...when it's over, nobody really thinks it was great... - Stephen King, Carrie

“High School. Society’s bright idea to put all their aggressive, naïve youth into one environment to torment and emotionally scar each other for life.”

- Chris Colfer, Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal

I have a class reunion coming up…a big one. Though I’m excited to see and catch up with a lot of them, I can’t help but feel a little anxiety about the ones that maybe weren’t so kind to myself and others. But no matter how it goes, they'll always have me thinking about characters in a book. When I read a book, I relate the characters to people I know. Similarly, if it’s a story set in a school, I think of people I went to school with. You see, as the reader, I can take control of the light I put these people in.

Likewise, authors I work with get to do the same. They can write their childhood nemesis into their work and make them out to be whatever they choose. One of the best pieces of advice I give to authors who are struggling to create their villain is to use their Ex. So I guess the moral of the story here is, be kind…or you’ll end up as a real jerk in someone’s book.

However, you can also be the hero, genius, or best friend. It's your choice through your actions today as to who you end up being. As adults, I have seen the struggles, the kindness, and the beauty in some of my classmates that I never noticed when we spent eight hours a day together. And because of this, I have a lot of love for them all. For overcoming their fears, their setbacks, and their personal tragedies only to still have humor in dark times, give support in times of weakness, and thrive in their own world, they amaze me. With all the memories and love in my heart, I reflect on some of the antics we created and a quote by Kurt Vonnegut comes to mind: “True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.” Love you guys - see you soon!