High School Reunions

“My 10 year high school reunion is this summer and I can't decide whether or not to go.

I haven't really kept up with any of my HS classmates, most of my friends are from college or work.

So, those of you who have gone, what did you think? Was it worth it? Any good stories worth sharing?”

“I thought the same things and was very glad i went to mine. I would say go. I had a blast for the day and then went home. Barely talked to anyone since.”

“GO! I had a BLAST at my 10, 20, and 25 year reunions.”

“Go. I had a good time going to my 10 yr. reunion and caught up with lots of people. My 25th is coming up this year and I'm looking forward to going.”

“I went to mine a couple years ago. I hadn't kept in touch with anyone for years and enjoyed seeing them again. I would say to go.

Beware, everyone will naturally fall into the same cliques they were in when in school. I wanted to catch up more that get drunk, but most people just wanted to drink. I haven't really kept in touch since.”

“http://www.classmates.com

High School, College etc. bulletin boards, etc...reunion info .”

“Go. I just had my 25th last week. The 10, 20 and 25th were lots of fun! It's a good chance to re-connect and remember how you were "back then". Be prepared - lots of people that I knew, but maybe wasn't close friends with, remembered me. And they remembered that we WERE friends. That caused a shift in the way that I remembered High School.
A second thing to consider, for my 10th reunion, I lived far away. When I came home, I wanted to see everybody. Many of my classmates that still lived in the area didn't come to the reunion and I was disappointed. I wanted to see them no matter where they lived. Are reunions more important to the people that have moved away?”

“Mather--I think you are right that reunions are more important to folks that have moved away. I still live in the same town where I graduated and I would not miss a reunion for anything. At the ten year everyone was checking up to see how you did in the world. The later ones they were just glad to see you and nobody cares if you are the janitor or the pope. It is neat to see everyone's children too.

We have had two in recent years here that invited folks that graduated from 1955 to 1965. This made for a good party. It is sad to learn that a surprising number of people have died. Lots of Vietnam casualties in my group.”

“i plan to go and vomit on all the beeeyatches that dumped me.”

“that would be most of them, eh?”

“AmyG, get your poncho!!”

“I went to my 10th in 1984. Never went to another. I was never part of the "in" crowd, nor did I want to be. I hated school, and besides, I had better things to do with my time (this was the early 70's afterall and I was no angel). But I thought, surely things must have changed over the course of a few years - and I had moved away. I thought I'd give it a try. Nobody had changed, Nothing had changed. None of my old stony friends showed up. I had a terrible time, and I've never been back. What was I thinking?”

“Ski, 25th? I didn't take you for a day over 35. Is it unpolite of me to ask how young you are?”

“I went to mine and, like most everybody else said, the cliques were the same, the "in-crowd" still hung together, but I went out of a sort of morbid curiousity. It was somewhat gratifying to see how people looked, how they'd aged, who had lost hair and gotten pot bellies. It was fun to listen to people brag about their careers....like one guy who said he was working in the "oil industry" in Los Angeles and attending night classes at USC. Turns out the oil industry meant he worked at a gas station and USC was actually a communiity college, LOL!

Most of my old friends attended, so it was worthwhile to go just to see them. If you keep in touch with your old buds from high school then maybe there's no reason to go.”

“Lauried- So, really how did you feel about the reunion? I'm a little unsure.

Seems to me that how you felt about h.s. will be the way you feel about a reunion. I know I enjoy catching up with my classmates, but I have no desire to keep in contact with the vast majority of them. I wish them well and all. Just like school. I liked seeing them during class, but only hung with a select few after hours.”

“Guess I've gone to the 5, 15 and 20 (was getting divorced around the 10th and didn't wanna deal with anyone then -- not unless I had a cabana boy along, anyways :-) )

I always heard people say, oh, everyone gets along, yadda, yadda. Well this group seems more tuned into the reality I see, at least at mine. The cliques were still going strong.

Then again, maybe those in the "in" group remember reunions differently than those who weren't. Maybe they think everyone is friendly cuz they're mostly talking to their friends and by saying "hi" to a few others think the cliques are gone.

I can't rate it from that perspective. I was in a "mid-range" little group -- not "in" by any means... but not way out there and not wild ... just a bunch of "good" kids -- five of us -- who were friends.

Let me continue cuz I think I see a theory here. :-) Since most people here remember reunions as being "cliquey," they were not in the "in" group. Which I guess would make sense for individualistic backpackers.

