High School Reunion

I will never go to any of my high school reunions. Why? So I can see that the cheerleaders got fat and the high school jock is unemployed? I don't care what they are doing with their lives and I highly doubt they care what I am doing with mine. The few people from high school that I do care about are still my friends now.
L.
(HS grad of '95)

My 10 year is also coming up! Ha ha! I decided not to go. I think it's just an excuse for people to brag and show off, and I was part of the "class of... " group on Facebook and all the same people that were popular in high school are running it and after reading all the posts it just felt WAY too much like high school again. I think Facebook makes reunions unnecessary - if anyone really wanted to contact me they could find me that way, but I'm kind of bitter and didn't have a lot of close friends in high school and the ones I did have I still talk to.

I went to my 10yr, and really didn't want to. But I was glad that I did and had a good time.

I didn't have good relationships with most of my class - I usually hung around with the class or two ahead of me.

I found that most of the unpopular kids from back in the day were the most interesting and successful people to talk to at the reunion. We had a great time.

My best friend dragged me there. I'm glad she did.

I did go to mine and had a blast. Like other people said, it was not very "braggy" and it was awesome to hang out with people that you spent so much time with in the past but not have all of those teenage hormones and drama to get in the way! More people than we expected showed up and everyone that went was glad that they did! We will be going to my husbands in a couple of weeks and are really excited to know that they are not like the ones you see in movies, and that people really can mature and grow up!
Let us know if you do go!

Ugh...the three worst words in the English language....High School Reunion.

I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing what happened to the people I spent 4 years of high school with, even those I just knew by sight. It has been a great deal of fun to see who married who and who aged horribly. I have one friend who was the hot guy at church that every girl day dreamed about. He looks like a very very old man, is bald, rides his bike everywhere and really loves his dog. Each and every picture on his FB has that dog sitting by him. I love animals too and have pictures of my past pets but his devotion is just a bit odd to me.

I have enjoyed seeing what the hot couples kids look like, who they resemble, if the smart kids grew up to be rich and happy or if they bombed after college. It is great fun to just catch up too with those who have lead fun and exciting lives. I have one "friend" from high school that I don't think I ever had a conversation with that I have become more than just acquaintances with. She lost 2 husbands over her adult life and has had a really rough life. She is a wonderful example to anyone who has had trials. Her stamina and strength lifts my spirits so much. We are friends on FB too where we chat and play FarmTown.

We have lost part of our class, of course, to accidents, cancer, and other illnesses. It is always just one of those things that make us realize we are finite and that we should enjoy and appreciate the things and people we have in our lives every moment.

I think it can't hurt to go just to have fun and see how everyone turned out. Even better to go to the ones down the road.

If there's no one you really want to see then I don't see any reason to go. You'll probably just be bored.

I went to my 10 year, it was at a restaurant/game room and spouses only. I think you should go! None of my great friends went, (I didn't have any best friends at the school) but I still had fun. There were several people there who were the 'nerdy' loners, and it was nice to see how they became successful and married and everything and they were fun to chat with and see them outside of the high school context.

The popularity contest is usually only a handful of snobbish people. They will be stroking each other;'s egos and ignoring everyone else, so don't worry about them They all turned out to look 10 years older with raspy voices b/c years of partying. Interesting.

I'm amazed yours is a 3 day thing!

I missed my 10 year b/c of a death in the family but I do plan to go to my 20 next summer.
I would definitely plan to attend the family event at the zoo! I think that would be fun. I would actually lean toward the casual event at the bar if you're not sure if you want to go or how long you want to stay b/c it would be easy to sneak out when you want to.

I didn't go to my 10th reunion b/c it was incredibly hectic for me at work and the flight was way too expensive, but I have attended other alum events (locally and in FL) as I have been able to and have never regretted attending them.

You would be surprised by how people mellow for the most part over the years. For us, the alum events didn't feel "braggy" in the sense that people were generally interested in what I had been up to, where am I living, married, kids, etc.

