I have to write a biography for my 50th high school reunion.
Photo by Timailius
I completed a draft, then edited it but have been procrastinating about actually sending it. None of my classmates are in my life these days. There are only a few that I have regular contact with. The rest are probably too busy with their day to day responsibilities and challenges to pay attention to people they knew 50 years ago. What would they be interested in hearing about me and what I have done with my life since high school?
In the midst of this indecision, I get some excellent advice. Tell them how you have changed. This took me off on a new tack from the event reporting format in my draft and made me stop and think. How have I changed? What have I become in these 50 years that would be unexpected and perhaps even impressive when compared to the young man who graduated from Lee’s Summit High School in 1959?
I guess that is what I would be seeking when I have the chance to read the bios of my classmates. What have they done with these 50 years that passed so quickly. Have they raised a fine family? Have they contributed to their communities? Are they an inspiration to others?
I don’t know if I improved on my original draft or what my classmates will think of me or my bio but I do know that this exercise has left me thinking about my life in a different way. Most of it is gone but there are still good years left. I need to focus on the important things and make those years fruitful and fulfilling.
Anybody have a similar experience where you are forced to review your life. Were you proud? Did you fall short? Share your experience.
If , like me, you fall short, then keep plugging! I am.
There is still time.
With life moving at such a break-neck pace, I find so few opportunities to be introspective to the point of pondering the type of big picture questions you are referring to, (i.e. how have I changed, for better or worse?)
I obviously won’t go into detail here, but only recently have I had a chance to even become conscious of the effect my life-choices have made/make for not only myself, but also for my immediate family and friends.
Life is, of course, full of good and bad choices… I think the best we can hope for is that, in retrospect, the good choices have outweighed the bad ones, which I hope is what you found in regards to your own life as you write your reunion bio!
I remember being about your age when I first felt old enough to notice that I had changed in some way. Before that life was just an experience. It was an odd moment. Unfortunately I didn’t understand the power that this understanding provides. You can literally become a new person. I didn’t.
Well, like you said, it is never too early to begin!
I think that if I hadn’t gone through such a painful and jolting experience, I would have stayed blissfully unaware of this… now life’s choices stay in a much sharper focus because of the severity of the initial shock…
…but it is all working for good now, so I am thankful 😉
‘Bad things’ are often not so simple as we think.