Cheyenne Jackson recently shared his experience returning to his hometown for a high school reunion, and why it turned out to be a much better idea than he thought.
High school reunions are often painted in the media as opportunities to reconnect with old friends or one-up the people who looked down on you as teens once you’ve found unexpected success as an adult. But reality doesn’t often play out like the movies, and LGBTQ+ people in particular might struggle with the idea of being catapulted back into a world where they felt out of place or even tormented during formative years.
Jackson can relate.
“High School was a confusing, painful, awkward time for me,” he shared via Instagram. “FAG was written on my locker more than once. But it wasn’t all miserable. Over the years I’ve conflated the experience in my mind.”
He went on to describe the life-changing moment of a teacher helping him realize he wanted to be an artist, the coach that helped him realize his athletic potential, and making a best friend who ultimately convinced him to go back for the reunion.
“I’m so glad I did. I reconnected with and looked into faces I hadn’t seen in 30 years,” the Descendants 3 actor recalled. “We walked the hallways of our tiny school and shared funny memories and anecdotes and I felt part of a community. It’s funny how we can reframe things.
“My high school bully apologized to me and I accepted it. I’m so proud to be a poor kid from the backwoods of the northwest. I don’t run from it anymore.”
With The Other Two recently dedicating an entire episode of its final season to the inner turmoil that rolls up just in time for any high school reunion, it’s clearly a relatable struggle. But Jackson’s experience is a good reminder that sometimes we ultimately are able to reframe something negative and even traumatic in a way that finally provides some level of catharsis—even if it’s a full 30 years after the fact.
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