How Does The Idiot Celebrate His 50th High School Reunion?

The Idiot – who graduated from Shasta Union High School in Redding, California, in 1966 – is now ready to write a book entitled “How To Prepare For Your 50th High School Reunion.”

Preparation definitely includes a pre-reunion physical fitness regime, a medical check-up, a facial, a manicure that promotes school colors (purple and white), a T-shirt portraying the school name and mascot (wolves) and full-throttle participation in reunion events, from cocktails at Lulu’s (a favorite for the late Merle Haggard) to the dance floor at the Redding Elks Lodge, which was chosen for the reunion banquet venue because it has 20 RV sites with power hookups and a dump station.

It feels good to feel good at your reunion which is why The Idiot, who wore the T shirt with his school's name and colors for a week before the event, kicked off the morning of his weekend-long reunion with  a workout at the pool.

It feels good to look good at a 50th reunion which is why The Idiot, who wore a T-shirt with his school’s name and mascot for a week before the event to create “mood,” kicked off the morning of his weekend-long reunion with a pre-sunrise workout at the pool.
(Photo: Abby Kellar)

The Idiot, who had spinal surgery in May and will return to the MedTrek in Egypt in November, visited his chiropractor to assess whether he could do the Alligator and the Twist on the dance floor on Saturday night. (Photo: Valerie Lauerman)

The Idiot, who had spinal surgery in May and will return to the MedTrek in Egypt in November, visited his chiropractor to assess whether he could do the Alligator, the Twist and a few suave slow dances on Saturday night.
(Photo: Valerie Lauerman)

The Idiot not only had a facial the day before his reunion but also invited his aesthetician to accompany him to the reunion banquet.

The Idiot not only had a facial the day before his reunion but also invited his slightly-younger-than-he-is aesthetician to accompany him to the reunion banquet. She passed.
(Photo: Kelsey Sehrt)

Nails featuring the school colors are de rigueur. (Photo: Kelly Nguyen)

Finger nails featuring the school colors are de rigueur for a reunion.
(Photo: Kelly Nguyen)

The Idiot was not, of course, the only one who read/wrote the "How To Prepare For Your 50th High School Reunion" pamphlet. Ramona Ely  Hill remembered a key element that The Idiot lamentably ignored: Hair.

The Idiot was not, of course, the only one familiar with the contents of “How To Prepare For Your 50th High School Reunion.” Ramona Ely Hill remembered a key element that The Idiot lamentably ignored: Purple Hair.

When almost adequately prepared for such an existential social occasion, The Idiot threw himself into 50th reunion events with abandon and gusto. He visited his old high school, which now lacks private lockers and noisy radiators, with classmates and noted that classrooms are much more animated than back in the day.

Entering the hallowed walls of Shasta Union High School (now home to UPrep, or University Preparatory School) for a tour of his alma mater.

A classmate of The Idiot enters the hallowed walls of Shasta Union High School (now home to UPrep, or the University Preparatory School) for a tour of our alma mater.

Classrooms, bland and undecorated in The Idiot's day, now resemble museums of contemporary history.

Classrooms, bland and undecorated in The Idiot’s day, now resemble museums of contemporary history reflecting the teachers’ personalities and experience.

Then, most importantly, there are nostalgic encounters with classmates.

The Idiot with four women and a guy from the SUHS Class of '66.

The Idiot with four women and a male classmate from the SUHS Class of ’66.

The Idiot and classmate Ron Lim chat with former school librarian Patricia Stubblefield (who, at 96, has dinner with The Idiot and his mother once a week in Redding, CA) at the Redding Elks Lodge.

The Idiot and classmate Ron Lim chat with former school librarian Patricia Stubblefield (who, at 96, has dinner with The Idiot and his 96-year-old mother once a week at the Riverview Golf and Country Club in Redding, CA) at the Redding Elks Lodge.

The Idiot makes the wise choice to join five hot female classmates, each who he's known for over 56 years,  for drinks and dinner at the Redding Elks Club.

The Idiot makes the wise choice to join five exceptionally hot female classmates for drinks and dinner at the Redding Elks Club.

Lastly, of course, there’s the action on the dance floor where The Idiot let himself be tossed around like a rag doll.

The Idiot was thrown for a loop on the Elks dance floor.

The Idiot was thrown for a loop on the Elks dance floor.

What’s next?

Don’t worry, The Idiot isn’t completely abandoning his school colors now that the reunion’s over. He’s going totally purple to participate in a Walk To End Alzheimer’s in Redding on October 15. Donate to his The Idiot and The Odyssey Team and/or join him for the walk at the Redding Civic Auditorium at Turtle Bay at 9:30 on Saturday.

Switching his high school purple-and-white colors for Alzheimer purple.

Switching his high school purple-and-white colors for pure Alzheimer purple.

The Idiot prepares for his 50th high school reunion.

The Idiot’s spine is not only ready for the three-mile Alzheimer walk but also the November MedTrek across the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.

Posted on by Joel in Egypt, Follow The Idiot, Food, Idiotic Musings, PR, Rehab, Style, USA

About Joel

Joel Stratte-McClure has been a global trekker since the 1970s. He lived in France for over 30 years, working as a journalist, before he turned his attention to a unique life-time-project of walking the shores of the Mediterranean. The first 4,401 kilometers are explored in his inspirational and entertaining first book "The Idiot and the Odyssey: Walking the Mediterranean." The next 4,401 kilometers are covered in the gods-filled sequel, "The Idiot and the Odyssey II: Myth, Madness and Magic on the Mediterranean,” published on Valentine's Day 2013. The last 4,401 kilometers will be discussed in the last book of the trilogy currently entitled "The Idiot and the Odyssey III: Alexander the Great Walks the Mediterranean."

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