u/Theunpolitical

I normally don't actively pursue anything in the sci-fi genre. My husband started watching it, and I joined in. I have to say, I was hooked! I absolutely loved, loved, loved this series. There were a few flaws, some boring episodes, but overall, I really liked it. I cried like crazy over Odo's decision at the end because it had several meanings: saving other species by ending the war while also saving his own race, all while being the loving Changeling we all adored. He was always grumpy and emotionally unavailable, until it came to Nerys and him doing this showed that indeed he loved the humanoids.

Some of the flaws and storylines that I feel were not explored enough, or at least should have happened:

• Jake was about the same age as Ziyal. Why wasn't he at least a friend to her? They both lost their mothers and had fathers who were in control of others. It just seemed like something they could have bonded over, and Jake could have been her biggest ally. Also, for as young as Jake was, he only dated two women briefly. He never had any real romantic interests, and neither did Nog.
• Ziyal was supposed to be under Kira's care, yet we never really saw them together on the station. There were no personal moments, no bonding, and no real indication of Kira caring for Ziyal. Kira barely seemed to check in on her or make sure she was okay. Kira went to Bajor and on various dangerous missions without a word about Ziyal, her safety, or who was caring for her. We never even saw Ziyal say goodbye to Kira before she left on missions. I feel like that entire storyline was a missed opportunity.
• I did like the addition of Worf. He was a welcome addition, and his storylines always made sense. I absolutely loved the Klingon storylines. What didn't make sense to me was Worf's relationship with Ezri. It was a long, boring, repetitive, and whiny relationship. They sleep together, and then it's done and over with. It just seemed unnecessary.
• Keiko was definitely a missed opportunity. Sisko had a garden where he grew fresh vegetables, so I think Keiko could have been much more involved with that and with finding plants that could be used for cures. Perhaps she could have even found a cure for Odo. She could have worked more in Bashir's lab while maintaining a natural plant and garden environment. There was so much potential there for her character.
• Biggest flaw: Sisko leaves the station as the Cardassian will take over. Jake stays behind. As a father, he should have beamed him aboard the ship and said "Nope, you are not staying! End of story!" Jake added nothing to the new occupation. He was just whiney kid who thought he was a "reporter" where his reports went no where! It was completely unnecessary having him there.

I do wish there had been more women aboard. The show was heavily dominated by men, although I didn't mind it. It was just a little bit of wishful thinking on my part. I did love the energy between Nerys and Jadzia, as well as some of the female guest stars, like the Kai, the female Changeling, and, of course, Keiko.

Right now, I'm watching "What We Left Behind", and I'm loving Marc Alaimo's statements about never getting any praise when the showrunner tells him, "You kept coming back because the writers loved you. That's how you know they liked you!" He went on to say that Marc's performances elevated the other actors in his scenes because they had to meet him at his level, which I found absolutely true. One of the best moments is Louise Fletcher performing with him. You can see the shift in her performance when she's working with him. I absolutely loved it!!

Also, that storyline completely shocked me, but I loved it at the same time!

Anyways, thanks for reading my ramblings. I love this sub. I want to watch the series again!

I thought I'd post an update since I received such an overwhelming response to my original post.

Original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/GenX/comments/1v84qm5/has_anyone_gone_to_their_40th_high_school_reunion/

I went, and it was so much fun!

I honestly thought no one would know who I was, but I was wrong. There were about three people who remembered me, which was three more than I expected! So let me tell you what happened.

There was one girl I knew growing up. When I transferred to the school, she completely ignored me and wanted nothing to do with me. Looking back, she admitted she was pretty standoffish and apologized over and over for how she treated me. Ironically, she was the very first person to run up, give me the biggest hug, and spend time catching me up on her life. We kept finding each other throughout the evening, laughing and talking like old friends. Since then, we've exchanged several messages on social media, and it's been such a wonderful reconnect.

Another girl recognized me immediately. She came over with a huge smile and hugged me. I remembered her face and name, but I honestly didn't remember our friendship until she started reminding me about our classes and things we did together. Apparently, I was actually a nice person in high school, which surprised me! I was dealing with my parents' divorce and adjusting to a new school, so my teenage angst was very real. Hearing that someone remembered me for being kind meant more than she probably realized.

The third person was a guy who had a crush on me back then. He was absolutely hilarious. He had been hoping I would show up, and his wife was an absolute sweetheart and a great sport about the whole thing. I remembered him immediately. I actually walked up to him first because, aside from a little gray hair, he looked almost exactly the same. It was so nice seeing how his life turned out, and I'm genuinely happy for him.

Overall, the vibe was incredible. There wasn't any real one upping or trying to impress everyone. Sure, people naturally gathered with old friends, but everyone was welcoming and open to meeting classmates they hadn't seen in decades. At one point, I found myself standing in the middle of the former basketball team. Being the shortest person in the circle was hilarious. They were all so much fun. Even a couple of the old football players were incredibly kind and easy to talk to. There were no egos, just people enjoying being together again.

