Anyone attend their HS class reunions?

[bcafe]

I am wondering if any of you ladies attend your class reunions? I have one coming up, and the last reunion was an interesting mix. Most of the attendees were from out of town. The students who stuck around my hometown didn't show up. (Well a lot of them anyway) I usually have a good time getting to "know" them again. Does anyone have any horror stories? :) Any fun stories?

[Wife_and_mommy]

I was just contacted a couple of weeks ago by our class pres. I haven't responded just because I'm sick. When I do feel good I don't want to waste it typing emails to relative strangers.

I'm almost positive I'll be going to my 10-year next year. I think it'll be fun and hope DH will cooperate as I definitely don't want to go by myself. I'll be nursing too so it'll be interesting to say the least.

So, in answer to your question, no stories because ours hasn't happened yet. Man, I'm really two steps behind today. Sorry.


Elizabeth

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif[/img][/url]

http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/dogdogcrd20040405_4_My+child+is.png

http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev035pb___.png
Our second morsel due early February 2006!

[Jenn98]

I wasn't invited to the 5 year reunion. No joke. It was really poorly organized and basically turned out to be an excuse for the class prez to throw a party for herself and her closest friends. The 10 year is going to be done by someone else :)

I went to a smaller school (only about 150 in my class) so it's not hard to keep in touch with everyone. Our circle of friends is quite big because we all are kinda in charge of keeping track of just a few people. So the chain always grows longer than just the four or five people I talk to regularly. And each holiday season we all schedule a night to meet at a restaurant/bar to catch up. There usually tends to be a big crowd of about 30-50. It's always fun.

jenn

[DebbieJ]

I did not attend my 10 year b/c I was living across the country at the time. Had I lived in town, I probably would have attended.

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/10029.gif

[erosenst]

OK - I'm old, but went to my 25th two years ago. (Pregnant with Abby - definitely the subject of some conversation!) It was mostly people from out of town - surprisingly few from in town came. It was more fun than I thought it might have been. I hadn't been to one since my 10th, and don't regret that decision, however.

[Calmegja2]

Nah.

99% of the people from my high school still live in my hometown, married their high school sweethearts, and they are still in their exact same cliques as before. They have reunions (the 15th is in a few weeks), but I've never seen a reason to go.

I just have to go to the grocery store at my mom's house, and it's a frickin frackin reunion every single time. LOL!

[amp]

I have never attended one of my own, as my junior and senior years were h*ll, to say the least! I have not one iota of interest in seeing those people ever again. Or at least I always did feel that way. Now, when I have a very happy life, husband, child, home, etc, I feel less angry and wonder about some of them, but we live in another state and it's just not that much of a draw for me to go across the country to see people who wouldn't cross a school hallway for me 20 yrs ago. Do I sound bitter?!

I did go to DH's 10 yr (or was it 15) renunion with him. He was kind of a geek in HS (according to him), and he has friends, and no real enemies, but no close knit group of friends, and he was kind of an outsider among any of the cool kids. They pretty much ignored him. Well, that's exactly what they did at the reunion too. Broke my heart a little bit that they could look right through him, still, as if he wasn't there. Mind you, my DH can talk, easily, to anyone, anywhere, and I don't think there's a single person who has met him in the years since HS that hasn't liked him. He's just that easy to be around. Those people had no idea what they were missing...then and now. Luckily, the same people who accepted him then, quickly made room for us at their table.

Can you tell I think HS sucks?

[aliceinwonderland]

No because my high school is overseas and we don't have reunions per se. But funny you mention this, as we do have informal "reunions" at the local coffee house every summer when everyone returns home for vacation. A few people never left, I swear if I go right now I'll find them in the very spot (corner table) we used to sit so many years ago.

My best friend is a high school friend. :)

[octmom]

Nope, but I do go to my college reunions and have had a ball. My hs was an all-girls Catholic school. After I graduated, I kept in touch with a few of my friends for several years, but eventually my college friends sort of superceded my high school friends' importance in my life. However, I am still in touch with my best friend from high school. Her DD is three weeks older than my DS and we talk about the kids a lot now. We've lived in different states (sometimes different countries) since high school and we don't see each other often, but we can always pick up right where we left off. She's the best. :)

ETC really bad typing (even worse than usual)

Jerilyn
DS, Sean 10/03

"Baby makes days shorter, nights longer, home happier, and love stronger."