What'dya think? Anyways, No. 25 will be in two years. I have awhile to debate attendance at that.”

“Went to the 20th (what was I thinking!?). I sure won't do the 25th. Same little groups all standing apart talking about how awful the rest of the class is. I just shudder. For some weird reason I thought most of these people would have grown up.”

“Ya know Lizs, I was beginning to think the same thing.”

“I went to my 10th but that was all. It was kind of depressing. There was only 72 people in our graduating class and 11 died in Viet Nam. I was one of the lucky ones that made it back. I was a stoner in school and didn't get out of it until after college. Some of my buddies were there but they were still stoned. I grew up in a farming community and was one of the few that left. I don't guess I'll go back again. I've changed a lot and most of them haven't.”

“i agree with newhiker. supposedly all these folks i went to h.s. with were going to college, but whenever i'm back in town i see another person with this line:

"yeah, i was going to college, but i (went to a community college/went to night school/dropped out/etc.) and now i (work at a bank/work at a grocery store/lay tile/paint houses/etc.)"

and they want to get out of that old home town.

i finally convinced one of my old friends to go back and finish college, though. the rest are just lazy bums.”

“Showed up at my 10th in 79. The "in crowd" had reserved tables for themselves. It was the shi$tiest night I have ever spent until the class drunk puked on Ms. Hotsy-Totsy. What a laugh. I have and will not attend another. My class was a bunch on a-holes.”

“YOU CAN'T GO BACK.”

“I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that most of you hated your proms, too, eh?”

“Nigal....I graduated early. ;-)”

“yeah, right, ski!! LOL!!!!

i LOVED my porn... errr... prom. well, they were close enough to be the same thing anyways!! workin' on the night moves!!!”

“I had a good time at my 10th. A guy I didn't care for (read hate) turned up fat, bald, and stupid. An old girlfriend showed up looking absolutely beautiful.

My take on reunions is that fun is directly proportional to the number of people who show up. If the click-people are still annoying, just ignore them or goof on them (I told one annoying person that I left my firm to become a pretzel vender down on Wall st).

And if you don't go, you'll probably wonder what it would have been like had you gone.”

“Radagast are you of the opinion that one who doesn't graduate college is lazy? Someone who holds no degree is less than a graduate? Perhaps a ne'er-do-well with low worth? It seemed so from your post.”

“I are having a cooking school reunion. Maybe we call it re-onion! Or redonion. Anyway, we all fat, bald and stupid but the food will be yumblilicious, I are thinking!”

“Snackboy, how come your links don't work? I was hoping you weren't joking when you posted your yumblilicious sites (boo boo lip).”

“At my 10th everybody was looking everybody else over to see how much better or worse we looked than we looked when we graduated.
We drank, we smoked, we toked, and tried to impress each other; there were 700 people there out of a class of 1200.
I was looking good, feeling fine and I was never really a part of any group.
I enjoyed the HELL out of the party!
At my 20th, people were into discussing their blossoming careers, seeing who had divorced, gone bald, bankrupt or died of drug overdoses.
There were about 400 people at this one and I drank, danced, threw my hair at guys (it was down to my knees then) and enjoyed the party. My daughter was my date.
At my 25th, the reunion committee fell on it's ass and only about 150 people showed up at the new party location.
People were talking about their grandchildren, their hemmorids, their fat asses, and how successful they had become.
I drank, partied, danced and had a GREAT time!
At my 30th there were about 100 people.
Some of the guys showed up in hawaiian shirts, bald heads, and lettermens jackets.
People were talking about retiring, joining AA, facelifts, tummy tucks, re-marriages, divorced kids, bankruptcy, death and taxes.
I drank, I danced, I was looking good (for an old chick...spent a lot of time dieting for that one!)and....
I ENJOYED THE FRIGGIN HELL OUT OF THAT PARTY!”

“Mather, interesting point about running into people you don't remember, who do remember you. That happens to me from time to time, since I still live in the same city where I went to HS. Kind of a weird feeling. As far as attending a reunion, wild horses couldn't drag me. I'm with Lizs, Pamster, and Pring. The first time around those folks was enough for me. I have no desire to relive it.”

“Mel, you have a great time because you are the party! I'm hoping someday I can afford to go out West and I want to backpack with you. Party on!”

“Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the reunion...

I missed my tenth because I had given birth 4 weeks prior. I didn't care and I still have no regrets. There are a few people I still touch base with but I have no interest. I'd much rather spend a night partying with you people.”