At this stage of life, many people are retired, many are grandparents, and almost everyone has matured tremendously. They've experienced joy, loss, careers, marriages, divorces, raising children, losing parents, and everything else life throws at you. High school becomes just one small chapter instead of the whole story.

I went in with an open mind and zero expectations. If people remembered me, great. If they didn't, that was okay too. I wasn't going to take it personally. I'm generally a friendly person, so I figured I'd just introduce myself and meet people.

I left with new memories, new friendships, and a smile on my face. So if you're on the fence about going to your reunion, my advice is simple: go. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

On my original post, here were some of the common comments.

"I want nothing to do with those little bastards."

Then don't go. But to me, that says you may still be carrying around a 40 year old resentment. Most people change. They mature. Life humbles everyone eventually. The people I met were nothing like the teenagers I remembered. If you're still angry at people for who they were at 17, you might be the one who's still stuck in that chapter.

"I don't need to prove anything to anyone."

I completely agree.

Only one person asked what I used to do for work. I kept it light, vague, made a joke, and changed the subject. I wasn't there to prove I had a successful career or to compare accomplishments. I know what I've done with my life. I don't need anyone else's validation, and I certainly wasn't interested in bragging.

"I didn't like those people then. Why would I go now?"

Because they probably aren't those people anymore.

The teenagers you remember have had 40 years to grow up. They've been humbled by life just like the rest of us. Most have become thoughtful, kind, and genuinely enjoyable people. There was only one person who seemed a little immature, and alcohol probably had something to do with it. I simply wished them well and walked away.

Sometimes we hold on to old versions of people long after they've changed. My reunion reminded me that we all deserve the chance to be seen for who we are today, not just who we were at 17.

My 40th high school reunion is this year, and I was actually excited about it. I had to dig deep just to find the Facebook group and the reunion flyer. As it turns out it's in two weeks.

While looking around, I discovered the Facebook group has apparently existed since the 25 year reunion. It would've been nice if someone had tried to find me, but in the process of looking, I was reminded of a few things I'd completely forgotten.

For starters, I was never in the senior yearbook. I have the yearbook. People signed it. I took senior pictures. I even have those pictures. But somehow, my photo never made it into the yearbook. As for the giant senior class photo, I got pushed around enough that if you squint really hard, you can sort of, kind of, maybe see me.

I transferred to the school during my junior year, so I never really got to know many people. The few classmates I did know didn't really talk to me, and most of the friends I made were underclassmen. Only a handful of people signed my yearbook, although some of those messages are absolutely hilarious to read now.

So now I'm debating whether I should make the two-hour drive to spend an evening with a bunch of people who probably wouldn't recognize me, or know me, and who I might not recognize either.

I'm honestly torn. Has anyone else gone to a reunion where they barely knew anyone? Was it worth it, or did you wish you'd stayed home? I'd love to hear your experiences.

I know people love to make fun of beige and white homes and call them boring, soulless, or lacking personality. That's fine. My house is mostly white with beige accents, touches of gold, glass, faux flowers, and candles. It's not farmhouse style. It's modern, bright, cozy, and intentionally minimal. The only real color comes from artwork that has personal meaning to me.

Most people who walk into my home love it. Others immediately want to add color everywhere. More colorful walls. More colorful furniture. More colorful accessories. What they don't understand is that my choice has very little to do with decorating trends.

Growing up, life in our house was chaotic. My mother constantly changed the colors of rooms and furniture, and my sister and I were the ones expected to paint them. I was around five years old when I painted my first room. My mother supervised, but she rarely did the work herself.

We had a bright red kitchen, including the cabinets. The living room was once a dark 1970s green with matching carpet. At different times it was covered in wood paneling, then painted orange. The color changes never stopped. Every room in the house reflected my mother's tastes and impulses. One time the bathroom was what I would call "Pepmo Bismo Pink!"

The one exception was the bedroom I shared with my sister. It was the standard ivory beige that you see in countless homes. Looking back, that room became our safe haven. It was the one place that felt calm, predictable, and free from the constant changes happening around us.

The color impositions didn't stop with the house. My mother bought my sister and me dishes for our future homes without ever asking what we liked. Mine were green. I hated green. My favorite colors were blue and purple.

As adults, she continued buying us clothes in colors and styles she preferred rather than what we actually wanted. Even now, in her late eighties, she still tries to impose her preferences on my life despite my asking her not to. So eventually, I stopped fighting it and more than often donate whatever she gives me.

I created a home that feels peaceful to me. A home that isn't chaotic. A home that isn't constantly changing. A home that reflects my choices instead of someone else's. The beige and white that people criticize feels calm, comforting, and safe to me.

I'm in my late fifties now. My mother absolutely hates the "bland and colorless" colors in my house. And honestly? I love that for me! Thanks for reading.

I am currently SAG, and the most I’ve done is a few background SAG jobs here and there. No real principal work since before covid. I’ve been considering going Ficore. Has anyone done this or tried it? Any advice?

I feel like I got a lot of information online and from the SAG-AFTRA site, now I just want to hear from others who have/had done this and their thoughts.

Thank you in advance.