Mustang Memories

Tags: high school memories, reunion, Saskatoon, The Stand-Up Diaries, trevor dean, Trevor Dean comedian, trevor dean saskatoon

In a little over a month from now the graduating class of 1991 from Mount Royal Collegiate will be celebrating the 25th anniversary with a reunion.  The Saturday afternoon will feature a tour of the high school, because it’s apparently changed from what we remembered as kids.  The evening will see everyone head out for drinks to catch up after all these years.

There is just one question each of us will be asked.  Some of us will have an easier time answering it than others.  So how do I answer the question “So, what’s Trevor about these days?”

Some of my classmates will be traveling a fair distance for the festivities.  One is coming from Mexico.  Others are in Ontario, Denmark, Alberta, BC and in various points throughout Saskatchewan.  Some are super successful, owning their own businesses, with families and kids.  How can I be proud of my life with what I’ve done?  What defines me?  Coming out of high school I wanted to get into sport broadcasting.  Instead I went into radio and it seems like several detours along the way with no end of the road in sight.

“So, what’s Trevor about these days?”  How do I go about answering that?  I guess the best way to figure that out is to go back 25 years ago and try to remember what defined me back then.

To sum it up the first two years were crap and the last two years were good.  I mean, I always had my core group of friends from elementary school there along with new ones I made.  But I was picked on quite a bit at a time where I tried to find my way.  The last two years were much better, was one of the more popular people in grade 12, and I always got invited to the parties and had girls interested in me.  For some reason though, even back then I thought it was a joke and never took the interest or invites seriously.

The same emotions, insecurities, inadequacy and fears back then have stayed with me to some extent into my adult life.  I think because I am an adult that “junk in my trunk” back then is more magnified now, giving me better perspective on things.

Back then I didn’t think I was smart enough, didn’t think I was good enough for the girls, wore my heart on my sleeve, didn’t take kindly to being disrespected for no reason whatsoever, though I did dress well and treat others how I wanted to be treated.

Now fast forward 25 years and some things haven’t changed all that much.

Maybe at the end of the day comedy was a fit for me right from the start, given the way my life has gone.  I’m surprised I didn’t take it up sooner than I did instead of waiting until I was 38 to start.