“Reunions aren't for seeing the people you didn't care for and reliving memories you hated.
I HATED school.
I was BAD!
Reunions are an excuse to go to a party and have a good time with people your own age and see how BAD they can look compared to you.
Reunions are a connection with the fun you had as a kid (unless you were a REAL drag).
Didn't you have ANY fun as a kid?
Hell, I don't remember half the people I went to school with.
Most of them were snobs anyway (Malibu ring a bell?).
I was lower middle class and weird.
So what?
I like it. I liked it then and I like it now.
I'm going to keep going to these things just to see who's the last one left alive!!
sunshine......
You go girl, and get yourself out here.
We'll do brunch, and hike!”

“My advice is GO.
I was not an "in" person when I graduated and I found that most people had completely dropped the distinctions by the 20th.
We get together for at least 2 days, sometimes 3. I wouldn't miss it.
Coming up on my 30th.”

“Dont feel bad Nigal i though ski was in his 20's till i got home from the South Carolina hike and then i about died when i found out from Naked Ape how old he was.LOL (this should make you feel really good ski) I dont think anyone knew.”

“Well said, Mel.

My school closed down after my 5 yr. reunion (to which I went) and so I'll never have another.
But I'm still friends with those with whom I was close.”

“Never went to one.
Thirty years this year...almost went to the 25th
I still see a handful of boys I knew since Boy Scouts.
It's incredible how FAT these dudes have become.
Many of these people are from upper middle class families(not me).

If you were going to attend the University of Maryland or anyplace lesser, then you were considered low-class scum.

I don't know of anyone who joined the military(1970). Many of the kids of the wealthy thought the war was a good idea...hey Wall Street loved it...as long as it was "hillbillies" and "darkies" doing the fighting.

It might be kinda fun to show up with all my hair and in good physical condition.”

“no, joy. people who complain about their lives and do nothing about it are lazy bums. if you drop out of h.s. and are happy making bead necklaces for a living, then good for you.

conversely, if you have a degree, a high-salary job, and hate everything you do, then you're a spineless bum.”

“I want to go to Mel's next reunion. The time you have, it seems to me, is the time you make; just like everything and everywhere else. Pamster, you were hoping people would grow up? What were you thinking? I haven't done that, have you? Why should anyone else? Go, but don't bring your wife/hubby. They just want to look and size up your old squeezes and stop you from having fun. Happy reunion.”

“Hey, I wanna go with mel.....move over rover!”

“...and let Jimi take over!!!”

“Mel you are a hoot. You gotta great 'tude.

I didn't mention my h.s.reyoonyun because I didn't go...yuk. I don't know where anyone is or what anyone is doing from high school. High School was torture. No, never went to a prom, either.”

“I dropped out of high school after two years - I was very shy and non-competitive and hated high school in the worst way. I took a test when I turned 18, no graduation, no prom, and no class reunions!”

“I'm mildly curious to see how other folks turned out, but it still doesn't seem worth it. I would have to fly to TN right after returning from the PNW which is right after a trip to San Fran. I think I'm gonna be all traveled out.

I was pretty active in HS...played baseball, was editor for the school newspaper, was in a couple of plays, and was 7th in a class of about 500. But I think because I spread myself across different activities I never fell into one clique (in fact I purposely avoided them because I saw how each clique was critical of the others and thought the whole mess was pretty silly).

I was always more comfortable around "grown-ups" than my peers. I'd probably enjoy my brother's or sister's reunion more and they're 11 and 9 years older respectively.

Cheers”

“Much older brother and sister...hmm

Yes, I was an accident. I guess you could say Dad slipped one past the goalie.”

“Grimlin- I guess I should have said grown out of that sort of behavior (the one upsmanship, have to have more than the Jones type attitude). I refuse to grow up. I still like to make mud pies! And Ski thought he was eating Quesadilla's”

“Bonzai, you are so silly! Try this:
http://www.thesync.com/snack/about.html
Enjoy!”

“Bonzai, don't feel bad about the reunion and prom (one in the same, I think). I didn't attend either for my school but had the luck of attending as "arm candy" for a female friend. Her 10 year was just as I had pictured. The cliques still clicked. The idjits still agitated. The snobs still snubbed. It was Just as I had pictured the prom I missed years before.”

“I didn't particularly enjoy the kids I went to school with. I could call a half dozen of them friends, but the rest I wouldn't p!ss on if they were on fire. That was 35 years ago and I've never been back- no regrets.”