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So. Should I go to my reunion?


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Got the invite the other day. Am really on the fence about it. On the one hand, smug, vindictive me wants to go walk through with my finger in the air and leave. (I’ve aged better than most of my classmates). On the other hand, I can only think of a few people I’d want to see (and I doubt they’d be there) - and even then, what would we talk about?  “So, what are you doing now?” “Oh yeah?” .....and then what?

I still live in the same town where I graduated and am not at all hard to find, yet no one’s bothered to try. I see people from time-to-timeand always invite them over - they never take me up on it. I’ve stopped by to see a couple of my buddies but they never reciprocate. 

Then there’s the one guy I lost touch with, ran into and gave my email address so he could let me know when he was going to be in the area....and my inbox started filling up with every RWNJ chain email out there. 

I’ll probably do what I did for the last two - send my money in and then not show up.

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2 minutes ago, shootingstar said:

 They don't care to extend memories/friendship from past.

Truth be told, there really arent any. I didn’t really have friends, just acquaintances.

After the last one I skipped, I was talking to one guy who went and he said “Oh, we had a great time laughing about all the stupid shit we used to do, all night “ and I thought “All night? You don’t have lives now worth talking about? I’d be good with about five minutes of that and then bored out of my skull

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4 minutes ago, Old#7 said:

We had our 40 year reunion last year. I stopped getting invitations 20 years ago when I wrote "return to sender - deceased" on the envelope. Never had a desire to go back there.

Yeah, this is my 40th. About the only reason I’d go is to say high to the girls who couldn't be bothered with me back then. ??

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I have never been to one, never will.  Been 25 years since I graduated, didn't have a lot of friends in high school and have slowly grown apart and lost touch with the few I did as they didn't seem interested in maintaining any contact.  They moved on, so have I and have no interest in going back.

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You'll have to decide. I try to make all of mine, but I live many miles away and seldom see anyone.  I enjoy visiting and dancing, and realize we won't be here forever.  Lost some folks this past year.  Understand what you mean, as many of the locals do not show up at the reunion, and it can get a bit boring, but when I feel that way I just go for a walk.  They have recently been having luncheons at various places, and I've not made those, since it is a bit of a trip from eastern Montana to the Texas gulf coast. Our 60th in 2 years will be the next big one. I only go because our graduating class was a great group of people that have moved all over the world, and it is enjoyable to visit with folks, even if we were not close in high school. Besides, I get to eat good food and rejuvenate my Texas accent.:whistle:

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6 minutes ago, Square Wheels said:

I think I went to my 5 year, can't remember.  It was like being back in high school.  Haven't been back since.

Well' 5 years isn't that long of a time.  I don't think I started going for at least 15 years when I was back in Texas, and then there was a long gap, as they could not find me after our move to Oregon and then to Montana.

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25 minutes ago, Indy said:

I have never been to one, never will.  Been 25 years since I graduated, didn't have a lot of friends in high school and have slowly grown apart and lost touch with the few I did as they didn't seem interested in maintaining any contact.  They moved on, so have I and have no interest in going back.

That is the way I feel. 

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There was a group of 8 of us in high school that did everything together.  We fit in with everyone but were not part of a clique.  Floaters, I guess. 

All but me and one other who conducts symphony's all over the world, still live in the same Vancouver suburb we grew up in.  They have always had a pub night on Mondays that is attended by all.  I stop by whenever I am in town and it is like I have never been gone.  

So, while the majority them attend reunions, I never have as I still see and communicate with the group of people I would go to see. 

The last reunion was actually held at the pub they go to.  Diminishing numbers..

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I went to my 10th and had a good time... but I went to my 25th and might never go to another one.

It's nice to see your old friends, unless you realize that they are no longer anyone you'd really want to be friends with. 

At my 25th the two people I spent most of my time talking to were my wife, and my elementary school gym teacher.

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1 hour ago, ChrisL said:

I've heard they get better as the years move on

I got the TL:DR on the last one I skipped. About the highlight of the evening was that Tina apparently bought bolt on tits, which I thought was sad, because she was cute, in a pixie-ish sort of way and didn’t need to do that.

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1 hour ago, Wilbur said:

We fit in with everyone but were not part of a clique.  Floaters, I guess. 

