[Magdalen] Reunion blues

[Scott Knitter]

We had a clique of male students who competed with each other, especially
as seniors, to motivate themselves to make it into medical or dental
schools. And most of them did. I was sort of interested in them (didn't
know I was gay yet), mainly because I wanted to be a serious student as
well, although not a doctor. They were funny when they wore ties to school
and gathered at lunch to discuss academic topics, unlike everyone else who
was catapulting peanuts off a spoon or coming up with new clever insults.
One of those who went to med school has since had a shortened career due to
being censured by a professional board for misconduct (something short of
malpractice, and nothing criminal, one assumes). I guess I wouldn't ask him
about his job.

I mentioned my inner struggle about my reunion to our head MC at church on
Sunday, and he rolled his eyes and said he hadn't been to any reunions, as
he hated high school and "couldn't wait to get out of that place." I'm
thinking he went to Oak Park - River Forest, which has a good reputation,
but we all have our own issues and struggles in high school no matter where
we are.

One of the other acolytes at church teaches at Adlai Stevenson High in
Lincolnshire; it's constantly being lauded as one of the very few best high
schools in the nation. I congratulated him on this once, and he thanked me
but said, "You've never seen so many unhappy teenagers in your life; the
stress is unbearable for many of them." Everything is a competition; the
course guide reads like a university catalogue. They have a Viol Consort,
for heaven's sake...not just band and orchestra and choir. Kids wait on a
list to learn to play a theorbo or a lute. Just amazing, but not always a
happy place. Similar goes for New Trier High up in Winnetka, which has
produced more than its share of celebrities (Hal Sparks, Robin Williams,
Vince Vaughan...).

We produced Madonna. But she won't be at the reunion, as she's two years
older. She hates her hometown, anyway. All the best to her. :)

On Tue, Sep 11, 2018 at 1:32 PM Clarissa Canning <canplum at gmail.com> wrote:

> don't care to go to any reunions. I was ignored by most classmates. I did
> not come from that town. Many of them graduated to the world's definition
> of success. NoT me just struggled thru life continued with the church life.
>
> On Mon, Sep 10, 2018, 5:36 PM Lynn Ronkainen <houstonklr at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Thumbs up!!!
> > And I love the thoughtful and creative resolution.
> > Lynn
> >
> > On Sep 10, 2018, at 3:29 PM, Marion Thompson <marionwhitevale at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > I’m so glad to hear this, Scott.  All in all, the right decision to make,
> > I’d say.
> >
> > Marion, a pilgrim
> >
> > Sent from Mail for Windows 10
> >
> > From: Scott Knitter
> > Sent: September 10, 2018 3:23 PM
> > To: Magdalen at herberthouse.org
> > Subject: Re: [Magdalen] Reunion blues
> >
> > Hey, I made a decision about this: not to go. Working on feeling OK about
> > it (I do, mostly). Fortunately there are a couple of people we could help
> > with the money we paid; I told the organizers to apply the $ to someone
> > else's fees, and there were a couple of people (not named to me) who were
> > having trouble paying. I was actually glad to hear the money could help
> > somebody go and have a good time. I sort of feel like they're taking our
> > place. So yay.
> >
> > Mom said not to feel guilty, so I won't and I don't. Thanks for letting
> me
> > air my anxieties here about this. I'll catch up with a couple of
> > high-school friends later in a smaller gathering (lunch at a favorite
> place
> > in East Cupcake).
> >
> > > On Fri, Sep 7, 2018 at 1:40 PM Scott Knitter <scottknitter at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > 40-year high-school class reunion next Saturday, and it looms like a
> > giant
> > > chore in my anxious mind. Not so much the reunion itself, but I just
> > don't
> > > want to use the weekend to make that trip.
> > >
> > > Working on "the thoughts that inform the feelings" about this. Mainly,
> > > it's a big "should want" that isn't really an "I want." But what am I
> > here
> > > for if it isn't to follow through on doing thinks I think others think
> I
> > > should want?
> > >
> > > :) Scott, a weird kid.
> > >
> > > --
> > > Scott R. Knitter
> > > Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois USA
> > >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Scott R. Knitter
> > Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois USA
> >
> >
>


-- 
Scott R. Knitter
Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois USA