Friday, July 17, 2009

School holidays: Day five

Later this year there will be a school reunion in Dublin for all of us who finished up in 1992. I won't be flying home for it. Being on the other side of the world would make it a pretty expensive catch up with old friends.

I recently discovered that one of those friends is also living in Australia. She is actually based in Adelaide but was in Sydney with her husband and two girls for a mini break over the school holidays. We decided to do our own school reunion even if it was just going to be the two of us.

And so this morning it was an early start to get on the 8.30am train to Sydney. As I walked to Tumbalong Park at Darling Harbour, kids in hand, I wondered if I would recognise Clare? I had seen recent photos through Facebook but you still wonder... I needn't have worried. She had her back to me as she watched her kids play on the climbing frame but I recognised her straight away.

We didn't really pause for breath as we caught up on 17 years. We sat on a bench with our take away coffees and watched our kids interacting and playing in the huge sandpits. It was a bit surreal watching junior versions of ourselves playing when we were only just becoming adults ourselves last time we met.

It was great to feel the familiarity of the past and yet see the changes of the present in each other. Clare was confident and so happy in her own skin. We talked about growing up, fitting in and trying to find the adult you. I think we both have come a long way since our teenage years in St Raphaelas school. We have both found good men, married and had children, both lost our teenage naivety in a good way, matured like good wine! I liked the Clare I met today. I hope she thought the same of me!

After we said goodbye to Clare and her family we played by the fountains for a little while before heading back to Central station for the journey home.

3 comments - click here to leave your comment:

  1. Blessings
    Happy Friday and have a great weekend
    Love Jeanne♥

     
  2. Dear Peoplz,
    Thats funny,
    We were going on tour to those places at those times!!!!!!
    From, The Jonas Brothers.

     
  3. Dear Jonas Brothers (?!)
    Lovely to read your comments on our blog. Any chance of some free concert tickets for your next gig?
    See you in school Monday!
    From "Peoplz" !!!!