High School Reunions
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TV ClubHouse: Archives: 2003 February: High School Reunions

Hippyt

Tuesday, January 28, 2003 - 06:08 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Hi everyone! Okay,I have received two invitations to my 20 year reunion this week. Thought I'd start this thread,might be interesting. I got two because I moved my senior year(which stunk).One I know I will not attend,I never hung out with or knew anyone there. The other is a tougher decision,I went to school 11 years there,and it sounds interesting. Thing is,the people I Really want to see probably won't be there.Like there are about 10 people,that if I thought they would be there I would go.Anyway,I have plenty of time to think on it,and see if I can find these old friends.
Did you go to your reunions? If not,why?
If you went tell us about it!

Sabbatia

Tuesday, January 28, 2003 - 07:21 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I didn't go Hippy. I only live 30 miles from where I grew up, and I'm still best friends with my best friend from HS. (Leesa, of course) I mostly ran around with people one yr older because of my sister. As for the rest of them, well....I didn't like most of them then, why pretend to like them now? I hate when one of them comes up to me now and pretends to be my long lost buddy when we weren't ever friends. There are a couple that moved away that I would like to see, but not enough to suffer through the locals.

Sabbatia

Tuesday, January 28, 2003 - 07:22 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
OH one more thing, that is the town where my hubby is a cop. He's arrested about half of my Sr class or their kids at some point. I certainly couldn't take HIM to it. Family reunions are bad enough since he's arrested cousins also.

Myjohnhenry

Tuesday, January 28, 2003 - 07:39 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I didn't go to my 10th or 20th because of the timing and distance involved.

Sabbatia

Tuesday, January 28, 2003 - 08:32 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I went to my 10th, and had a hyst instead of going to my 20th....and probably had a better time.

Suitsmefine

Tuesday, January 28, 2003 - 08:52 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I went to my 5th, 10th, and 20th....I still live in the same town and my children now attend school here too. There are still a few of my classmates here, but most are out of state, so it was lots of fun seeing all of them again...Most of us started school together and were like family. On the night of our Graduation one of our classmates had a terrible wreck on the way, he wasn't injured too badly, but his fiance was killed....so, 3days after graduation we were all at a funeral...I think that bonded us all that much more. It was really weird when we all got together for our 10th reunion and He brought his new wife....She looks ALOT like the girl who died, kinda gave us all the "willies". But I think you should contact the person in charge of sending out the invitations and find out how to contact the people you would like to see, then find out if they plan to attend.

Schoolmarm

Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 02:58 am EditMoveDeleteIP
My school had reunions every 5 years and I went to all of them,(5, 10, 15 and 20) even though I live out of state. It really ticks me off that people who still live in that town don't go, when MANY people travel to see them (and others).

Time heals. Even if you weren't well liked or hung out with the people who still live in the town, it is interesting to see who is there, who has/hasn't hair...kids...extra pounds...etc. My really GOOD friends from high school NEVER go to the reunion, but it is always good to see others in my class. I would give my eyeteeth to see my really good friends from HS..but we all live in different states and have lost touch.

I am rather social person, so I liked the reunions. It was REALLY hard to go to my fifteenth reunion alone, as I had just gone through a very long and nasty divorce. BUT I hooked up with an old classmate that night. What fun.

By the way, I went with my ex-husband to reunions 5 and 10 and alone to 15 and 20. Many people at our reunions go alone, but it's nice to meet spouses, too.

Our town is small and ALL the class reunions are on the same evening. So I can go to the next bar and see my little brother's friends. It's common for parents of the grads and friends from other classes to stop by. OH, we have a "pecking" order as to the location. Fifth was above the bowling alley...10 and 15 were at a bar (we shared a DJ with another class). 20th was on picnic tables and hay bales in a tent OUTSIDE the Elks club. We got out drinks and food inside, though. I can't wait for our 25th in a couple of years when we are acutally OLD enough to dine inside. (What can I say, it's a glamourous river town...HAHAHAH)

So, no hotel (only hotel in town collapsed) no cruise, no fancy dinner with fois gras. Give me a beer and a pig roast anyday...less pressure!