Small disclaimer, though, I went to a prep school with the same kids K-12 (for the most part) and everyone has some kind of successful career now so there wasn't that kind of pressure.

Go- if you don't have fun, you can leave the event.

We had a 5 year that I went too... I wasn't invited to my 10 year, but I was out of state and didn't keep in touch with anyone (however, I'm from a small town and they all know my grandparents who still lived there to get my info). I was invited to my 15 but couldn't make it. Since I do live out of state, grew up in Illinois, it's a long drive so I need to have a few things else plan if I do go. I actually want to go back next year for my 20th. I consider myself average, had a pretty positive experience in High School. I was friends with everyone, I think... Other than the $$$ about going back, my weight is a little issue to me. I was athletic and not so much anymore, I was never a thin thing either, but I look back at my pictures and I really wasn't fat like I thought i was... would die to look like that again...
I'll admit, thank goodness for facebook because I did re-unite with a lot of them off that, and sure would like to see them again...

I went to my 20th and it was so much fun. There are still a few people that I keep in touch with via email and every now and then we meet up for drinks. People change and some of the kids you knew in school that were stuck up, jocks, cheer leaders, nerds, etc., turn out to be nice when they grew up. Some are still the same. Honestly, if you are a people watcher (and I am), going to the reunion and taking your family could be a great experience. I would advise taking your husband, so if you want to chit chat with others, he can look after your children.

Keep us posted and if you go I hope you have a positive experience.

Blessings...

My husband refuses to go to his highschool class reunions. He says he doesn't see anyone he went to school with so whats the point. I on the other hand have a very very close graduating class. our highschool got split up into 2 schools. so those of us sent to the new school bonded together lol. We actually got together for a 5 year, 10 year, 20 year, 25 year and just last fall a 30 year reunion. The 5 year was just a bunch of us out together and a bar type setting. the 20 year was at a big fancy hotel. there were about 300 people at that one it included people from both the old and new school. the 25 year was the people from the new school, the 30 was mostly those of us from the new school. I love it. I was in the music program at school. and on the fringes of a lot of groups, music, athletes, art stuff etc. the 10 year had some of the "hey look at me I'm still perky cheerleader" that calms down after the 10th for the most part. You will spend a lot of time showing off pics of your kids and talking about your job etc. the 20th was more fun for me. the cheerleaders were fat, the jocks were bald. everyone was on a more even playing field. you should go its fun.

I went to mine but there were people I wanted to see and I also found a high school friend willing to go with me. If there's no one you want to see, no real point in going. At 10 years, not a whole lot will have changed. The people who were drunk all the time in high school will still be boozing it up and immature at the reunion. The popular kids will still hang out together. I was glad I went to my 10 year because I did catch up with old friends, but skipped my 20 year because no one I knew was going and I'd already stayed in touch with those I wanted to anyway.

I went to a very small school(under 50 in my graduating class), so I have been to every reunion we have had. The 10 year was kind of lame, but the 20 year was a lot of fun. I pretty much knew everyone in the class, whether we were friends or not, so it was fun to see what they were up too. But, If I went to a big school where hundreds of people graduated, I probably would not go. I would just stay in contact with my friends and be done with it. However, if you are interested in seeing people you don't really care about, then go. I am not a big "social" person, so that would be a utter nightmare for me to be around hundreds of people I don't know.

Not only did I go to mine, but I planned it from halfway across the country. It was a BLAST! It was great to see everyone again and have a really fun party without any of the drama that just being teenagers brings. After 10 years, almost everyone has gotten over high school pettiness and the ones who hadn't either didn't come (and regretted it after the fact) or sat in a corner and refused to mingle. For the most part however, everyone talked to everyone, regardless of popularity or cliques or reputations that were 10 years in the past. In fact, everyone had such a great time that they made me promise to do a 15 year reunion before the night was over. That's going to be in August and I am excited to see all of my old friends again! My hubby even had a great time and he knew NO ONE!
By the way...I wasn't popular in high school (or ever), grew up in a suburb of Chicago (so we're not talking a tiny town) and was never on student council. I simply didn't want us to miss out on our reunions because our student council reps were too busy to take charge now.
If it's not too expensive or requires a ton of travel, I really recommend going, even if your best friends aren't. What do you have to lose?

