Would/Do You Attend Your High School Reunions?

[Unperson 309]

Poll question: Would/Do You Attend Your High School Reunions?

Some folks go each year faithfully, some occasionally, some have never gone. How about you?

[mrboba1]

1. We've had 2, I've been to one.

Not a big sample, but 5 years seemed a little too soon...

[wicket]

2. I went to a redneck school full of freepers

Not something I like to dredge up. The people I wanted to keep in touch with I have.

[Skittles]

I went to three high schools

in England, Iowa and Illinois. They remember me but I don't remember most of them.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

7. Where'd ya go in England?

[Skittles]

17. Upper Heyford High School, on an US Air Force base

I lived in Bicester (I think it was near High Wycombe).

[Screaming Lord Byron]

19. Dorset, was it? South West?

[Skittles]

21. I remember it wasn't too far from London

South central, maybe; it was a long time ago. :o

Buckinghamshire county

[Screaming Lord Byron]

22. Oh, right. Now I remember. Distinctly not Dorset.

Where I grew up, we had a USAF Base, a US Radar Station and a naval base within thirty miles. Lots of that over there.

[Skittles]

24. we moved all the time

Lakenheath, Alconberry; my mum is a Brit from a tiny village near Great Yarmouth. When I was growing up we moved back and forth between England and the US midwest. Three of my brothers were born in England and one of them is an English citizen. My grandfather was at Dunkirk during WWII. I've always considered myself American but feel so at home in England.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

25. THAT'S VERY INTERSTING. THANKS FOR SHARING.

My Grandad was at Dunkirk too.

[Skittles]

26. all my grandfather would say about it was

I COULD DIVE UNDER A JEEP FASTER THAN ANYONE. Last time I saw my mum we watched a Discovery special on Dunkirk - she cried when she realized how bad it had been. He was picked up by a tiny fishing boat (Churchhill asked people with boats to go across the channel to pick up the men because the big boats were getting hit). Very scary stuff.

[terrya]

3. I'd go just to see how shitty everyone else looks.

High School was not a happy time for me. To put it mildly.

[wicket]

6. same here.

Soooooo glad to not be in high school anymore.

[Commendatori]

4. I am in touch with all classmates I care about. I have no reason

to spend time with those I didn't.

[mstrsplinter326]

5. I have to organize mine... n/t

[bif]

8. Went to my 20th and 30th

Skipped my 5th and 10th.

[JVS]

12. There is such a thing as a 5th?

[mrboba1]

16. sometimes.

My HS had one - but to me it seems kinda pointless to visit HS folks when you just finish college.

I just got over having to spend every day with them - give me another 5 years...

[wicket]

18. My school had one

[bif]

Yeah. But what's the point?

You still hang out with your old high school friends. And who wants to see all the people you couldn't stand?

[TexasBushwhacker]

31. It's easier to keep track of people ....

for one thing. The longer between reunions, the harder it is to track people down. The internet makes it much easier, with sites like Reunions.com and Classmates.com (although I loathe their popups).

[JVS]

9. I want to see my old friends. I also want to see the jerk who...

got knocked up in her freshman year of college and recently had her wedding plans break apart. Lotsa laffs

[flamingyouth]

10. I see my friends from high school

In fact, I'm having dinner with my best friend from high school tonight. I really couldn't care less about those other annoying people, frankly.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

11. Nah, it's over six thousand miles away (at least)

The only reason to go back would be if I were single and wanted to revisit old psychodrama.

[demnan]

13. They'd have to drag me back

and yes I voted for the explosives!

[GOPisEvil]

14. I couldn't stand 99% of those people when I was a student.

Why would I think I could stand them now? The other 1% I still have some contact with periodically, so I don't need an excuse to see them.

[BiggJawn]

15. Never been not in almost 30 years.

30th is next year. I wonder if I should go just to see how fat and worn-out-looking the hot girls who ignored me have gotten...and if the popular guys and jocks are selling cars or insurance...

High school was not a happy time for me. I put a reunion in about the same class I would getting tricked onto "Jerry Springer" with my ex-step-kids...

[Cybergata]

30. Oh you should go!

I went to my 20th. The one best moment for me was seeing an old nerdy male friend of mine. While others were showing their age, and lots of the popular kids were losers, there was my nerdy little friend, a successful man who was one of the hottest looking guys there. He was a taller, hunkier version of his youthful self.

I worried about the weight I had gained, but I was thin compared to most. I saw people in a whole new light. I realized that those who had be snobs were actually very insecure, and sadly hadn't changed much. In fact, there were some folks there that looked older, but were still doing pretty much what they did when they were in high school. Boring with a capital B!

High School is generally a bad time for a majority of people simply because it is really hard being a teen. All the insecurities we had, everyone else had as well. I was amazed to find people so happy to see me. I always felt like an outsider. Teens perception of reality can be very self centered, so looking at people from high school as an adult can be very interesting. Anyway, if it is miserable, you can always duck out! :hippie:

[eyesroll]

20. I skipped my 10th...

$75 per person (no break for a guest who didn't even go to the school), which included a 3-hour cocktail reception with hors d'oeurves, dancing and souvenirs. At a Big Wig, which is apparently a hair-themed club in downtown Chicago, roughly a 45-minute drive in Saturday traffic from where I went to school.