[bostonsmama]

I also graduated from a high school overseas. It's my understanding that for us (who were mostly Americans, some local Germans), there will be a stateside reunion, probably somewhere in Washington, D.C.. I should probably know more since I was the senior class vice prez, but so far no one's talking. I still can't believe I'll be the only one who can say at her ten year that I've been happily married for 8 years by the time I get there! that's trippy!

While mine is a couple years off, I have gone to my DH's 10-year reunion. It was kind of a let down. DH was a jock, but a stoner jock, so a lot of his buddies died in DUI and other tragic accidents shortly after graduation (I think at least 8, including a girl). The remaining people there he knew weren't doing anything great with their lives....and it was funny to see a bunch of overweight ex-cheerleaders huddling together like their clicque actually meant something. We flew clear across the US to attend the California reunion....and I had never met any of those people in my life, but I could tell DH was disappointed they hadn't "grown up" as much as he did through the military.

Well, anyways


Larissa
who is still trying to give birth so she can have more to say

[jerseygirl07067]

I went to my 10th, and more recently went to my DH's 20th. My 20th will be coming up in a few years (gasp). The 10th was fun, most of the girls looked pretty good, though the ones that never left the immediate area looked like they were still stuck in the 80's. (I graduated in 1987 in NJ). The guys, even some of the good looking ones, had put on a bunch of weight, and many had receding hairlines. When I went to DH's, he said most people looked pretty good at his and didn't change much.(maybe it has something to do with the more active outdoor lifestyle in Florida, I don't know, or just our different perspectives)

The biggest surprises at my reunion were how successful some of the "slackers" had become and how some of the most aspiring people had settled into jobs that seemed below what was predicted for them.

Suprisingly, people kind of hung out in the same cliques too. You'd think that would change after 10 years. I asked my husband about this at his 20th and he said the only people he cared to talk to were the ones he was friendly with in HS. Interesting perspective. And DH is a pretty outgoing guy, so his cliquish personality surprised me!! At mine I hung out with lots of people, but I tended to not be affiliated with any one clique anyway.

Overall, it was really fun and I am looking forward to the next one..

Marcy

[jerseygirl07067]

I went to my 10th, and more recently went to my DH's 20th. My 20th will be coming up in a few years (gasp). The 10th was fun, most of the girls looked pretty good, though the ones that never left the immediate area looked like they were still stuck in the 80's. (I graduated in 1987 in NJ). The guys, even some of the good looking ones, had put on a bunch of weight, and many had receding hairlines. When I went to DH's, he said most people looked pretty good at his and didn't change much.(maybe it has something to do with the more active outdoor lifestyle in Florida, I don't know, or just our different perspectives)

The biggest surprises at my reunion were how successful some of the "slackers" had become and how some of the most aspiring people had settled into jobs that seemed below what was predicted for them.

Suprisingly, people kind of hung out in the same cliques too. You'd think that would change after 10 years. I asked my husband about this at his 20th and he said the only people he cared to talk to were the ones he was friendly with in HS. Interesting perspective. And DH is a pretty outgoing guy, so his cliquish personality surprised me!! At mine I hung out with lots of people, but I tended to not be affiliated with any one clique anyway.

Overall, it was really fun and I am looking forward to the next one..

Marcy

[AngelaS]

My graduating class had about 65 people in it and they have a reunion every 5 years. I've attended the two they've had. They were not anything too exciting to say the least! Probably a third of my class still live in our hometown and are all friends. Since our class was so small everyone pretty much got a long so mingling at the reunion wasn't hard. I went without dh tho---he would've been TOTALLY bored!

[kalebsmama]

Yes, I've gone to a few and even planned several since I was class president! The last one (20yrs) had a pretty small attendance which kind of surprised me. And, many of the people that didn't come still live locally. I guess they must figure they see classmates all the time so no big deal. It's kind of funny that some of my friends work at the school and now have kids of our classmates in class!