i have not gone, I do attend hubby's with him, he went to a near by school and graduated 3 yrs before me. He just hangs out and talkes with people he is already friends with, we don't see them all that often so i guess it was a good excuse. But really it's the popular people who love themselves and everybody else or it's the nerds that never had any friends who maybe have something to prove that go. if you want to check on others from your class try snooping at them on facebook, instead of wasting your time going. IF there had been a different tone toyour post i might say go, but it really doesnt' sound like you would have fun, especially alone.

Yes I did and yes it was.
I thougth it would be a geat time, boy was I wrong. I will not go to another one.
I did ask myself why I was there many times, ended up getting drunk because I was so nervous. I couldn't eat. It was awful.
My best friends didn't go.

I went to my college reunion and had a blast. My best friends went. It was much more relaxed. High school just turned into high school again so fast.
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Last Saturday was our all class reunion (i'm class of 85). I went to a small private school and debated back and forth about going. Ultimately, I didn't go but after I saw pics posted on FB I kind of wish I would have went even tho there was only about 25 that went. But I do have a lot of my HS friends already on FB so I feel like I'm already in touch with them. And it was in CA so we would have had to drive, stay at a hotel, food, gas, etc and I didn't really want to spend the extra $. They already said they are planning another for next year so I'll see if I'm in the mood then! Good luck with what you decide to do!

I've never gone. We moved a lot as a kid, so attended 14 schools from k-12. My one good friend from high school just sent me an email this morning and we see each other every few months. As far as I'm concerned, I'm caught up on my 'high school friends'.

I didn't have any desire to go to my 10th, but my 20th is this year and I'm looking forward to it.

Personally, at the time of the 10th I still didn't care to see most of the people from my school, and the people I would have wanted to see weren't attending. I was actually a high school dropout, one of the "bad kids"... I think for those of us who had a less than awesome time in high school it takes longer to "leave it behind" or something. It's funny, many of my friends who didn't attend the 10th are coming for the 20th and we are planning a smaller get together with just "our group" before hand so that should be fun.

I agree that by the 20th it is less of a popularity contest or "success" contest... people have kids and more established careers and are kind of more over the idea of having to prove anything to anyone.

Overall I think it all depends on the school and your experiences there... I know people who went to very small schools who couldn't wait to get out of there and have no desire to ever go back and see those people again. Seems like other people have fun.

I've connected with a lot of people from school on facebook and it is interesting to see how everyone has turned out. I'm actually really looking forward to the 20th reunion.

I went to my 10-year. It was fine, everyone was nice. I found that I kind of reverted in front of people that had really hurt my feelings back then and that surprised me since they were perfectly polite to me that night - I honestly had no idea that it had bothered me so much. But I actually don't think that would happen for my soon to be 20 year reunion. For the 10 year though, it was still nice to go for a little bit and then leave a little early. But I was glad I went.

The only thing that is a bit of red flag to me is that you basically said you have no desire to see anyone or how their lives have turned out, you only want them to know that your life has turned out so well. I don't know if that's a reason to go and you may be disappointed with the reception you get.

I say go with an open heart and happiness for everyone - even if the Prom Queen is still thin, beautiful and queenly and remember that the mean ones were just children. I will admit this is easier said as it's often hard to control your emotions that make you feel like an insecure kid again.

Good Luck!

To went to my 10 year & it was great to see everyone who came.

I skipped my 5 y, but I went to the last 3 (gulp!) and had a fantastic time at each one! My hubby doesn't go, but he wouldn't have a good time, anyway, since he doesn't know anyone. I highly suggest going, it's nice to see everyone as 'grown-ups', I've even found that those girls I never clicked with in HS, had a lot in common with me now.