Tuesday, September 16, 2008

I'm Gettin' Grown ...

I got a phone call from a high school boyfriend who told me that it is time to start locating our classmates for our 10-year reunion. I said, "dayum, has it been that long already?"
Apparently it has. After that phone call, I started thinking back, reminiscing, if you will. We graduated from Fairmont High School May 26, 2000. And to me, that doesn't seem that long ago. I just realized, I now fit into that 26 to 30 age bracket and that is a trip to me.
Those four years of high school were filled with games, clubs, JROTC drill meets and a whole lot of other activities.
I could have been labeled as somewhat of an overachiever while in high school. I had decent grades, mostly A's and B's. I played varsity basketball for three years, threw shot and discus on the track team, played in the marching band for all four years, concert band for three years. I was also one of the the top cadets in JROTC, I was the drill team commander for two years, participated in several clubs and like most southern teens, I was heavily involved at church.
I graduated from high school with honors and headed off to Aggie Land, that's N.C. A&T for those of you who don't know, and kyle. I swear, all of that feels like just yesterday, then again, it feels like it was decades ago. I don't know about you guys, but my life has changed drastically since high school.
Since then, I've graduated from college, changed jobs and addresses about four times. I've been in more weddings and bought more ugly dresses than I care to remember and a lot of my friends are now parents.
The thing that has changed most in my life is probably the fact that my priorities have changed. While I still don't have the husband and family to worry about I do have to take care of myself.
When I was 18, I was into everything pop culture and entertainment. I was never the club type chick but I could tell you any and everything about whatever artist was hot and where they were going to be. Shoot, back then, if I was having a cash flow problem, I would just call my daddy.
Now, I can't tell you anything about anybody who is hot right now. All I know about commercial radio is it sounds like noise and Plies and Lil' Wayne are dominating the airwaves. And now, if I am running low on cash, I just gotta wait until pay day.
Man, life was sweet! Why the hell did I have to grow up? And why has it been so long since I was a kid?
I feel like I just moved out of my parents house and like I just graduated. I swear ya'll, I have no idea where the last eight years of my life have gone.
I'll be around 27 or 28 when my classmates decide to gather and lie about what we've been doing with our lives. That means I am knocking on the door to 30 and I'm not that happy about it.
While I am looking forward to my 30s, there's still so much I haven't done, so many goals I have yet to accomplish. I gotta get crackin'!
Oh well, here's a song for the road.
"... la la la la laaaaaa, la la la la la laaaaaaa ..."

12 comments:

12kyle said...

why u gotta call me out? lmao!!!!!!!!

u r funny.

u just made me feel old with this post

yummy411 said...

good one.. mine is next year and i got to hit the treadmill with a vengeance!

i need my little sister (13 y/o) to read this who thinks her life is miserable, bad as it gets, horrible, and down right depressing... not youngin', you are a kid with boundaries.. love it while you can!

PCD (Pretty Circle Drawer) said...

didn't go to mine...had a newborn. i wasn't interested anyway. my class had over 500 people in it and i just didn't care that much. i wish i could go back to h.s. tho. it was fun. you were def a busy bee! and don't remind me! i loathe the day when i turn 20-10!!!

Tiffany S. Jones said...

@ kyle, I called you out because you're an Aggie hater. ;-)

@ yummy, welcome and your sister probably won't listen or take heed. Would you have listened at 13?

@ PCD, a new born is a wonderful reason not to attend your reunion. There were only 121 of us so whoever doesn't show up will be missed.

Jus Me said...

Don't you wish High School could last forever *sigh*

TravelDiva said...

LOL. Great pics! I'd sympathize, but I graduated from high school in 1994!! LOL.

Tyhitia Green said...

Girl, please. You are young! I graduated in the '90's and that's all I'll say. :-) Turning 30 was traumatizing for me, but I got over it. It was the years after that really freaked me out. I still remember what I had on the first day of 9th grade. Time flies---period. It waits for no one. :-) You'll be fine.

Eb the Celeb said...

whew... that collage is clasic... I clicked on it to make it bigger... whew you are bold for posting some of them pics...

and why you and your date at the prom look like ya'll were scared to touch each other...lol

that crossage (sp) was the bomb diggity though

Tiffany S. Jones said...

@ juz fine, I wish I could still be living bill-free, but I actually liked college better.
@ demonhunter, girl, I know I'm young, but you gotta admit, my 26 have been packed full o' crap! Thanks for the vote of confidence, I'm glad you're confident that I'll be fine. Me, not so much.
@ Eb, why you gotta talk about my pics. I know I resembled a young Ninja Turtle on some of them, but at least I can see how far I've come. ;-)
As for me and my date, we found out a couple of years later that he likes what we like and that should explain everything. Thanks for the compliment on the pic.

Anonymous said...

Hey, the funniest thing is that my high school sweetheart just called me a week ago. But it wasnt for the HIGH SCHOOL reunion....lol

first time here, how are you sweets?

Nkenge said...

I missed mine. But I feel you I feel close to an adult now that I have a husband, baby house, career,car note. I still call my mom for everything and get her advice and talk to my dad when Ive had a bad day and figure out what went wrong. When I stop that on a reg. basis I will be grown.

Michelle O'Neil said...

You are just getting started! The best is yet to come!