DS was 6 months old at the reunion and one couple there had a 20yr old - born just before graduation! So, it's interesting to see what everyone has done and what different stages of raising kids everyone is in. I'd go again but probably won't plan one since there is a group of girls that live locally and it's much easier for them to set it up.

[entttc]

I won't be able to attend my 20th this year because I'll be way too PG to fly, but I went to the 15th, and was surprised at how cliquish it wasn't. I actually spoke to a number of people I'd never really had a serious conversation with.

We just got back from DH's 20th, and I was amazed. I knew he'd gone to public school- where I'm from (and where I live, though these are two different cities) that means questionable literacy, most don't even think about college, most below poverty line, few would ever leave the city, etc. . . These people were all upper middle class, college grads, living all over. Guess there are still some good school districts in the country. Or maybe it's the difference between growing up in a city vs. a small town. Or the South vs. the North. I don't know why I was so shocked, but I was.

[JLiebCamm]

I feel the same way about HS and really have had no desire to go to a reunion. I had a great group of friends in HS but my memories are ruined by the thoughts of the nasty people who thought they something special. While I was never a victim of the cruelty that went on, I couldn't stand the way that many people were treated (and I was ostracized if I befriended the underdogs). If I thought that my true friends were going to the reunions I might be more tempted to go, but I think we're all on the same page with just staying far away. Maybe I'll show up for my 25th reunion just to see how everyone has changed.

[elliput]

I haven't attended any. I know one was held for my 10th and my 20th is next year. Don't think I'll attend that one unless I live closer to "home" than I do now. We may attend DH's (his 20th is also next year). I think we would probably have more fun at his than mine.

I friend of mine attended her 10 year (she's from the same town, but different HS). She said most of the conversation revolved around what type of car someone was driving and how successful they were. Most of the questions asked were along the lines of "What are you doing?" and very little of "How are you?"

There are a few people that I would absolutely love to get caught up with, but most of them I don't care to ever see again.

[hez]

I went to my 10-year, 8+ months pregnant with Payton. We didn't have a 5-year.

The majority of my close friends were there-- the guys from my neighborhood were there. The same-old cliques, were the same-old cliques, but it was still fun. Being pg, I got to see an awful lot of my friends get awfully drunk, and *that* was a sight to see (especially 'cause I hung out with the goody-two-shoes crowd!).

Made me miss the folks I was close to. I still miss them, but we're spread out all over the country now, parents have moved away, so it's not like we can get together over holidays or anything. I'll probably go again to any future reunions, just so I can see if my expectations of people (largely reinforced at the last reunion!) pan out.

[thomma]

double post...sorry!

[thomma]

I was dragged to my 10th reunion by my best friend. The reunion itself was awful but I had a blast with my friend. We both got rip roaring drunk and, at one point, my friend was walking around with toliet paper on the bottom of her shoe. I won't go to my 20th if there is one...should be this year and haven't heard anything.

Now my dh's 10th was a blast and we'll definately go to his 20th in a few years. I know, I married a younger man...scandalous! (Actually dh graduated with my younger sister. At their reunion people were asking me who I was there with and I told them I was with my sister. She still gets p1ssy about it :))

Kim
t&e 5/03

[amp]

"I couldn't stand the way that many people were treated (and I was ostracized if I befriended the underdogs)."

See, I didn't start out as the underdog! On the contrary, I ran with a fast, sometimes troublesome crowd, but had friends in all cliques. Honestly, life was great. Then, my junior year, some spat happened among friends, over a boy of course, but as I said, they were a rough crowd and once they put me on their bad list, there was no going back. And everyone else was too weak to stand up for me, lest they receive the same treatment. I held my head high, but it was not easy, and it never stopped. I never forgave all my "friends" for not sticking with me. It made my life hell. In just a matter of days the rug was pulled out from under me. Anyway, I digress. I just wanted to say that I know what you mean about siding with the underdog.

[marinkitty]

We went to both of our ten years and will go again at twenty. I thought mine was fine, of course, but DH's was another story.

