Ever since I was a kid, I love watching PBS on the local station, OPB. I can remember watching everything from Square One, 3-2-1 Contact, Hometime, various high-school and college math courses (which would explain my elementary school years), and Doctor Who.

But, if there was one thing that would always spook me out was at the end of several shows. It all starts off with a black screen, then came a flash of orange and some odd, loud and electric sound that fluctuated... it was the WGBH identification and stinger. Not only that, but the next thing I would see is a picture of some forest with the words "Portland Nursery". For a long time, I would immediately switch channels when either would come up, mostly when it lead to the introduction sequence for "Mystery!"

Back to the present, I now am anxious and sometimes excited to see and hear the WGBH identification and stinger, mostly after watching "Frontline". The experience is even better on a large screen with the speakers turned up.

Tonight, I went to my ten year high school reunion primarily to get out for an evening and to see if I would remember some of my classmates.

I was somewhat surprised that I could recognize a fair number of people, while others I do not remember or could not recognize at all. For many, they looked like and had the same personality from ten years ago; others the faces were familiar but the demeanor changed dramatically... at least from my perspective. Someone who had routinely picked on me for a while back then seemed to be a lot more friendly.

I came to the reunion knowing that I would mostly likely leave depressed and disappointed with myself; obviously, that's how I felt driving home.

I also knew that I wouldn't see a certain person at the reunion, I still left with a heavy heart when she didn't attend the reunion.

Even after ten years, the reunion just felt like almost any other day in high school: felt lonely, distant, shy and overall, a mixed bag.

I can't believe it has been a bit over ten years since I graduated from high school. Every time I think about that, the more I ponder what I have or have not done since then, people that I have met, lost contact with and missed (sometimes dearly miss), and wonder how much I have grown as a person.

Since graduation, I have switched jobs three times, become more of a gadget freak, become a bit more bitter and jaded with life, and seem to have become more withdrawn from the world.