High School Reunion

[cr8crshr]

I am so far removed from my HS days and even the town I grew up in. Moved on a long time ago and only went to my 25th and that was it. Worst experience ever. I still do keep in touch quite often with Friends from back then so at least we have that going for us on a routine basis. We enjoyed those days and do to this day even though we haven't seen each other in a very long time. We all agree that we like it that way. If these reunions are to rekindle the past then I feel for y'all as you are definitely suck in your SANDBOX or more appropriately...THE PAST...

 

[68BabyBlue]

Yeah, had a teacher in creative writing that was young, attractive, and sweet. Yeah, had a fantasy or two about her. She could get flustered as some dipshits would take advantage of her mild-manners. There were a couple of us that would make a recommendation to the dip’s STFU.

Beneath the same sweet exterior, mine was an iron lady. Her father was a former Penn State wrestling coach, and head of the Penn State alumi association. Ann served as a Penn State trustee for 15 years after she retired from teaching. She took nationwide flack during the Sandusky scandal, when she was a deciding vote in the decision to terminate Joe Paterno.

 

[Garceau]

eh reunions.....

I graduated in 1992 - I was young and small for my class. I was 5'6 maybe 130 pounds as a senior. I gravitated throughout several clicks but wasnt very entrenched in any of them. I was into sports, but by my senior year my size limited most of them. I wrestled early but had a severe injury wrestling which cost my parents a lot of money and I wasnt going to risk that again. I had friends that were in to cars, but I didnt have a car that I drove regularly as mine was race only and some of my friends didnt really understand that. Girls werent all that interested in a senior that was as small as me, and grew up with so I dated a girl from another town.

Fast forward to my 5 year....I was now 6'2" and a ripped 215 pounds as I hit the weights and the workouts pretty hard after I shot up. People reacted to me differently but my friends were still my friends. Girls looked at me differently but I really just did my own thing and hung out with the same friends I always did. I was a couple years into my career and most were just finishing up colleges - was good to see some people that I hadnt connected with, that I got a long with. Was still mostly the same clicks though.

Skipped 10 year and went to 15 year..... was kind of lame. A few kids in class did cool things. Others went the other direction. We had one significant politician, another was drafted in the NBA and played for years in Europe, another few F-16s, and another had his own show on the discovery channel (maybe a different one I dont remember, he was cool friends with him forever) another was a leading Cancer surgeon.....so a few were great to see and since this was a little pre-facebook was great to catch up with them even if we werent overly close. However when the beer ran out, it seemed me and my buddy bought the next two 1/2 barrels..... lame

20 year - eh.... FB was a thing, so pretty much just went to see a few friends I knew were in town, wasnt as much to catch up with. Talked to one that just got out of Federal Prison for running drugs, his claim to fame was he went through Intake with Michael Vick. He knew what I did for a living so he didnt brag or glorify it any. Just spoke on the reality of it all. Since I didnt live in the same town anymore, was still good to see some people.

25 I made a very brief appearance with my wife, we had a beer shook a few hands and then split. Now with FB I was in touch with those I wanted to be in touch with - the rest. Not so much.

I skipped my 30th - no real reason, just had something better to do I guess.

I still am in touch with a handful of HS friends, so really no reason to visit others anyways....when I am in that town I run into a few now and then. Odd how things change, the jocks or the super popular kids may not be so much any more, some of the others as mentioned above went on to do great things.

 

[Under Pressure]

Went to my 20th in 1996, even after what I felt was a short period, I learned too many I knew had passed away from accidents or health issues.
Never went to any more and just prefer to recall memories now and then

 

[Richard Cranium]

last thing I need is to run into any old flames.......

Or flamers.

 

[Skytrooper]

I went to my 5th reunion. That was plenty enough. I realized that I didn't like these people then (mutual feelings I am sure),, and I still felt the same.
While they were busy beating their chests and trying to impress people about their college days. I had completed my hitch in the Navy . I had married a real beauty from 2 classes ahead of me, same school. The way I looked at it, I was leaps and bounds ahead of them in real life. They were just starting their first real jobs in their careers, and were clueless. We had nothing in common. They were still like HS kids.
That was enough for me. I never went to any other subsequent reunions.

 

[mmissile]

Didn't like school. Have no old high-school friends. Never attended a reunion. I like it like that.
Results will vary....

 

[hdwrench]

i’ve never had any desire to attend a re union . very few of my friends from school stayed in our area after graduation. although my best friend from high school and growing up is still my best friend.and he still lives in his families homestead. i got to thinking recently, we been buds for 51 years and never had a spat ! kinda amazing!

 

[Ron H]

Forgot I had posted this now five-months after going to our 50th. The Walleye Pike dinner was better than I expected, no bones.

 

[eldubb440]

I still live where I grew up; and occasionally see someone I went to school with....... it's usually a pretty scary sight

 

[mmissile]

I never recognize people from school. They have to tell me who they are.

 

[JackR]

HS was a long time ago. I still have 3 close buddies that I met in HS. They live in NY, me in Phx. One of them a car guy, he is due here on Wednesday for Barret Jackson and other car stuff events.

I am certain I won't ever do a reunion.

 

[Rebelrouser]

High School reunion this summer. The 50th for my wife and I (HS pair). Wasn’t going to go, last one we went to was #25 and it was about as marvelous as watching paint dry. Some trying to reluctantly say a few words to others outside their old cliques…”Oh I remember you, how are you?” Then the awkward looking around or sipping on the cocktail trying to generate any more useful conversation. Lol.