There we sit at the local VFW hall and the evening starts with about 10 smoke machines doing their thing as Van Halen's "Running with the Devil" booms out from the DJs cubicle (they were the blue devils). I almost fell off my chair.

Pair that with the dance where everyone married is supposed to dance and then they say, sit down if you have been married 1 year, 2 years etc. etc. And DH and I did not dance b/c we were not yet married (or even engaged, I don't think) and one by one people I have never heard of are coming over asking us why we aren't out there and we say "well, we aren't married" and then there is a stunned silence and then "but aren't you living together?" By the end of the night I told DH I was going to tape a "Living happily in sin" sign to my head. And we are not from the bible belt by any means - this was just north of Detroit in a small town where I'd wager there were more than the fair share of teenage pregnancies, shotgun weddings etc.

It was hilarious.

Holly
Mom to Mia (3.17.03) and baby brother Jack (3.23.05)

[wencit]

Andrea, I completely sympathize with you. I had a similar thing happen to me when I was in the 6th grade, on the cusp of those oh-so-wonderful adolescent years. Almost all the girls in the class ostracized me, and it completely damaged any self-esteem I had for a long, long time. There was only one girl who would talk to me on a semi-regular basis, and she's one of my best friends now. Fortunately, we all graduated to a new junior high school after that year, where there were other kids I could hang out with.

As for my high school reunions, I figure if there was anyone important enough for me to want to see again, I would have kept in touch with them over the years.

[amp]

>As for my high school reunions, I figure if there was anyone
>important enough for me to want to see again, I would have
>kept in touch with them over the years.


Well said!

And BTW, I like your signature! Stick around, you'll catch it too!

[barbarhow]

My 25th is this spring. I cannot wait. I went to a small boarding school of 350 students. It is an entire weekend affair and this will be my first with kids. This school was the greatest thing that had ever happened to me-it was this warm and fuzzy family filled with the nurturing that I hadn't gotten at home. I love to go back. I love to see old friends and teachers-Many of the ones who taught when I was there are still there.
At my 20th I bumped into an old classmate who told me he had seen me on TV. I said "Oh you mean the burn movie?" (I played a nurse in an educational film for burn centers-I was a nurse at the time). He said-"Uh. No. It was on Lifetime. I nearly fell over laughing. 5 years before, after my divorce, a friend and I went to a coffee shop on the upper west side of Manhattan called Drip. It was a dating service. There was a film crew in there and they interviewed us and filmed us and told us they would notify us when it aired. They never did and we totally forgot about it. I still never saw it-but it was pretty funny.
Barbara-mom to Jack 3/27/03, a Red Sox fan
and Anna 5/12/05, my little Yankee fan!

[slknight]

We didn't have much of one for our 5th, and I was unable to go to the 10th (had to go to an out-of-town wedding). We didn't have a 15th, but I am very much looking forward to the 20th one. DH went to his 10th by himself.

[khakismom]

>There we sit at the local VFW hall and the evening starts with
>about 10 smoke machines doing their thing as Van Halen's
>"Running with the Devil" booms out from the DJs cubicle (they
>were the blue devils). I almost fell off my chair.

Holly, I have tears in my eyes I am laughing so hard! Your description is CLASSIC! :D Hysterical!

[lablover]

I think your view on public schools is colored by living in an inner city. I went to school in the suburbs in a county with a population of about 1 million (so it's not a small town thing). I'm lucky I guess in that our county system is one of the top in the nation. Over 90% of graduates in the county attend college. So I fall on the other side of the spectrum in my view of public schools - I think of private school as a waste of money in this area. I'm sure my view is probably colored by living in an affluent suburb, and obviously there are problem school districts, but I hope the majority of public schools can provide a decent education in this country. I realize that I take free access to high quality education for granted.




Edited to finish my thought process...

[wencit]

>And BTW, I like your signature! Stick around, you'll catch it
>too!

Thanks, I certainly hope so! Pregnancy by osmosis! :)

[m448]

I just received the invitation for my 10th down in Miami this September. Had I not been pregnant I would have gone but even then I've kept in touch with a few friends. Most of my crowd have done well, and moved out. LOL I'm also a public school success story (our high school was one of the top in the counties), had a graduating class of 700.