TIMOTHY CHIPP East Aurora Editor • REUNITE — While this past weekend was rather quiet in terms of events in East Aurora and Elma, it wasn’t a quiet weekend for me. Saturday evening was the official 10-year high school class reunion for the Kenmore West Class of 2000, the class with which I graduated.

I attended, but I did so unsure of what to expect.

My history with these individuals is spotty at best. I wasn’t considered part of the cool kid crowd when the cliques began forming in middle school. So I jumped ship, going from public middle school to private high school. I left the baggage behind and grew into a new role. After switching schools for 11th grade, reentering the public school system, I was stuck between both worlds, part of both, not belonging to either.

That left me holding a lot of grudges, many against people who I talked to on a regular basis even. I was a vindictive high school child.

But what I found out was everybody grows up, including myself. I walked through the doors of Soho, the location of the reunion in downtown Buffalo, with qualms about being there, memories of being scorned or picked on or emotionally battered. But it turns out the people I didn’t want to see or talk to or be in the same room with had all matured. From the beginning of the night, it was obvious it wasn’t high school anymore.

Sure, people pretty much hung out in groups. That part of it was just like high school. But the air of snootiness behind it seemed to be gone. People I hadn’t talked to, often because I chose, at least put forth the effort to seem genuinely interested in what I had to say. I only hope, after leaving the party and as the days since have gone by, that I provided that same feeling to them, that I was much more personable and interested in hearing about their lives over the past 10 years.

Because I genuinely was. I listened to people tell me about their marriages — or divorces for some — children, new homes, jobs — or lack thereof in this economy — trips they’ve taken and many other topics. And I found, as the night went on, I truly did care about who these people had become.

I realized that night, even though I knew it before, I am not in high school anymore. The time to act like I was had ended. I entered the reunion with grudges and spite for certain individuals. I walked out the door and drove home feeling like an adult, like the lesson had finally been learned. That high school had finally prepared me for life after it ended.

Or maybe it was just the result of the open bar at the party.

• FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL — Oh what a magical day it is, especially for you parents. The first day of classes for students in both East Aurora and Iroquois is Wednesday, Sept. 8.

The fun began for East Aurora students entering kindergarten next week, as they got a chance to experience the big, yellow cheese for the first time in their young lives. Parkdale Elementary hosted its annual bus safety program last week, designed to provide youngsters with the knowledge they’ll need to be safe while riding to school for the next 13 years.

To celebrate the first day of classes, I would like to offer a chance to have your children in the paper. You can submit them either by e-mail to tchipp@beenews.com or at the Bee’s Facebook page.

I will publish them in a future edition.