School Reunions

W

wendyjpa

Cathlete
Well, my 20th year school reunion is coming up next month and i'm on the fence as to whether I want to go.

Do you all attend reunions??? I had pretty decent high school experience, but that was so long ago. Being around people i don't remember makes me uncomfortable (i'm terrible with remembering names and faces, always have been). I live in my hometown and some of the people i went to school with are my kid's school teachers, so i feel i would be acting snobbish if i didn't attend, but to be honest, I'm dreading it.

This is the first formal reunion for our class since we graduated, it's cocktails and dancing etc....

What do people do at these reunions?? Do they rehash old times? Brag about current times?? I was not the most athletic person in school so i feel like it may dredge up old feelings of inadequacy.

Just trying to get a feel for what goes on at these things soon, because this rsvp is sitting on my kitchen table and i really want to throw it in the garbage, but i feel like i would be rude.


Help???
 
Definitely go. Nobody will care that you were athletically challenged. It's more about who you are now. Especially at the 20 year. At the 10 year, there's still a lingering of the cliques - but not too much. People have more self-confidence and are more open to talking to people they don't know well.

I went to my 10 year and had a lot of fun. The people I hung with in school weren't there, but I learned more about people I thought I didn't like and realized that we had missed out on some friendships.

I actually started exercising again last summer in anticipation of my 20 year, which will be this fall. Now that I'm in great shape...I might be moving out of state and I don't know if I'll go back for the reunion. Ironic, eh? Still, I might. 10 years is a long time.

Not that many people went to my husband's 20 year reunion and I thought that was a shame. I had a lot of fun at that one too and I only knew my husband and one other guy (who wasn't even part of that class, but was the date of someone who was). I kind of monopolized his company all night - I hope his date wasn't jealous. He was one of those guys where you think..."oh, if I wasn't married..."

Really, though, if you live that close...what have you got to lose by going? At least go to the ice-breaker the night before. That doesn't cost anything.
 
Thanks for the reply Donna. I just don't want to do a rehash of high school, you know, like you see on TV shows reunions (prom king/queen, homecoming king/queen etc....) Maybe that is just TV. I had plenty of friends and was active in other things in high school, just not sports. But that was the 80's and things have changed. I do things now i would never have done in high school such as weight lifting, running etc... I just don't want to go to an event dedicated to bringing up the past.
Sounds like you had a lot of fun at yours!!
I did go to our 10th, that was the last one, it was a picnic, and i was 9 months pregnant, so it was a short day for me, and there wasn't a huge turnout.

Hmmm, got me thinking now. Anyone care to share their experiences??

Anyone know where i can get a cute dress and sandles????
 
Those TV versions are NOTHING like what really happens. Well, maybe some people have those experiences, but what really seems to happen would make a very boring reality show.

I've got to start shopping for mine, too. I think that I will come home for it. Maybe just leave my husband and daughter at home. He's kind of a stick-in-the-mud anyway. :D
 
From the sound of your post, I think you'll regret it if you don't go.

I attended my 15th reunion a few years ago (also cocktails and dancing) and there really wasn't much re-hashing of the past. Most of the conversations were more along the lines of what have you been doing since high school. Much more interesting!

Go and have a good time! :)
 
I think you should go also. And listen, class reunions are not my idea of a good time but I travel from out-of-state to go to mine because my best GF still lives in our hometown and she likes to go to them...providing I will come back and go with her!! My 25th was last year. Yes, it was boring but that just goes hand-in-hand with being a reunion. And I have to add here...I think it is especially pathetic when people who live close by don't attend the reunion's while the ones who have to travel from out of town/state can get there so do make an effort. Of course sometimes things come up and you can't make it but...

My reunions always consist of a cocktail hour followed by dinner. The best part is the cocktail hour because it gives you a chance to talk with everyone. I only see most of my old classmates every five years so it is fun to see how their kids have grown, who's changed jobs, who's moved to where etc. etc. My class usually does like a quiz bowl type of thing and you have to guess who the classmate is who did whatever or is currently doing whatever. That is always fun too. Anyway, go for awhile...if it really is unbearable just make a quiet exit because everyone will be so busy chatting that they won't notice if you don't return from the bathroom. And then you can just tell the people you see regularly your babysitter called.
 
I think you should go.....you will probably enjoy it a lot more than you think! If you get there, and dont want to stay, just leave. If you go to it, let us know how it went!

