The 30 Year JJ Reunion-First Day

Had a blast getting to see my Falcon classmates for the first night of our reunion weekend.    The best part was I had a pretty good success rate associating names to faces without resorting to name badges.

It's a little different vibe for the 20 year one in 2000 since for many of my classmates then it was the first time seeing Moni on the correct gender team.   Now it's ten years later and I already had the 'Most Changed Award in hand from the 2000 one and I was 60 pounds lighter. 

I blew up to 260 after starting HRT in 1994 and combined with the fact I love to eat and Houston establishments because of the cutthroat restaurant environment serve large portions, it's a recipe for weight gain.   Louisville didn't help.    

We set our reunions up as three day weekends, with an initial mixer party on Friday, a brunch and semi-formal dinner on Saturday, and a picnic on Sunday.   Weather is cooperating this weekend with beautiful not a cloud in the sky conditions and low 80's temps and humidity.     

Decided to arrive at the aptly named Gatherings in Bellaire early in school colors (black, gold and white)  majority of the crowd started arriving about 8 PM and the conversations were in full swings by then.

Many of them the conversations were about kids in college, jobs, the lack of them, being close to retirement, jokes about how we don't have 20/20 vision any more, not being able to get down as low on the dance floor as we used to, dreading the arrival of AARP cards in the mail, or no longer shutting down nightclubs like we used to back in the day because we have earlier beditmes.

I brought my memory book, and it turned out I was one of the few people that did.   Made me very popular because I saved everything that year.   Mine contains a ticket stub from the homecoming game  ($1 student rate then) , the senior class night programs, the program from graduation, my class rank slip  (with honors)  the program and my extra ticket from the prom,  invites from the graduation parties I attended, and even pictures from my junior high days.

Sadly, one of the junior high pictures was of my classmate Vonda Higgins, who later went to the high school I was zoned to, Ross Sterling.    She became an award winning HPD detective who was shot and paralyzed while on duty during a February 1998 drug bust that went horribly awry.   She retired from HPD in 2001 and just recently passed away a few weeks ago from complications after a major auto accident.  

Seeing those pictures that I'd taken back in the late 70's triggered a lot of memories.  We also made new ones as group pictures were the order of the evening.

Homecoming game is next weekend October 16, and looking forward to getting together with my fellow Falcons again and cheering on the three time 21-4A District champs against Booker T Washington.

Will post the pics later as I get them.

One day down, two to go.

Yep, I'm A Success, Too

My 30 year high school reunion is rapidly approaching.  As reunions tend to do, I get nostalgic for my JJ high school days and triggers thoughts about the good and bad times that occurred during that time in my life.

Inevitably, while thinking about those classmates, the  wild and crazy stuff we did and the fact our teachers and counselors considered us a special class, you start comparing yourself to those classmates. That has an even more heightened intensity in my case because I was in a gifted and talented magnet program at my high school alma mater.  

Sometimes when I compare my life with some of my HS classmates there are some days when I feel at times that compared to them, I'm a failure even though I graduated with honors back in 1980.

I have one classmate who is vice president of the Houston Urban League and had a Sunday morning talk show on Majic102 FM.  I have several lawyers in my class, one classmate who was a Harris County assistant DA, a minister, several teachers, two who have run for Houston City Council and unfortunately lost,  and one who currently sits on the Texas State Board of Education.

Many of them are parents, and a few are sadly are no longer on the planet with us.   Some look as good as they did when we walked off JJ's campus 30 years ago, while others of us have radically changed.

But when I start beating myself up because I haven't reached some of the goals I dreamed about in terms of one day sitting either in the Texas state legislature or the Houston City Council, the game plan I had for getting there took some detours or hit unexpected snags,  I start taking inventory of my blessings,

I'll bet that most of my classmates haven't lobbied their congressmembers or senators, city council members and state legislators.   I'll presume that many haven't had the opportunity to speak in front of college classes and be considered an authority on trans issues.  I'd be willing to bet when I walk into next Friday's reception that I'll be the only IFGE Trinity Award winner in the room and one of the few people there who are considered historical figures or a national leader in a civil rights movement.

Oh yeah, and I'll probably be one of the few people running around my reunion that founded and authors an award winning blog with an international readership. .

When you count your blessings and stop trying to compare yourselves to others, you'll discover that over time you're doing a lot better than you think you are and you're a little more successful than you thought you were.

So yeah, looking forward to seeing my classmates at our reunion.   I'm also going to enjoy it because as far as I'm aware of, I'm not in the running for the 'Most Changed Award'.

Family Reunion

Well, so much for any plans to take in the sights and sounds of my first Houston Pride event since 2001.

Got more important business. My family reunion.

My mom's side of the family since 1998 has a now yearly reunion that rotates between the Florida, Mississippi, Ohio, NW Indiana-Chicago, and Dallas and Houston, Texas branches of the family.

Through a happy circumstance I got back here just in time for the Houston branch of our family to play hosts for the event and get the pleasure of attending one for the first time in a long time.

It's going to be an interesting situation for me as well. Some of my extended relative know about my transition, especially if they are on Facebook or have perused this blog, while others don't.

All I'm looking for is a nice and relatively quiet weekend with a minimum level of drama. But if static gets started, I will not hesitate to deal with it.