July 16, 2012

Dear Diary,

It was an incredibly busy week-end.  I attended many of the activities of the 100th anniversary reunion of the high school I graduated from. It seems so long ago and then again, like yesterday.  We wore nametags that had our graduation picture on them.  When I look at the picture of me in 1974 I think, well, where did that girl go?  In many ways, I still see myself as the girl with the long legs, the pretty dark hair, and the pinch of rebellion. I had my heart set on joining the Peace Corps, going to a foreign country and helping a world of disadvantaged people.  That dream changed when I went to a summer job away from home during my Junior year of high school and became so homesick I had to come home in the middle of July. Since then, I've had a history of being homesick. It took me two trys to live away from home during college.  I guess you could call me "homebound".  It took me years to understand that my hopes and dreams didn't match with my personality.  I wouldn't be a world traveler, going to the ends of the earth to help people.  I didn't have boundless energy, in fact, I tire of people easily.  I get frustrated with myself.  The vision I had in 1974 of " be anything you want to be" turned into "be what you are".  It's taken me 3/4 of a lifetime to be content with what I am, but oh, what a relief.