If you really want to see you friends there, give them a call before you go. I always slap my head and think "Dammmmn, I should have called...." once I get to the reunion.

Oh, and the WHOLE school has a banquet in the gym the next evening and a "tailgate" in the parkinglot, complete with a dance band. It's usually a good time with people from non-reunion classes going.

Hello, My name is Marm and I'm from a small town!

<marm goes to get the hayseeds out of her teeth and to wash the "hick" branding from her forehead>

Hey, and if you go, you can talk about the people who aren't there!!!

Max

Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 08:43 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I went to the 10 and 20 for my class. Skipped the 15. The 10-year was okay, but people were still posturing for each other, very much like they were still in HS. I wasn't married then and they made those of us who were still single get up in front of everyone and they gave us mouthwash and toothpaste! Considering that some who were there were on their second marriages already, it was rather ironic.

For my 20-year, I was divorced. Talk about timing! LOL

Anyway, the 20-year one was much more fun. People were beyond the silly awards stuff and it was all about chatting and catching up with each other. Some folks never left our small town and some did. Everyone was less concerned about posturing and comparing "successes" and more concerned with just having a good time remembering old times. :)

My 30th will be here next year. EEK!

Danzdol

Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 09:12 am EditMoveDeleteIP
well so far I went to my 5 and 10. The 5 was very small. I now wish I had not gone. THe 10th was nice. IT's funny because I had all of these petty expectations and when I get there it all seemed so immature.

The little private school I went to up to 10th grade closed and everyone from there went to a bigger private school in town. So my girlfriends were basically the same girls that transferred with me and I made a lot of guy friends while I was there. To be honest the girls all seemed stuck up and slutty so I did not care to know any of them. Therefore, I had no idea I was so liked by all the girls until I went to the reunion! Actually, I did not remember some of the people that were like"hi, remember me?" I felt awful. It was nice to be received with such open arms by everyone.

The girl that won homecoming queen (instead of me) was in front of me in the buffet line and since I never liked her much I decided to ignore her. WELL, she was the bigger person and turned around and very sweetly said hello, introduced herself and her husband to my husband and I. I felt like the biggest idiot. It was humbling and it opened my eyes to how stupid I was being and to basicallly"get over it". I did.

Also, my best friend decided to cancel at the last minute and although we always talked about "our reunion" she did not go. I was very upset at her because of it.

I ended up having a good time.

Denecee

Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 10:22 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Hippy, I am going to my 20th this summer also. I live 2000 miles away but I have alot of family down there so it won't be like I'm just going to see these people I haven't seen in 20 yrs. I wanted to go to all of the reunions but it just didn't work out. I grew up with alot of these people so it will be like seeing long lost brothers and sisters. Yeah! I can't wait!

Abbynormal

Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 11:04 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I didn't go to my 5th because I lived 3000 miles away and it was my due date, besides most people are barely out of college or still looking for a life, who cares about those people anyway?

The 10th, I don't remember why I didn't go, in hindsight I wish I had because if I remember correctly I was looking gooooooood about this time! lol No big deal who cares about those people anyway?

15th - ummm, 3 kids, work, life and who cares about those people anyway.

This summer the 20th. I will be there, God willing. I would not miss it for anything. I can't wait to see them! Funny how just living life changes one's perspective.

Neko

Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 12:19 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
TheMom's gone to her 10th and 20th.

10th, she went alone I believe, since her and TheDad would have divorced by then..

20th, she took the then boyfriend, now fiancé.

But yeah, from what she's told me, she had fun both times.
There were still the people who thought they had to act a certain way to be "cool" but mostly, it was fine.

