High School Reunions - do you have any use for them?

[Ltlabner]

Originally Posted by Yachtzee

If you're in sales, I would think you'd want to go just for the networking opportunities. Never know where you might get some new leads.

Nah...I get plenty of business as it is. Don't need to endure the torture of a renuion on the off chance that someone there might work for a company that could use my particular product.

[deltachi8]

I graduated with 434 people and have no use for 433 of them, so I guess I'll be skipping that event.

[MWM]

I had a good time at my 10th, but too many of the people there weren't much different than they were in high school. The next one I'll go to will be my 25th. Hopefully by then everyone will have grown up and I can have a few more adult conversations.

[GAC]

I grew up in the same school district, and with the same kids, until halfway through my junior year. My parents got an excellent opportunity on a home (Urbana), but told me they wouldn't take it because it meant I'd miss graduating with the kids I basically grew up with. I told them that I was graduating next year and going to be gone, and that they can't pass up the opportunity because of me.

So I spent the last year and a half of high school at another school. I made some good friends in that time, but overall, the kids in that school were a bunch of snobs with their flying and tennis lessons.

After graduation I went into the military. I got a notice for the 10 year reunion which was being held at the local country club and formal dress was required. I never owned a dress, so I didn't go.

I did go to my old school's 20th class reunion back in '94. I really consider those people my graduating class. I had a really good time.

It was hilarious seeing what had happened to some of the people over that 20 year period. The cheerleaders were still acting like cheerleaders, only hanging out with each other and acting like the rest didn't really exist. A bunch of giggling 38 yr olds who acted like they wanted to do some cheers, but forgot to bring their pom-poms. And the jocks were still trying to act like jocks, though they weren't as bad with their bulging midriffs and reseeding hairlines.

Half my graduating class had already been through divorces (some multiple).

But there was one jock I didn't even recognize and had to ask a buddy who it was.

My friend looked at me and said "You don't know who that is? That's......"

I had to take a good long look at him. He was the starting RB on the football team. Long curly blond hair, muscular physique. Dated one of the cheerleaders.

I looked at my buddy and said "What happened to him? He shrank!" He was completely bald, and the muscular physique turned into a beach ball. He looked 20 years older then the rest of us. I thought he was one of our old teachers at first.

I also had a few people asking others who I was? I was one of the smallest kids growing up. A little speedster in track on on the baseball field. I was the kid everyone always went after in dodge ball but couldn't hit!

I was now a lot taller and with a beard PLUS all my hair.

But it was fun sitting at a table with a bunch of the guys I grew up with and reminiscing about growing up, all the things we did, and some of the trouble we got into.

I missed our 30th, and have the 35th coming up.

[cincinnati chili]

Originally Posted by MWM

I had a good time at my 10th, but too many of the people there weren't much different than they were in high school. The next one I'll go to will be my 25th. Hopefully by then everyone will have grown up and I can have a few more adult conversations.

I hear that sometimes that people instantaneously revert to their childhood tendencies when with their old crue.

[OldRightHander]

I went to my 15th a while back and had a pretty good time. 20 is next year and I'll probably go to that one as well. What is interesting is that some of the people I didn't get along with then are now pretty agreeable company while I can't stand some of the people I hung around then. I guess folks change.

[Dom Heffner]

I saw some pictures of the reunion for the class that graduated one year ahead of me.

Time had not been kind to some, I'll tell ya. Others looked like they did the last time i saw them back in the mid-80s.

Like GAC said, I would have thought some were old teachers until I read the caption under the picture.

I'll go to my 20th next year, I think, so somebody else can make fun of how I look.

[bucksfan]

My graduating class was ~ 100 (I think 96?). I went to #5, 10 and i think 15. Had intentions of going to #20, but it was in a very busy time and it was going to be at someone's house who stayed local. I would have preferred a neutral setting as we had done previously such as the shelter house oat the pool or VFW or something.

Our class, though small did have some typical cliques, but they were absoluately nothing compared to those I hear others tell about or those I see. As such, at the reunions I really found almost everyone talkign to everyone. I know based on the last one I went to that there isn't hardly anyone from my class (based on what I know of them upto this point anyway) who I wouldn't mind talking to. I think our smaller communities were a bit closer. It helped that I bridged a few of the cliques. I was in sports (baseball, basketball), I was in music (marching and concert band, chorus), and got good grades, I liked real heavy music - so that crossed over into several sometimes seemingly "conflicting" groups - jocks vs. band geeks, smart kids vs. "stoners" (aka heavy metal kids), etc. But in many respects I don't think I was different from many more in our class in that I was willing to talk with most anyone. No real snobs in our school save maybe 1 or 2 - somore of an individual thing a than a group-held characteristic. I don't know if this is because we were a small rural school, or if it is only rose-colored glasses looking back, or what, but it is how I remember it.

[WebScorpion]

Our 25th was last year...I was curious, but was too busy to attend. I've never been to any of our reunions and I don't keep in touch with anyone I went to High School with. In fact, I don't keep in touch with anyone period...I really suck at keeping friends. I guess it's a good thing I have family. I think it would be interesting to see what people have done with their lives, but I'm guessing that the most interesting stories would be the ones who are unable to attend. Maybe I'll go to our 50th to see who's still alive.

[SandyD]

Not sure my class had a reunion after our 10th. Didn't go to that one ... haven't heard about one since. Wouldn't go anyway. Distance, and lack of interest.

My mom went to the 50th reunion of her 8th grade class and had a blast. My uncle's HS class has quarterly meetings and a party at least once a year. But their number is dwindling.

[LoganBuck]

My graduating class had 39 people. I went away to college, and came back to our family farm. I married a classmate of mine. We did not have a 5th and our 10th should be this spring. I doubt it will happen either.

BTW watch the balding jokes, some people might not take it so well. Not much you can do about it depending on your hairloss pattern. What gets me is that people would never tell someone how they got fat, or that they have discolored ragged teeth, but people won't think twice about pointing out how you have less hair than the last time they saw you. My typical response is that it just shows that there is alot going on up there. On occasion, depending on how much or how little I actually care for the offender and my mood, I will point out their most obvious physical flaw in turn. Typically those people leave me alone in future encounters.

[kbrake]

Just read this entire thread. 2 things came to mind:
1. Many of you have been out of high school for a very long time.
2. Many of you must have hated many people you went to school with.

Not that I have a problem with either just the two things that continued to come to mind after almost every post.

I have only been out of high school for 3 years but I'm sure I will go to most of my reunions if possible.