My high school does homecoming right; alas, I missed the festivities | Suzy Fleming Leonard

Suzy Fleming Leonard, Florida Today
·2 min read

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My hometown knows how to celebrate class reunions.

They aren't awkward dinners held in random hotel ballrooms. OK, Oakdale, Louisiana, doesn't have hotel ballrooms, but even if it did, I can't imagine an Oakdale High School reunion being anything so stodgy.

OHS celebrates true homecoming, inviting honored classes to ride in the homecoming parade and attend the big football game. The weekend of revelry and reminiscing continues, with citywide gatherings and class-specific parties.

As a teenager, I remember watching the alumni on those parade floats, acting anything but old.

I was more focused on the trumpet solo I was playing during the halftime show and who, if anyone, might ask me to dance at the after-game party. My mind was set on heading to an out-of-state college and shaking the dust of Oakdale off my shoes.

As a senior in high school, Suzy Fleming Leonard, center, was more concerned with trumpet solos than reunions.
As a senior in high school, Suzy Fleming Leonard, center, was more concerned with trumpet solos than reunions.

Growing up and riding on a float 10, 20, 30 years in the future seemed unfathomable, even though the classes of '52, '62 and '72 seemed to be having a grand time.

Now, I understand. I start looking forward to those reunions at least two years before they're scheduled to happen.

This year was a big one. The Proud Warriors Class of 1982 celebrated 40 years as high school graduates.

"You don't sound like you're from Oakdale anymore," my friend Jennifer Johnson Perkins said while we chatted about flight schedules and what to throw during the parade.

"I will when I get there," I said. My accent turned chameleon after multiple moves in the '80s and '90s.

Ultimately, though, it wasn't to be. Hurricane Ian saw to that. After lengthy virtual discussions with airline customer service, I gave up. Canceled flights and the niggling guilt of leaving my husband to deal with storm aftermath beat out my trip down Memory Lane.

I was forced to watch the reunion play out in photos posted on Facebook.

It feels petty to be crushed because of missing a party when other Floridians are dealing with such devastation. There's no comparing the two. I'm so, so lucky, and grateful for the safety of my home and family.

But I can't help being sad as I flip through my high school yearbook, trying to match the teenage faces with the 50-somethings in the photos online.

The members of the Oakdale High School Class of 1982 poses for photos in front of the school during recent homecoming festivities.
The members of the Oakdale High School Class of 1982 poses for photos in front of the school during recent homecoming festivities.

I know I look back on my hometown through the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia. My parents left the area while I was in college, so my only memories of Oakdale are those of a loved and cherished child.

It wasn't all idyllic. Growing up comes with its share of disappointments, tears and broken hearts.

Still, I miss the place and the people, and my latest heartbreak is that I missed the hugs and the laughter.

See you in 10 years, OHS Class of 1982. I hope.

Suzy Fleming Leonard is a features journalist with more than three decades of experience. Reach her at sleonard@floridatoday.com. Find her on Facebook: @SuzyFlemingLeonard or on Instagram: @SuzyLeonard

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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Suzy Leonard: I missed high school reunion, but friendships remain