Between the hotel, parking, food, etc., it would have cost maybe $300-$400 for my husband and I to go, just to hang out with people I didn't like 10 years ago.

I saw Howard Dean speak (Sleepless Summer tour) instead. I think I got my money's worth.

[starroute]

23. Went to one -- been there, done that

The 25th, I guess it was. All girls' high school. Got to catch up on the gossip -- see who looked no more than 30 and who already looked 60, who was on their second divorce, who looked like they'd been drinking too much, who'd become a judge and who'd become a rabbi's wife. There weren't a lot of surprises. Spent some separate time with old friends I'd lost touch with, but then didn't find any more reason to stay in contact than I had 20 years before. Frankly, the people I know now are a lot more interesting than the people I knew then.

[Cybergata]

27. I Went to my 20th

There was no 30th. I guess everyone who worked on the 20th got very burned out doing it. Well, we did have a class of over 800 graduating.

I dreaded it, but I loved it in the end. I was able to face and cleanse myself of a whole lot of my old high school and first marriage demons by going. I also danced for hours.

Graduate of Santa Fe High class of 1971 :hippie:

[ProfessorGAC]

28. Ours Are Too Big A Deal!

For instance, the 25th was the big deal. 3 Days! I went to the cocktail party that kicked off the first evening. It was scheduled for 3 hours, i stayed for 30 minutes. Ignored the other two days completely.

So, for 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25, i went for a total of 30 minutes, and felt i wasted my time. This year is 30. Not going! Don't care!
The Professor

[CO Liberal]

29. I Haven't Been To Any Of Mine Yet

Morristown High School, Class of '71

My 35th Reunion is coming up in two years. I think I'll try to make that one.

[LynneSin]

32. I'd rather watch whoisalhedges take a game winning shit...

then to go back to my High School reunion

[jonnyblitz]

33. never. n/t

[Liberal Classic]

34. I would have gone but they never sent me an invitation

The petty bastards. Screw 'em.

[johnnie]

35. Went to my 10th

I was bugged over and over to go. It was ok.
High school was just a few years of my life and nothing big. I had a lot of fun during those times, but I had a lot of fun before and after.
It means nothing to me and there is no reason to see anyone. My number is in the book.

[Nikia]

36. Missed 5th, Considering going to the 10th

I live several states away from my high school. I have seen few of my high school classmates since I graduated and none of them for a few years. I was not in a poistion where I could get off of work to travel to my fifth reunion as I had just started a new job. My 10th reunion is 2 years away. I think that I'll go. Maybe it's time to revisit that part of my life that I left behind.

[TexasBushwhacker]

37. Every 5 years .....

except the last one (25th in year 2000). My 30th will be next summer and I'm already planning on going. It's funny. I was never part of the "in" crowd, but for the most part, I've found that time has been a great equalizer. Most of us have put on weight, but some that were heavy in high school have gotten in shape and look better than every. Some of the guys that were short and skinny in high school finally look like MEN. Many of the guys have lost some or all of their hair. Many of us have lost one or both parents, and we've lost quite a few from our own class, far too early. We had a relatively tight knit group considering we were in a city (Houston) because people didn't move around quite as much 30 years ago, and many of us have known each other since junior high and sometimes even from elementary school.

[bigwillq]

38. I would go if we had one

I've been out eight years and we haven't had one yet. That's not really that long of a time period so, maybe at 10 we'll get something together.

[Misunderestimator]

39. Never... I toyed around with the idea when I got an invitation to my 20th

and a friend of mine from HS (who's also gay) tried to convince me to go with him. When I realized that the only reason I would want to go would be to see how miserable all those assholes were, I decided that I was above that. :D

[davsand]

40. I went to #25.

Prior to that I was listed as MIA in spite of the fact that my parents live in the SAME house they lived in when I turned four...

I was amazed by a couple of things when I did go, however.

The one guy I hated the most in high school--used to torment me--has cleaned up his act and is reasonably acceptable to be around now. He apologized for all the evil stuff he'd said--told me he'd sobered up and felt he wanted to square stuff with me after 25 years. I WANTED to tell him to get over it (jeesh--it's been 25 freaking years already--give yourself a break!) I was oddly touched, however, that he'd done anything nice at all, so I thanked him and moved on.

The other amazing thing was that all those girls that were so well known in high school for being dumb but cute, have become even dumber over time--and a LOT less cute. I found it kinda fun to check out how much like Naugahyde their skin looked after all those years of sun abuse. It was equally fun to see how many of them still sit with their mouth hanging open slightly when they try and focus on anything beyond a margarita or a discussion of who's become fat...

Maybe I'm just a bitter high school reject, but it seemed like it cost a lot of my cash for lousy banquet food and company that I avoided even at 16.

I may wait till 30 rolls around--by then it should a trip to see who's dead and who's been divorced five times or more.


Laura

[OneTwentyoNine]

41. Every year?? Should have put Every Time....

Most reunions are on a 5-10 year rotation. I've been to all of mine since graduating in 1971.