Well, it's that time of year again.

You know what I'm talking about. The event each year when we all get to remember that at one point in time, we were thin, had hair and were determined to become burned out rock 'n' roll stars by the time we turned (gulp) 30.

October means homecoming — a time when we get to parade our families around like show ponies in front of our former classmates, wondering if they, too, drove to the festivities in a minivan littered with wrappers from every fast-food restaurant between puberty to midlife crisis.

Personally, I've been out of high school long enough to remember the original 1980s, when Bon Jovi had big hair, the first George Bush was getting ready to replace Ronald Reagan and the Steelers were not doing too well. It kinda sounds familiar, doesn't it?

What's neat about homecoming, though, is that it provides each of us a chance to reflect on our lives and think about how things really turn out.

Obviously, each of us can confidently say that it NEVER turns out the way we plan, whether it is a career, romance or lifestyle.

In fact, I can attest that if you had asked me back in 1988 (that's 18 years if you're keeping score at home) if I wanted to live close to my folks while running my own business, I'd have told you to kiss my grits. (That's a phrase our girl "Flo" from "Alice" made up, kids. One day you'll have phrases that make you laugh, too.)

Nope. My life was going to be lived bouncing from city to city as a bigwig business person, hiring and firing thousands of people each day. The picture included lots of pretty assistants, too, but we will keep this rated "PG" for the kids.

Now, life is spent bouncing along Route 8 shuffling kids back and forth from school, to soccer, from gymnastics to grandparents houses for cookouts, and I wouldn't have it any other way. By the way, I do have a steady girlfriend — my 3-year-old daughter — but my wife knows about her already.

I think it's ironic, though, that one of the more popular songs out right now is by Bon Jovi, a child of the '80s himself. Titled "Who Says You Can't Go Home," the song really tells it like it is. Essentially, the twist is that you can always go home; it's where those that know you best wait for your return.

That's why homecoming weekend is so darn cool!

You can always go back to where you grew up so that you can remember the old times when dreams involved fame, fortune and good times. The really great thing is that when you're young, every dream is within reach.

As you age, the dreams change, although they are probably more important than the original dreams, and certainly more inspiring. Now, the dreams are about creating a great life for your kids, or being a terrific spouse or maybe even being an inspiration to someone who is ready to give up.

Wow. That sounded WAY too mature for a guy who used to play in a band called "Burnt Toast," doesn't it?

Regardless, make this the best homecoming season ever by vowing to make the next 18, 30 or 50 years better than the previous 18. Realize that dreams change, but goals never do, and for goodness' sake, please lose the headband! That is SO 1983!