Class Reunions

Anybody go to these? My 45th HS reunion is next month and
I'm not going. The last one I went to was the 30th, and it wasn't
too bad. My wife had one last year and I went and couldn't
believe all the old people. Fat gray and old. It was very depressing.

I'm sure mine will be more of the same. Who needs it.

High school reunions are just an excuse for strangers to acquaint themselves with some other strangers their age with a good excuse to break/ignore the default social distance.

Alumni ones serve more practical purposes though.

I attended my 10th year last summer. I kind of limped out of town the day after graduation with one bag of clothing and belongings. My dreams of further education and the long shot dream of a baseball career, crushed 3 months earlier when my step dad kicked me out of the house on my 18th Bday with little warning. I finished the last 3 months of high school living in a homeless shelter. I am not rich, but I am doing ok, making a comfortable living, so it was, if not a triumphant return, at least a satisfying one for me.

Because I have a very non-traditional career, playing blackjack for a living, I came up with other descriptions to use, short-term investor, among them, only because I didn't want to spend the whole night explaining the math. In the end, because one or two people knew what I did, almost everyone knew. That small town info line. But, only one or two people really asked me about it. But because I lived in a high-rise condo, a block off the strip, I seemed to have a bunch of new 'old' friends that wanted to visit. That didn't happen either. I guess that is the kind of talk that is said, but stays at the reunion site. lol So in the end, I worried about nothing.

One final observation from my reunion was that a large number of my classmates that had gone on to further their education, were at least at this point not able to use it. Many were working a far lesser job than they should have been qualified for and a good number not working and living at home. That was a very sad development to see.

I've enjoyed my three HS class reunions (10th, 20th, 30th) and my wife's 25th. We were in different classes at the same high school and both of our classes (78 and 80) have at least one event where other classes are invited. I will got to any reunion we have because it is great to visit "home" and see people I don't see every year.

There is a group of people from HS I see regularly--one is on the road with legendary rock group and comes through the area 1-2 a year and several of us make a point to get together whenever we are in town.

Incidentally, a couple of my classmates, people I see only once or twice a year at most, were the first to ask if they could help when I was unemployed a couple of years ago. They were ready to step up and help our family if it was necessary (and at least one of them had already helped another friend get through a tight spot). I am lucky to have friends like that...and I hope I am always able to work through it without their help!!

I wasn't even invited to my 10th, which they had in the 11th year. We gave contact info at graduation and my parents and the secondary were the same, no call or letter. I heard about it days before from a buddy who was still not on the "cool list" either. Supposedly they uses classmates.com or something as the reunion committee fell apart I guess. Never heard a peep of the 20th, the 25 is next year. It they take me at gunpoint I will go, otherwise I hated HS then and do not care to go back. If not for Facebook I would know no whearabouts of anybody there.

My high school class has had reunions every five years since graduation except 5th and 15th. I missed the 10th, but I have attended every one since the 20th, and we have plans for a 50th next year. I have enjoyed every one of them, and about 9 years ago I/we realized the gatherings weren't coming often enough. I started setting up "mini-reunions" in which I would meet up with one or more classmates and spouses between the regular reunions. My wife and I had dinner with one such couple earlier this week while we were in Tunica, MS. In about 12 hours from now, I will be having lunch in Louisville with a friend and former neighbor from the class behind mine -- I haven't seen him since high school.

Such social interactions are what you make of them for yourself. If you can't create a good time with old friends, you've probably given up on social skills.

I've never been to any of mine. At first I was too ashamed, because I hadn't accomplished much. Then I was living in Maryland, which was too far away. My 30th will be in 2013. I suppose I've run out of excuses, and just may go. I'll probably talk to nobody and have a terrible time.

Quote: Wizard

I'll probably talk to nobody and have a terrible time.

OUCH--and I thought I was in a down mood lately!

I went to my 10th & 20th, then stopped going. The 10th just seemed like a bragging contest - who's got the best job, who married the hottest gal, etc. Few of my friends went to the 20th, and even less were committed for the 25th & 30th, so I didn't bother.

It seems like only the same 60-80 people show up at all of them, out of a graduating class of nearly 700. On a side note, many posted pictures on the classes' Facebook page, and I was surprised to see how pudgy & gray most of them are.

A problem I have is the people I was friends with never go to
them. Its mostly the creepy 'clique' kids who go and are
just as obnoxious as ever. Its like HS was the greatest event
of their lives. It was a blip to me, I didn't hate it but I sure as
hell didn't love it. My parents got divorced then, my dad was
in a bad mood for years, my mom was never around. I went
thru HS in a daze, I spent all my time reading. I had way more
fun after HS.

Quote: EvenBob

A problem I have is the people I was friends with never go to
them. Its mostly the creepy 'clique' kids who go and are
just as obnoxious as ever. Its like HS was the greatest event
of their lives. It was a blip to me, I didn't hate it but I sure as
hell didn't love it. My parents got divorced then, my dad was
in a bad mood for years, my mom was never around. I went
thru HS in a daze, I spent all my time reading. I had way more
fun after HS.

The best example of how I think they turn out is an episode of "Frasier" where Woody comes to visit. For an hour or two they talk old times. After that they wonder how they were ever such good friends, their lives moved in different directions.

Also watch the movie "Crossing the Bridge" which follows two guys who were the type that mentally didn't graduate, still wearing letterman jackets years later. The best line is at the end when the narrarator says how "friendships are perishable" and it is never the same when you go back.

Quote: AZDuffman

. The best line is at the end when the narrarator says how "friendships are perishable" and it is never the same when you go back.

Remember the movie Stand By Me? At the end he says they drifted apart and
never saw each other again.

I had a best friend when I was 11-15. He was a neighbor kid and we did
everything together, everything. Camped out, stayed at each others houses.
He was a year older than me and he drifted away from me when he turned
16. In his senior year he wasn't talking to me at all. It really hurt my feelings.

We ran into each other over the years but he could never talk, he always
acted like I loaned him money or something. Just saw him six months ago
and he can't wait to get away from me. My sister thinks its because he tried
to have sex with her when she was 15 and he's still embarrassed about it.
To me we're still friends. But yeah, frienships are persishable.

my 10yr highschool reunion is coming up soon. its around thanksgiving so really just depends if i go back home for thanksgiving on whether or not ill attend.

I didn't attend my prom, so I sure as hell ain't going to no stinkin' reunion!


However, as a DJ, I've been to plenty.

They generally are all the same. The crowd breaks down into four distinct groups: male classmates who want to get drunk and talk about the old days; female classmates who want to catch up on the gossip - and making it up along the way; female spouses/dates who want to dance; and male spouses/dates who want to kill themselves.

Quote: rudeboyoi

my 10yr highschool reunion is coming up soon. its around thanksgiving so really just depends if i go back home for thanksgiving on whether or not ill attend.

My experience with reunions was that the first one--10 years--was kind of like HS in that everyone gravitated towards their clique and there was a lot of trying to one up one another.

The last two have been much more comfortable for everyone. The cliques don't exist in the same way and everyone pretty much talks to everyone. It doesn't really matter who is rich or poor or in between...

It isn't perfect, of course!! That would be a bit much to ask...

I'd go if the opportunity is available. I know some here wouldn't, but I had fun in HS (should have studied; that is a different story) and I reunited with a lot of old friends at each reunion.

i have never been but now i am considering going to my 30th after running into an old friend from high school.
he noticed that i still look relatively the same as i did at 18.
babyface, sixpack, most of my hair.
he said everyone else is fat, gray and wrinkled.
now i think it will be fun to go, maybe they will think i am a vampire.