High School Reunion & makeup

I dreamed last night that I attended a high school reunion. I don’t what a high school reunion is like, as I’ve never been to one. I missed my 10-year reunion because I was working at a theatre in Wisconsin that summer. And I missed my 20th because I was working at a theatre in New Hampshire that summer. Next year, it’ll be 25 years since I graduated high school, but I don’t know that there will be a reunion.

Anyway, I dreamed about a reunion. I was there early, helping to set up the space. There were other people there setting up, but I seemed to be working alone. And then all the high school folk showed up. I hung out a bit with some of the people I hung out with during high school.

But I felt that I didn’t entirely fit in with them, which was also probably true back when I was in high school. I think my group of friends were probably all better friends with each other than with me. That’s certainly how I feel about my friends now.

Reunions aren’t something I think of much, but…

A week ago I was at my parents’ house, where I found some old pictures—some from when I was in high school. Just a couple of them were pictures that included people from my high school. Anyway, I scanned those and put them on my computer. Also, while there, I got to thinking about the past and my lack of connections.

And last night I went to see Our Town (the play by Thornton Wilder). It sort of deals with time passing and things changing and not changing. Also with relationships, family connections.

So, I don’t know that those things led to this dream. It wasn’t a really deep meaningful dream. Just another in a series of thoughts and ponderings by me on the theme of loneliness and my dissatisfaction with my life.

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .

Toward the end of the dream, a teacher showed up at the reunion. But it wasn’t a teacher from my high school. It was someone who worked at a university where I worked several years ago. I never worked with this person, and don’t know her well. But there she was at my high school reunion. She was wearing way more makeup than I’ve ever seen her wear, and aware and worried about the makeup. I’m not sure if this has anything to do with the rest of the dream. It was almost a separate little bit that was just tacked on to the end.

I’m not a fan of excessive makeup. I wrote a paper about it my freshman year in college. This is not a new development in my thinking. I sort of feel that wearing makeup every day is crazy. Dangerous, even. Okay, sure, if you’re onstage or on camera, that’s a little different, because of the lighting and such. But just for average everyday people, it’s just not necessary and not good. I mean, if you feel the need to “fix your face” before you go out into the world, that’s got to be harmful for your self-image.

Just be who you are. Look the way you look. Yes, exercise and eat healthy and all that. Take care of yourself. But don’t let other people and your “culture” tell you that you don’t look good enough without painting four face. You look good enough.