I moved here in second grade. It’s a small town and not only does everyone know everyone else, many of them are related. I quickly realized I was never going to fit in, so I didn’t bother trying. I did what I wanted and hung out with whoever regardless of “group” - including kids from other schools, which was kind of unheard of.

 

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18 minutes ago, TrentonMakes said:

It's nice to see your old friends, unless you realize that they are no longer anyone you'd really want to be friends with

......perfect.

Hell, they weren't even “friends” then, just “guys I got arrested with”.  

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1 hour ago, dotman17 said:

I went to my 10 year and 20 year.  I won't even waste my time going back. In fact, I'm friends with many of my graduating class on FB and I even regret that.  It may be time to trash that whole platform too.

I sent the money in for both of those....and didn’t end up going. The 10th, we were at a motorcycle thing and got back late, so we figured everyone was gone/drunk and it wasn’t worth it. The second time, I sent my money in again, but my ex was taking my son for a vacation, which meant could go to Camp for the whole weekend.....so I blew off the reunion.

Someone told me there was a nametag there with my name....but no me. I thought that was kind of appropriate. 

 

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Nothing about a high school reunion appeals to me. Our five year one was PERFECT. We held it at a local pub which had an outdoor volleyball pit, and we all just drank, played volleyball, and got back up to speed on post-HS activities.  When the 10 and 20 rolled around, for me, it was "meh".  I had some carry over friends from "high school" days to "college" days, but if I was to go to any reunion, it would be more likely a college one than a HS one. Heck, though, with college, I could likely just hit up a home game or two and see a bunch of folks from my college years, and I would avoid the whole BS that otherwise surrounds a reunion and just focus on football, tailgating, and having fun.

Tom

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46 minutes ago, jsharr said:

Pay Let RG to go as you.

Based on his comments in my thread, I think RG doesn't need to be paid. If I know ONE thing about HS reunions, there are PLENTY of hideous and unfit women (and men) in attendance. RG will see the opportunity as a gold mine!

Tom

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I always go to mine. It’s not a big deal, I have always lived within an hour of where I graduated. One of my best friends from HS is on the planning committee and it’s nice to touch base with him. The people I would really like to see never show up. What cracks me up is all the old fat ladies that come up to me and say who they are and say: “I never talked to you in high school but now I follow you on Facebook. My wife laughs and tells me I have stalkers.

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I have no reason to not go, but I've got no real reason to go, either.  So I haven't.  I was a band fag in HS, for 3 years I was on the receiving end of what today would be all over the news stories of the horrors of "bullying".  It had little effect on me other that to realize some guys were insecure.  I still keep in touch with a couple people, live and on FB, but not many.  For a few years, we would get the band back together to play the homecoming football game, that was fun.  Otherwise, it was fun while it lasted, no need to live in the past.

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I did 5, 10 and 20. The 5 was just like high school. By the time 10 rolled around, there were some changes in dynamics in the class. We spent most of the evening talking to a classmate who moved to Albuquerque. She and I were in a lot of the same classes, but didn't hang out socially back then, but we had a great time visiting. She was the friend that eventually invited us to her home in the Caymans. I helped her through a lot recently when her mom passed away. None of that would have happened if we hadn't said hi at the 10th!

In high school, I was painfully shy except among small groups. I had friends in different groups but only a couple I really felt close to. Somehow, I got invited to help with the 20. Even wound up doing most of the speaking for the committee. I was voted "most changed"!

There were some mixups so a 30 never happened. 40 is in 2 years. I will probably go if I know a couple friends from long distances will come. 

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I had my 50th last year and they had it in a fancy banquet center downtown. I had to park in a parking garage and I bent my kayak racks coming out. I thought those places were supposed to have a board that hangs over the entrance to let you know if you clear. 

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we dont have regular reunions;  there is not an alumni asociation for our high school.  Some of my class put together some reunions, like the 25th and the 40th.  It was fun to go to a couple of those, but, I live 1500 miles away from most of them.

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I have never gone to one.  I didn't care for most of the people in my class.  I actually hung out with the year under me.  Those people kicked ass.  Hillary was in the younger class and we all know how awesome he is. 

And there is that one stalker chick I would have to avoid.  The chick is super crazy and not in the hot RG bangable way. 

Couch 

 

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3 minutes ago, Couch_Incident said:

I have never gone to one.  I didn't care for most of the people in my class.  I actually hung out with the year under me.  Those people kicked ass.  Hillary was in the younger class and we all know how awesome he is. 

