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Thomas Downey
High School Class of 1984
20-Year Reunion
August 28, 2004, DoubleTree Hotel, Modesto
I guess it was inevitable...someday...a 20-year reunion. When I was a kid, I couldn't imagine living to be 18. Then when I graduated from high school, a 20-year reunion seemed as far away as the moon.
Well, a couple weeks ago, it happened. And I decided, what the heck, I would go.
It started for me with an Internet search, so it's appropriate that it's ending with a little memorial web page. A few months before the reunion, I found an old high school friend, Karen Farley, by typing her name in on Google. We had great fun catching up on nearly two decades of each others' lives, and then dared each other to go to the reunion. She had to fly all the way from Seattle so I figured the least I could do was drive from LA to Modesto with a toddler in tow. Karen also decided to leave her husband at home so we could be each other's date. Now, that's a true friend!
Karen also hooked me up with Tam Landre the week before the reunion, and we got to share our pre-reunion jitters via three-way emails. We joked about how we were all planning to wear black, like we were going to a funeral instead of a reunion. I quipped that we were going to a funeral -- we were mourning the loss of our youth. But it never felt that way for a moment in reality. Hanging out with "the girls" before and after the reunion was a highlight of the event for me. We even got BA'd by a rather exuberant male member of the Class of 1984 (no pun intended) on our way home from a pre-party. Who says we have grown up? Not me!
The rest is history, and it's chronicled below. I had a great time, better than I ever expected, at this reunion. A big thanks to all who organized this event, and made my memories possible.
I hope you enjoy the photos, and please feel free to pass me a note. Just like we did in high school. :)
—Coleen Bondy, Class of 1984, Thomas Downey High School
The Pre-Party
A big thanks to Craig and Patty Harris for hosting a little pre-party at their lovely house the night before the reunion. It gave a few of us a chance to break the ice after all these years, get over the shock of the wrinkles, weight gain and hair loss (OK, I have to say our class looked great for its age) and do a little bonding before the big night.
The Pre-Reunion Photo Shoots
At no time during the weekend did I feel more like I was back in high school than when my Mom was taking pictures of me, Karen and Tam just before the big reunion. I was nervous, I hoped I looked halfway decent, and I was excited. Just like on my prom nights! Karen's mom put her and Tam through the same paces. We pretended to be in a hurry, but secretly enjoyed our moment in the limelight. Just like in high school.
View all Pre-Reunion Photos >>
The Big Night
Well, enough's been said about high school reunions to provide fodder for way too many cheesy movies. So I won't wax nostalgic or poetic — it's all been said before. I'll just say I had a great time, and it was great seeing everyone. I only blurted out one or two inappropriate things, and I wasn't even drinking. I'll just let the pictures tell the story. See ya in 10 more years, I hope. :)
The "Day After" Picnic
This is the fun event where you get to show off your kids. It was hotter than heck, and I had a long drive home. So I didn't take any photos. Luckily Karen sent me hers, and I'd love to see yours. I'm throwing in a gratuitous shot of my son, Sean, because I can. :)
Until Next Time...
Hope
you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane!
If you'd like to send your reunion photos to me, I'm happy to post them here.
And I'm starting a "keep in touch" page
with a listing of email addresses for anyone in our class who wants to participate.