobs left for locals to compete for were retail and restaurant gigs (which we all know cannot pay the rent for a single person). But last night I saw a new, vibrant, „happening“ area in my small town… a new concept to the furniture district in Lexington and I was quite impressed.

Our weekend began with attending the homecoming football game between Central Davidson and Asheboro. Todd and I love attending sporting events together so this was one part of the weekend I knew I could be comfortable attending. We had hot chocolate, I stood and cheered for football players I do not know, and I saw some classmates I had not seen in many, many years. However, the anxiety quietly crept in and I had to leave the game early. I told Todd that I was so sorry… I was worried we had spent that money and I still could not make myself stick around to see if the home team won on their special night. The silver lining was that we were back at the Air B&B early and so we could spend time alone and talk about the important things couples who have to spend time apart need to talk about… finishing the taxes!😁

Saturday was different… the planned event was in the new area I spoke of earlier and it was at a Bar/Restaurant so i could get away with wearing my sunglasses and no one really would think too much of it. We all met at #GooseAndTheMonkeyBrewhouse … right by the still active railroad tracks (Todd loved that!) and we had a phenomenal pizza and some really great beers in our flights. As the night wore on (and I was well I to my second flight of beers) I noticed my anxiety was easing a tiny bit. I don’t think it was enough to make me want to move back here, but it certainly felt nice to not feel like I needed to run for the door and never look back. Although not all of the Class of 1984 were able to attend the festivities this time, the ones that were there made me feel so loved and cared for… I am so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.

Fortunately (and perhaps also unfortunately) we grew up in an era before the internet and video cameras in our pockets… some of the silly, illegal, and dangerous stuff we did will soon go the way of everything else in our „older human“ brains. Memories will be forgotten and there will be no proof (thank goodness) that our silly younger selves acted like fools at one time.

For me, there were no negative memories relived this weekend. We laughed, we said out loud that we love each other, and we vowed to get together again. When I think of the quote by Thomas Wolfe about the inability to „go home again“ I have lived that experience. Of course I can get on an airplane or boat or in a car and travel to Lexington, but I am no longer the frail little girl who lacked confidence who lived in that small town so many years ago. I cannot go home again… I can, however, tell everyone reading this that although I do not call Lexington, NC home, I have many beautiful people in my life who do and I will see them again soon.

Make your mistakes, take your chances, look silly, but keep going. Don’t freeze up. ~ Thomas Wolfe