It was many years ago that I happened to bump into " Ricky " at a local restaurant. He had been a schoolmate and like me wore a loser tag presented to us by our peers, so I didn't mind chatting with him.

He informed me that he was on the five year reunion committee and I was one of those folks that was MIA and it was his job to invite those he happened upon. I was outraged. Here were the same group of folks that went out of their way to make my high school days a nightmare now wanting me to spend money and join them for an evening of drinking, dining, dancing and talking about the good old days. I had NO good days in Junior or Senior High.

There were no bullying or harassment concerns like there are today and the first time I complained of the treatment I had received at the hands of a classmate I was basically told to "GROW UP". It was this kind of response and similar ones that were among the contributing factors to my quitting school.

The tough guys punched and threatened those who of us who were not fighters and nothing was really done to them. The Seniors got away with just about everything, the Seniors that were jocks DID get away with everything as did those of my graduating class that were jocks. Punishment for abuse of a schoolmate might get them suspended and that could result in them being barred from a game, and that of course could not be tolerated.

As I was not about to shoot the messenger I kept my anger in check and asked him to deliver my response verbatim. "Please inform the class officers, their wives, husbands and significant others to stick the invite up their collective asses."

Ricky just looked at me.

"Also please remind them that I QUIT school, so I am no longer a part of that graduating class and have no desire to be," I continued

Ricky then politely informed me that Christian Ministers are not supposed to use that kind of language and I spent the next 10 minutes apologizing as I try not to offend any representative of any religion.

He said he would inform them that I would not attend. I gave him my phone number and asked to have them call me and I would deliver the message in my own style. Since I never got a call I can only surmise he never gave it to them. I can imagine him telling them, 




"I can't repeat what he really said, but it wasn't nice".