And there is that one stalker chick I would have to avoid.  The chick is super crazy and not in the hot RG bangable way. 

Couch 

 

You should go to the reunion for FnROS.  It is the least you could after jilting him for the winged pig.

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22 minutes ago, RalphWaldoMooseworth said:

I don't think I ever went (I vaguely remember a friend dragging me to one, maybe 10th).  But a rare trip to a dive bar in the hometown around 5 years out seemed like one since it seems like half the class was there. :D

    dive bars are my natural habitat 

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I will go to my 50th HS reunion in June. The few from high school who I am friends with now are not the ones I hung around with 50 years ago.  My wife and I became good friends with one of the most popular girls in my class 10 years after we graduated.  We started running into her while sailing, hiking, bike riding and other  outdoor sports. If it wouldn't be for the class reunion we would both be doing the same 100 mile bike ride that day. Our class was only 43 of us and there are only 3 that I keep much contact with. Several of us are talking about meeting here at our house and riding our bikes the 85 miles to the reunion.  I think that may be the most fun part of it.

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I don't really care to get any invitations to reunions.  I've broken off contact with everyone else that I knew in HS, except for 1 person, in past 27 yrs. and more.  I am aware about 5 have already taken early retirement. I enjoyed HS in general but needed to move on.

It is interesting what some people have done since...1 of them moved to Germany after university and now plays in a symphony there. He voluntarily took up to learn and speak German fully as an adult. I believe he's married to a German and have children. Kudos to him.  2 became high school teachers where 1 moved up in the school board administrative ranks, etc. List goes on.  Most likely I became a wild card..moving around in Canada and....cycling.  There was no indication in high school of my cycling interest since parents didn't allow us to bike to school.  

There are some long-standing interests at the core of even a teenager, stays with person into adulthood. 

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Reading some of these comments reminds me of the thread on 'lame ass excuses' posted the other day. I laugh every time I read that one of you have moved on with your life. What the hell does that mean?  Do you think that the rest of us have not moved on with our lives just because we enjoy going to reunions?  I dare say, I moved on with my life from a work and relations standpoint many years ago, but still enjoy the reunions.

I clearly understand if one does not want to go, particularly if their high school years were not happy years.  I can also see that it would be different if you live in the area where you graduated and see people on a daily basis. Several of the people that I got to know better through reunions have died since the last reunion, and I am thankful that I knew them better, even though we were not close in high school.

My wife has never gone to a reunion and will not go in the future. I've only gone to one college reunion, and I may have known two people at the reunion. I enjoyed the area in the Rockies and also attended a short photo workshop. So it was a productive trip.

Think I'll go watch a movie on NetFlix.

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12 hours ago, RalphWaldoMooseworth said:

rare trip to a dive bar in the hometown around 5 years out seemed like one since it seems like half the class was there

I have a buddy who is a deputy at the county Hilton. He said his first week there was like a class reunion. He went from cell to cell shaking hands. ?

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Our 50th is next month.  The 1968 class.  The committee decided to add the '66 thru '69 classes to the invite.  There were over 500 in the 1968 class, and the others were just as big.  WofTy does not want to go, so that makes it easier for me to say no.  

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35 minutes ago, tybeegb said:

Our 50th is next month.  The 1968 class.  The committee decided to add the '66 thru '69 classes to the invite.  There were over 500 in the 1968 class, and the others were just as big.  WofTy does not want to go, so that makes it easier for me to say no.   

500 is a lot different than 43.  Ours will be a pork roast across the road from where I grew up. We can change clothes at my brothers house.  My wife will drive the jeep with the bike rack and now we have 3 classmates who are planning the 85 mile ride. I'm looking forward to that.  Looks like we have several 1968 grads here.

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A class of 500 fast forward 50 years and I wouldn't expect more than 100 to show up. We had 300 graduate and I think there were around 60 at the reunion and that included people who didn't graduate but were part of our class for a long time (some moved to another school before we graduated, some got pregnant and dropped out, and some just dropped out). Our committee wanted a good turnout so they invited all the former classmates they could find even if they were not in our school at graduation time. That's probably why they invited the 66 thru 69 classes to join you. Those other classes would have their own 50th so I can't imagine many of them showing up at yours.

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