Tuesdays w/TJae:
​The gift of familiar faces

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Hi Reader!

One of the best things about living in the city where I grew up is that I often find myself in rooms with people who went to the same high school I did.

Not always the same year. Not always at the same time. Just enough shared history to recognize one another and smile.

Recently, I was at Bridge Houston, hosted by the American Leadership Forum Houston chapter, and it happened again.

In one photo were three of us from the Class of 1990: Tina Arias Peterman, LaTanya Flix, and me.

In another were several people connected by the same school, across different years and seasons.

And it was a #feedthehappy moment.

Not because I spend time trying to relive high school. (We all know someone who does this)

I believe my best days are ahead of me.

I genuinely appreciate having had good high school experiences. I appreciate that many of us have gone on to build full lives. And I appreciate the simple joy of seeing people who knew me in an earlier chapter and are glad to see the current one too.

That's an easy familiarity.

No need for a full backstory.

No need to explain where you’re from.

Just a shared point of reference, a warm hello, a tight hug and the reminder that life keeps moving while connection often remains.

That feels like a gift. Shout out to Lamar Sr. High School in Houston, TX!

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BTW . . . I know some folks who will read this also attended Lamar and will be tempted to respond with a familiar "Once a . . . . Always a . . . ."

Please don't. We can, and should do better. IYKYK.

May you keep meeting people who remember where you started and celebrate who you’ve become.
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LOVE first. Always.​
—TJae

In case you're new to Tuesdays w/ TJae, you should know that you won't receive emails from me every Tuesday, or on any particular Tuesday - but always (well, normally) on a Tuesday. As a child, whenever we'd visit my Grandpa James, he'd end the visit by saying "See you Tuesday," no matter when we were scheduled to see him again. So this newsletter is part nod to James Rivers, and part nod to my love of alliteration.

See you Tuesday!
TJae