The past few days I've been walking around in a haze of nostalgia, as my high school reunion  will be happening in a week and I won't be there. When I first heard of the reunion a couple of months ago I was indifferent and a bit indignant - we just had a reunion in '01, and although I was prepared to go back in '11, now seemed too soon. And my present intrudes on my past -- that very weekend I have to get my son off to camp and I also will be helping out a Japanese fabric importer, Kyoto Kimono, at the Vermont Quilt Festival.

So I won't be there to see those familiar faces--most of whom I totally ignored when I was in my teens. I was a bit of a recluse, both haughty and shy, and as I look back at my high school yearbook I'm sad to see how few people I actually knew. I can't say I had a lot of fun in high school - adolescent angst was my specialty - but there were some wonderful friends I would love to see again, and I see from the list of those attending that even some teachers are coming. Mr. Gillen, my precise, demanding, talented English teacher, how I will miss seeing you! Mr. Sidoli, you must have been only a few years older than we were back in '71, but you seemed massively worldly and cool. Mr. McCormick, Mr. Secord, how can I thank you for looking through all my adolescent torpor and egotism and seeing someone of value?

Some of my high school friends I've seen occasionally over the years, and one is even part of my current life. There was another friend I thought I had lost, though I tried to track her down on the Internet from time to time. When I saw her name on the list of those attending, I began my regret-at-not-going-to-the-reunion in earnest, but I was able to get an e-mail to her. The very next day, there was her name in my In Box! Such relief at finding someone I felt I'd lost forever! On my 18th birthday, this friend had sent me a card saying, "18 is closer to 30 than you think." When I looked through my old yearbook last night, I had the oddest feeling that no time had passed at all since those pictures had been taken. Had the past 35 years really happened? It turns out that my friend was right, but not only is 18 is closer to 30 than you think, it's also closer to 54.

Greetings and my love to those who might be there next weekend:  Carol and Lily and LIz and Mary and Susan and Bob and Julie and Debi and Sherry and Kristen - and especially to those who were my dearest friends in high school: Valerie and Brad. I can't imagine what my life would have been like without you. And to all my other classmates, my very fondest regards. I wish I could be there to see you again.