Category: Blog

I looked at the calendar and realized school is about to begin soon. As the almost-40 parent of none, the commencement of the new school year means little outside of traffic patterns in the Greater Wilmington, NC area changing with the onset of school bus routes resuming. Nostalgia doesn’t hit me as hard as it did when I lived in Pennsylvania. North Carolina doesn’t quite have the Appalachian chill in the air that says “football season is upon us,” or “time to collect wood for the bonfire.” In fact, I’m looking at the thermometer, and it’s almost 80 degrees fahrenheit. It’s been quite a while since I stepped out my front door and been reminded of the first day of classes.

Upon further inspection of the calendar, I realize that it has been twenty years since I’ve graduated high school. To date, I haven’t heard anything about a reunion, but I can’t tell you that I’d go—not yet, anyways. There is a lot more living I want to do before I go see those men and women again. I want to be able to go back and tell stories of an authentic life worth living. I want to be able to celebrate their lives, in earnest, not feeling like I’ve missed out on any of mine. Simultaneously, I don’t want to discredit anything I’ve done, either. I only want to go back to the Moshannon Valley Junior-Senior High School with a heart full of things I would have never imagined I’d see while living in Clearfield County.

For this week’s blog, and specifically for my own benefit (if I’m struggling to think about what I’ve done approaching the thirty-year anniversary since leaving high school), I wanted to do a “Where is he now?” to compare myself now, to who I was.

“Is a dream a lie if it don’t come true? Or is it something worse that sends me down to the river, though I know the river is dry?” – Bruce Springsteen, “the River,” 1980.

I have a pretty decent memory. I’m not sure if it’s related to ADHD, or other aspects of neurodivergence, but I have a decent memory of people, faces, and facts. Sometimes it’s a fun party trick, it’s gotten me banned from a few trivia contests, and gives me the ability to let people know how important they are. To this day, I remember watching wrestling with my cousin Penny, and distinctly remember how much she loved Sting. I can remember a fair share of things about my father, although he passed away when I was five—I treasure that actually. I very fondly remember the great times I’ve had with friends.