Friday, August 19, 2011

Ten years in the making

It's that time.  Breathe in... Breathe out...  It's time to go back.
Bolton High School, Class of 2001.. It's reunion time.

I started going to Bolton my sophomore year.  I transferred from the rival school, Alexandria Senior High aka ASH is Trash.  :)  I walked onto Bolton's campus for the first time, completely overwhelmed and scared out of my mind.  Here's this GORGEOUS, historic school.. 3 gigantic floors of old hard wood floors and tall ceilings.  A student showed me around the campus and showed me where all my classes were.  We started on the 3rd floor.  My first class was on the first floor in another building.  FOR TWO WEEKS, I didn't know how to get to my first class from the first floor.  So I would hike up three flights of stairs where I first started my tour, and go back downstairs to my first class.  Haha, I can laugh about it now, but it was exhausting!  It didn't take long to feel right at home at my new school.  I immediately was swollen with school pride, something I couldn't feel for ASH. 

It's safe to say that one of the main reasons why I fear my reunion is having to face my senior yearbook picture.  It's so bad, I've refused to look at it since I graduated.  For all of my life, my hair has never been my friend.  It's a mixture of wave, frizz and curl.  I straighten it now, I should have straightened it for picture day.  Oh, how I should have.  Instead, I decide to go the curly route, but when the curls didn't work, I did the thing that has haunted me until this day.  I brushed.  Yes, I brushed the curls, which then turned into a mountain of frizz.  But it doesn't end there, unfortunately.  In the picture, the legacy I left behind, my eyes are the size of golf balls.  It's oh so horrifically awful.  All I can do is pray that no one remembers me as this frizzy haired deer in headlights girl.

A few months after I graduated, my mom, sisters & I moved down to New Orleans.  And I haven't seen most of my old classmates since then.  Last November, I had the honor of photographing our Class President and another classmate's wedding.  (Molly Cook & Jeb Britt)  I'm crazy happy that they are married, and I had such a great time at their wedding.  I got to see a bunch of old classmates... it was kind of a mini-reunion.  It was awesome! 

.
  What have I accomplished in the past 10 years?  Would my 18 year old self be happy with who I am today?  Has facebook helped maintained friendships and help me become friends with people who I never really talked to back then, or has facebook already reunited us, and add to the awkwardness of seeing everybody in person.
What should I wear? 

I wish I had pictures to show from back then.  Unfortunatley, I lost all of my old pictures and projects in Katrina...  not so unfortunate about the yearbook. 

 But here are two pictures I got from google & facebook.

The front of my beloved school

That's me with my dear, old friend J.R. just after one of our choir performances.  Yes, that is a choir dress, not a dress from my personal wardrobe.

I'll end this with a little Bolton tradition, the Alma Mater, sung at the end of all the school functions, including all football games.

"We stand and pledge our loyalty to you.
All of our best, we gladly give to you.
Fair will we keep thy fine umblemished name.
Bolton go forth.
Win honor and win fame!"

Class of '01, I'll be seeing you soon!!

2 comments:

M.Smiley said...

oh how i always *loved* to wear those choir dresses! my show choir dress was black sequins, and not very flattering on any of the girls!!!

akvaughn said...

I have absolutely loved your photos of Molly and Jeb. Living in Colorado, I could not be there but thanks to you, I at least get to share the joy with them. I taught at Bolton when you were there. Cheerleader sponsor that year.

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