High School Reunions - Would you go?

[jaybird2001wi]

I have been pondering this for quite some time. I am one of the people that would have loved going to his high school reunion shortly after graduating high school. But now, after more than 5 years of being out of high school, I am not so sure. My own older brother, who teaches at the very high school we graduated at, has said he wouldn't go to his for any reason.

Now I find myself in the same mental hole as my brother. High School reunions, in my mind, are deemed kind of pompous. Basically, you just walk into the reception hall and the same cliques get back together for a night and they brag about their success stories and what not. It seems kind of like a total mental attack on what you and others have done with their lives since graduation.

After much thought, I decided that maybe I will not attend my reunions at all and send them a little clip of my "current life" to be placed in the "Where are they now?" book that is most commonly given out to attendees.

I may as well make myself a total mystery for 25-50 years and then suddenly emerge as if people are "wondering what happened to this guy named 'Jaybird'?"

[logan82]

I have yet to go to one. I accidentally saw the people from my 5 year at a bar they went to after the reunion. I was at a party with my friends in my hometown and we ended up at the bar everybody went to. If I had remembered my reunion was that night I would have stayed home. I figure I talk to everybody I liked then and wanted to keep in touch with so a reunion is a waste. I am now 14 years out of high school and am hoping not to have to throw away a 15 year invite anytime soon.

[JumpinMacFlash]

I was vice president of my senior class, so apparently I'm supposed to help arrange our reunions...yeah, good luck with that. I have no real desire to see most of the people that went to high school with. For the most part, I already keep in contact with the people I care to keep in contact with. I don't want to go see a bunch of people who I don't like get drunk and then act more obnoxious than they were in high school. That, and after 5 years, I'll still probably be in college without much money or professional success yet. I wouldn't even have anything cool to brag about.

 

One thing you could try is going as someone that was completely made up and see if people pretend to remember you.

[gypcasino]

I haven't gone to any of mine. My 20th will be in 2009. I don't plan on attending that one either.

[BuckyTuba]

I plan to go to my 10 year reunion if my class decides to have it. The main reason is that I live 1000 miles away and I really don't see those people at all. It would be a nice chance to catch up.

[berniebrewer4life]

Our 5th was supposed to be this year. I wasn't going to go before it was canceled.

[PKBadger]

I will definitely go. I'm excited to see what my high-school friends have acccomplished.

 

People get way too worked up about things like "I'm not successful enough" or "the cliques will be the same". Jaybird and I share the same hometown, and I make it back to Racine about once every year. Any time I've run into people from my old class (usually out at the bars around Harbor Fest), I've really enjoyed the chance to catch up with familiar faces and find out what they are doing, regardless of whether or not I hung out with them or felt they were more popular than me 8 years ago. And I definitely wasn't in the "in crowd" back then. 4 years of college taught me that it really doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of you.

[trwi7]

I'm not old enough to have gone to one yet but I'd consider it because how many times can you tell somebody you're a cowboy-astronaut and not look like the biggest idiot in the room?

[Brian the Automator]

I probably wouldn't go to mine... No offense to my high school friends, but I really just don't care anymore. The ones from that period I still wanted to stay in contact with, I have.

[davego]

I have always went. They are Ok. It is the only time I really ever see anyone I went to high school with so it is usually fun. Plus, I figure other people who are way into it like it when lots of people come, so I show.

[hawing]

I think age plays a part in one's perspective toward class reunions.

 

I had no interest in my 5th or 10th, and although I signed up for the 15th I was certain I would hate it, complained about it the whole week prior, and regretted making the reservation up until I arrived at the event. Then I saw some people who I was genuinely interested in seeing, and after that it was fine.

 

The key for me was that enough people who I was interested in seeing showed up. Otherwise, yeah, pretty much the same people who wouldn't give me the time of day in high school don't give me the time of day at these things, and why relive that. It is interesting to see how people have changed, at least appearance-wise. Every five years seems like about as much contact as I need with most of these folks.

 

My 20th reunion was better yet. It was scheduled for Memorial Day weekend (which helped lure the out of staters), and included a variety of events. I passed on the bar hopping, golf outing and family picnic, and opted for the high school tour and classmate dinner. The tour was really interesting - my high school has been expanded enough so I actually lost my way in parts of it.

 

I'm open to attending later reunions - though we've moved since the last one, and I will be mildly surprised if they actually manage to track me down (even though I live maybe 2 miles from my old 'hood).

[MarquesJohnson2000]

I was just at my 20-year reunion a few weeks ago. After that much time has passed, the cliques really don't mean very much anymore. I had some good conversations with people that I barely spoke to in high school.

[gypcasino]

Maybe I'd feel differently if there were more people in my class. I think we only had 99 in our graduating class.

[homer]

I missed my 5 went to 10 and went to 15. I ended up talking mostly to people that I said maybe 10 words to all of high school. It was really rewarding. I recommend it.

[PlayerHader]

Well I'm only 5 years out next summer, and in a class of 66 we decided there is no need for a 5 year. I probably have seen at least 1/2 my classmates at least once over the last year. Most people went to UW schools or got jobs around home. I talk to a few of my classmates on a monthly basis yet. I'm still very close with some. Small town life, I guess.

 

The next 5 years should be different with people getting jobs and what not. I'll go to my reunion and have a good time. Catch up with people I probably never thought I'd give a crap about. I think it will be fun. I got tons of family in my hometown, so that's reason enough to go home for a weekend.

[trwi7]

Man where do some of you guys live? Classes under 100? I would've killed for that.

[chuckiehacks]

I skipped the 5-year, but went to the 10-year and had a blast. Most of the cliques were gone (and this was Brookfield, so that's really saying something), there were people who I talked to more that night than I did in four years of high school. I don't keep in touch with too many people from high school, so there were many that I hadn't seen or talked to in quite some time.

[dadofandrew]

Never gone, my 20 was recently. If I still lived in my hometown maybe, but it's not worth a trip.

[jlau20]

I'm not old enough to have had one yet, but I've already made up my mind if my class does a 5th year that I won't be going. Too soon.

[gypcasino]

Man where do some of you guys live? Classes under 100? I would've killed for that.

I went to Pewaukee. Which isn't exactly BFE. But the Village is small and depending on where you live in the City there's like five other really big high schools you could have gone to. Enrollment at PHS has probably gone up a couple hundred students since I've been there though.

[trwi7]

I went to Pewaukee. Which isn't exactly BFE. But the Village is small and depending on where you live in the City there's like five other really big high schools you could have gone to. Enrollment at PHS has probably gone up a couple hundred students since I've been there though.

Oh okay yeah it's gotten bigger. I know all about it, I've lived in the area for about 18 years now.

[ajgodson]

What did they do for the reunions? I was class president, and apparently am supposed to plan them, but I don't really know what goes on at these things and frankly wouldn't go if I wasn't supposed to plan it. I forgot to plan the 5 year and the 10 year is supposed to be this year. I'm desperate for an idea that isn't completely lame.

 

Any help out there for a good reunion idea?

[trwi7]

10 years ago let's see wasn't the macarena big back then or Hansen? Do a crappy band, teen heart throb reunion.

[jason21nl]

Just had my 10 year a few weeks ago and I didn't go. I could careless seeing someone that I haven't seen in 10 yrs. The people that I cared about back then, I'm still good friends with and see often. I see others from time to time and can't remember half their names.

[dadofandrew]

Not lame and reunions don't really go together.