Lizadee

Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 12:42 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I went to my 20th reunion but I missed it by 1 night it was on Fri.and not Sat. LOL
I showed up on the wrong night (way to funny)
The next day we had a picnic but of course that was to late cause I showed up at night instead of the day and alot of people were already gone
Anyways I hope they have a 25th so I can go to that and I am now signed up with my school on Classmates.com so I should get a notice this time

Twiggyish

Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 01:13 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
My class did not bond. There were too many problems, PLUS we had a very large graduating class. HOWEVER, I still went to my reunion. Plus, I keep in touch with people from then.
One side note, there was one boy who loved to tease me in school. Guess who I sat next to at the reunion? He turned out to be one of the nicest people there. He's totally different now. One guy who was Mr. Popular in school ended up being a perpetual teenager. His hair was still long (very outdated..LOL) He was hitting on every woman at the reunion. (what a jerk!)

Yankee_In_Ca

Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 01:56 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Last year, I planned my high school class's first reunion ever -- our 15-year.

Immediately after we graduated, I moved away, went to college, got a job and started travelling like a maniac. I kept in touch very sporadically with maybe 1 or 2 classmates. The reason we didn't have a 5 or 10 year reunion is because I was class president, and I never stepped up to the plate to do it then -- like many of you, I thought "who cares about these people? I'm doing something really different with my life these days." If someone else had planned the reunions at the 5 or 10-year mark, I probably wouldn't have gone.

I'm not sure exactly why I got excited about planning our 15-year reunion (from 3,000 miles away), but maybe it's like Abbynormal said, sometimes just living life changes your perspective.

I no longer cared about going to impress anyone with the way I looked or the things I've done and am doing with my life, I just thought, "Gee, it'd be nice to see people again." And so I started planning it.

Here's what I found -- people change, mature and grow. Some of the people who were my best friends in high school, I now have little in common with -- and others who I thought I didn't care whether I saw them or not, I had a great time with. While some people really did hang on to their "cliques," most of us just mingled, and reminisced about four years of our life when we studied, played, grew up together.

I spent time planning the reunion with some of my oldest "close" friends, some people who (in my snobbish teenage self) I wouldn't have given the time to in high school, and others who didn't like me at all way back when. And do you know what? We're all different now. We have a shared experience, but we're all different. And what we were or who we were friends with in high school didn't matter. I made new friends, and really enjoyed just catching up with people.

In the end, our class had about 60% attendance. Many locals didn't come because they felt as though they "see everyone they want to see." But those who did come got to see people they didn't even REALIZE they wanted to see -- until they came, saw them, and realized that the old high school "stuff" didn't really matter anymore.

Hippyt

Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 05:33 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Great stories Guys! Also,today I was thinking about,there is a family picnic. My kids are still very young(5 and 2). I'd love to show them off!

Tntitanfan

Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 08:14 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I graduated 43 years ago - yes, I am old!! All of our HS reunions have been wonderful, but we didn't start until our 23rd! Friday will be the annual chili supper at my house, and about 1/8 of our graduating class of 180 will be there. At our first reunion there was the most wonderful erasure of all that silly teenage "stuff", and we have loved and supported one another ever since. We have had people travel from as far away as Egypt for the reunion and CO for the chili supper!

Mak1

Friday, January 31, 2003 - 07:13 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Our 20th was great! People were really past the HS "stuff". I worked on the planning committee and made friends with some people I hadn't known very well in HS. We started going out to dinner sporadically, still do 11 years later, and always have a great time together. It's fun to be with the people you grew up with, who can relate to so many of your old memories. To see them as adults can be very surprising, too! (sweet revenge in some cases, heh heh)

At our 30th last year, a few classmates came to their first reunion. One in particular touched our hearts. He had been a drug abuser in HS and didn't think anyone would care to see him at a reunion. He showed up, clean and sober for several years now, and had the best time. He said he will never miss another reunion.