Have fun!

joanna
 
I have always thought you should go to at least one High School reunion! I had a blast in High School and went to my 20th. MY DH also went to the same school (he is 2 years older than me) so he didn't really feel out of place as his brother graduated with me too. There were times I was uncomfortable but I was happy to see the people that really counted to me. I have always kept in touch with my one friend over the years but there were others I hadn't seen and overall had a good time. It was just fun hearing about everyone although the focus does seem to be on how much money you make!!! I doubt I'll go to another one but I feel I would regreted it if I had not attended at least one...just my 2 cents...:)...Carole
 
I went to my 10th reunion (not the 5th, because I didn't think much would have happened with people in between graduation and then). It was interesting to see who had already gained about 20 pounds, who was going bald, etc. But I wasn't friends with a lot of people in High School, and there was still a bit of cliquishness going on. Some people seemed to try to keep their HS status, but it was interesting to see that some of the "outsiders" were more successful than the ones from the popular cliques (one guy who used to sit by me iin a couple of classes, and had dyed his hair green one time and was kind of a goof-off was a bar owner, and a guy from the popular clique, who had gotten his girlfriend pregnant and dumped her--I know they were both involved in it, but...--was working for him and was a borderline alcoholic!

My 30th is coming up, and I had thought about going, but then realized that the only compelling reason was to see if this guy I had a major crush on in HS was there (he had left our school when we were juniors, to attend a special music school, so I didn't think he'd be at the reunion, but he'd gone to the 25th one, so..). Then I realized I don't want to live in the (imagined!) past. And the activities that were planned (golf x( a get-together at some club where you BYOB--I don't drink) didn't really interest me.

If you had some close friends in HS that you can hang out with at the reunion, then it could be a fun day out.
 
My mom has a friend that never goes to reunions. She said that if she gave a d#mn about them or vice versa she wouldn't wait 10 years to see what they were up to. She is really funny! Everyone knows what everyone else is doing, anyways. There was only about 60 people in their graduating class. I am going to mine when it comes up. I am too nosy and curious not to! Plus, I have such a wonderful family and kids I like to show off!


Missy
 
It's interesting reading every elses experiences!!

I think i might go, but not sure. I had some close friends in high school, but we haven't kept in touch thru the past 20 yrs, so i don't consider them really friends anymore.
When i went to my 10th, i thought it was still very cliquish.

I don't think i could bear an evening of people trying to outdo each other as to what they do, earn, etc... My DH and i are middle income, non showy people who do our own thing. We have lots of friends that we've made thru the years.

What do you do when you don't remember peoples faces?? It seems like people always recognize me, and alot of times, i can't remember their names!! BUt that is my problem, i'm terrible with names and faces.
 
>What do you do when you don't remember peoples faces?? It
>seems like people always recognize me, and alot of times, i
>can't remember their names!! BUt that is my problem, i'm
>terrible with names and faces.
>
>
What I did before my 10th (not a long time, but I have a crappy memory for names/faces) was look over my yearbook. A lot of people might look very different, but at least you've got a better chance of guessing who is who if you bone up a bit ahead of time. (If that doesn't work, discretely look at their nametag!)
 
I'll be the first to say...I couldn't care less what anyone made at my 20 year reunion...we were happy with our lives so who cares!!! As far as name remembering, I believe you usually have name tags at reunions. At mine the name tags had out graduation pic in them!!...Honestly...I had a good time...:)...Carole
 
I've been to all of my high school reunions and just recently went to the 30th!

My experience has always been good. I was pretty much a wallflower geek who studied all the time in high school. Now, I feel on an even par with all of those people. Nobody talks about the past at all. It's all about how you are now, what you're doing, etc. For me it was a fun chance to dress up and have a good time.

I think you should go. Don't enter into it with any sort of expectations, negative or otherwise. Just go to have fun and enjoy being with friends!
 
Definitely go to your reunion. I didn't go to my 10th year reunion because I was very insecure about not being married or having a boyfriend to go with me...Big mistake. I did go to my 20th with my husband and we both had a great time. Thanks to Cathe I was in the best shape of my life and got many compliments from others. In my opinion, I thought the guys had aged more than the girls. Alot of the guys were bald and alot were overweight. I would definitely go, if your not having a good time you can always leave early but I bet you will have a great time.
 
I say go.I love mine -of course I help plan them.last year 15 year reunion I got most changed.I love to get dressed up and partying with old friends.Everyone was in awe of my arms and was asking my routine.:p I always have fun we plan a reunion every 5 years.
 
RE: School Reunion-s

Awwwwwwwwwwwwww... you should definitely GO! It'll be a blast. I went to three different high schools in three different countries and I'm always so jealous of people who had proms and can go to high school reunions!
 
We went to my dh 30th last year. It was a lot of fun and I wished that I had went to mine. Maybe next time. We made some good friends we e mail back and forth with and talk to on the phone. DH did kind of a long distance planning here in OK for his in Ca.. He made the name tags and did a website for it. You should go I am sure you will have fun.
Diane Sue
http://wd.1ww.us
 
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