Our class didn't seem close when we graduated, but we have become closer partly because of the reunions and partly because several classmates died at young ages. That puts things into a different perspective.

I think if you go with the attitude of enjoying yourself, you will have a good time. Contacting the reunion committee to help you get in touch with your friends is a great idea. They may show up if they know you will be there. My kids loved going to the family picnics, and that usually ended up being everyone's favorite part of the reunion.

Kady

Friday, January 31, 2003 - 09:17 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I refuse to ever attend a class reunion. In my little backwoods town, they do segragated reunions. I was friends with everyone and would want to include all that I graduated with. :(

Juju2bigdog

Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 09:26 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Segregated reunions? In the 21st century? Okay, just goes to show I have been out of the deep south for too long. Seven years ago, having lived in the deep south for 20 years, I would not have batted an eye. Still ... :(

Yankee_In_Ca

Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 11:24 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Segregated how?

As Juju said, "in the 21st century?"

Kady

Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 01:14 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Juju....I graduated in 1980. Its sad but true. I know our class still did separate reunions for our 20th. I'll have to ask some of the younger girls that work for me if they still do it that way. :(

Juju2bigdog

Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 07:00 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Or, well, Kady, maybe others are ready for change just like you ... It has to start somewhere.

Ryn

Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 07:33 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Hippy - check classmates.com - my 20th is this year as well and some people have signed up there saying if they would attend or not. No cost to get your name listed or post about your reunion (if someone has started that).

Hippyt

Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 07:39 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Thanks Ryn,yes,I'm signed up over there. It's really cool to look through the list of names,huh?Brings back some memories.

Tntitanfan

Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 09:21 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Well, here's an update on the chili supper! Out of a class of 180 there were 18 folks in my den last Friday! Yes, there were a few spouses but hey, that isn't bad after 43 years!

Dahli

Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 08:23 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I went to my 15th and 25th and loved them both - very different experiences because as we all grew up it took on a special feeling. To re-connect with some of these folks was nice, because I didn't get a chance to way back then. This year the HS turns 40 and it's a reunion for everyone who ever attended! Yikes!! That's gonna be a lot of reconnecting ...

Hippyt

Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 05:52 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I think that's really cool Tntitanfan!!!!

Riviere

Monday, February 10, 2003 - 02:49 am EditMoveDeleteIP
It was so cool attending my husband's 20th HS reunion! I'd been a year behind him in school but pals with many of his classmates, attended some years since my family moved a lot but when I was 15 I switched to a big city school forever. We got all dolled up and breezed in and nobody recognized my hubby! Then a couple folks knew who I was and wondered what I was doing there, I wasn't in their class, who the heck was this big guy in the natty suit I brought?!? Then nobody could believe that was Mark.. In HS he was just a nice quiet wallpaper shy guy, I only knew him since his family & mine were lifelong friends, we grew up, had both travelled all over, married and divorced and never had given each other a thought until we re-met back in the old boring hometown and he asked me for a date after years of having a crush on me! It was very funny how little I'd changed but all the gals who wouldn't give Mark the time of day in HS were divorced and fat 20 yrs later just fawning over him! They voted him Most Changed and Most Successful and silly stuff like that. The only bummer was seeing one of his old pals showing up with his wife dressed like hayseeds to mock the big show, our appearance embarrassed them so.. We were all rebels in the past, but living states away all those years while they never left town. The separation of it really hit home.. Mark's ex football captain, once every HS girl's dream, was a paunchy 3x divorced laid off factory worker.. The old Homecoming Queen was a divorced mother of 4 with a bad wig but still snooty as ever.. It was great for me chatting with my childhood pals and see them marvel what a changed man Mark was! They never knew we'd gotten married and said it looked like it was the best thing that ever happened for both of us, and we agreed! We laughed about the fun and heartache of it on the long drive home, how some things never change yet others do.. As said "You can't go home again" but you sure can have a blast seeing old pals and turning heads of the rest!
:)