There are around four buds from HS that I still see. All of us are old car guys. Well, here’s how getting sucked into this went: One bud’s wife, also from HS, texts my wife pleading with her to ‘talk me into going’. Part a that is her hubby didn’t want to go knowing I didn’t. Same deal with another bud. She tells my wife he’s going; but come to find out, nope he’s not. WTF. 50 years and this is the 2nd reunion I’ll be attending – we’ll all look like we belong in a senior citizen home and congregate around the people we still associate with anyway. Can do the same **** going out to dinner.
If anyone can lemme know why attending sounds appealing great.

My 50th is coming up this fall as well. I imagine the majority that will show up will be the locals who did not move away, small town 3,000 people. I have a couple health problems that just cropped up but I still look a lot younger than I am. I am just interested in how everybody held physically up and what they did with their lives after 50 years. Like I said at least 1/2 will be locals I know, and we will have a drink and just talk. Our basketball team won the state championship that year, in the past, the jocks made the reunions about themselves, but that stopped about 20 years ago. I have been to most of the reunions every 5 years. To me it is just interesting to see what decisions people made for their lives and how they turned out. I know my two children made some of the same decisions that I did that did not work so well for me, but worked great for them, so who knows the luck involved?

 

[Ron H]

To me it is just interesting to see what decisions people made for their lives and how they turned out.

Yeah I talked with a couple people I hadn’t seen since HS, weird looking at them pushing 70 when the last time I laid eyes on them they were teenagers; especially some of the pretty fun-loving gals now grandmothers. That’s life. Most stayed with the people they know/knew most of the time, and did the same. Few seemed inclined to mingle outside their circles much. Dozen or so did make the trip from far away to attend the reunion, most didn’t. Old HS buddy and wife living in AZ, attended, but they visit here in summers anyway staying in touch with them. Lol, most looked like I remember my grandparents back then. And of course, a longer list of those who’ve since passed.

 

[guy gadbois]

Interestingly, I've been thinking about this lately. I think there was a 45th for my class this last year - don't know. Don't do faceberg and the only people from HS that I am in touch with don't either/cared about as little about it as I did. My best bud and I still talk all the time - been friends since we were 13 - even tho he no longer lives here. I go by and see his mom with regularity tho.


I only knew of the 10 year and the 25. I found out about the 10 year well after; some girl walked up to me in the grocery store one day, called me by name, asked how I was and asked if I went to the reunion. I answered 'no' and asked her if she went. She said she went to just one event for awhile. I asked her how it was. She answered, "Oh, I just went to see how some people were doing." So naturally I enquired as to how that went; "Oh, the fat girls have all gotten skinny and the skinny girls have all gotten fat! OK - nice to see you, bye!" and off she walked. Still have NO idea who she was.


Somehow my friend Johnny knew about the 25th early on and suggested we go. My answer was "Hey... I didn't like those people then, why would I want to hang around them / what makes you think I would like them now?" he continued to pester about it , saying we had time to lose the 20 pounds or so we had both put on, could ride our bikes up and take the place by storm. I opined that if he could get his current project done - a 110' Harley-ish aftermarket bike - that I would consider. My Triumph was fine and ready...


I knew I was safe.


But recently, I've really begun to think about this. While its true that there were really few people there that I thought much of - 4 in total, of which one is Johnny, one is dead, one MIA and the other whacked completely out - there is still a sort of 'bond' with those folk. Be it merely shared experience, shared lives in the same basic place and time or just plain nostalgia, there is some bond. Plus I AM curious what a few of the girls look like... I usually arrived late to school, left early and left in the middle when I could get away with it, participated in no 'school activities' and really didn't socialise with many outside of 'car and bike' subculture groups. And darn few of those. Yet, even tho I will have naught to next to nothing to converse with any of them about, should I or the world still exist in any semblance of 'normal' / current form, I am considering attending the 50th if one happens. Can't really explain it, but I'm thinking about it...

 

[Charger72]

Anybody I need to see from HS would still be in my life, never went, never will.

 

[68BabyBlue]

Interestingly, I've been thinking about this lately. I think there was a 45th for my class this last year - don't know. Don't do faceberg and the only people from HS that I am in touch with don't either/cared about as little about it as I did. My best bud and I still talk all the time - been friends since we were 13 - even tho he no longer lives here. I go by and see his mom with regularity tho.


I only knew of the 10 year and the 25. I found out about the 10 year well after; some girl walked up to me in the grocery store one day, called me by name, asked how I was and asked if I went to the reunion. I answered 'no' and asked her if she went. She said she went to just one event for awhile. I asked her how it was. She answered, "Oh, I just went to see how some people were doing." So naturally I enquired as to how that went; "Oh, the fat girls have all gotten skinny and the skinny girls have all gotten fat! OK - nice to see you, bye!" and off she walked. Still have NO idea who she was.


Somehow my friend Johnny knew about the 25th early on and suggested we go. My answer was "Hey... I didn't like those people then, why would I want to hang around them / what makes you think I would like them now?" he continued to pester about it , saying we had time to lose the 20 pounds or so we had both put on, could ride our bikes up and take the place by storm. I opined that if he could get his current project done - a 110' Harley-ish aftermarket bike - that I would consider. My Triumph was fine and ready...


I knew I was safe.


But recently, I've really begun to think about this. While its true that there were really few people there that I thought much of - 4 in total, of which one is Johnny, one is dead, one MIA and the other whacked completely out - there is still a sort of 'bond' with those folk. Be it merely shared experience, shared lives in the same basic place and time or just plain nostalgia, there is some bond. Plus I AM curious what a few of the girls look like... I usually arrived late to school, left early and left in the middle when I could get away with it, participated in no 'school activities' and really didn't socialise with many outside of 'car and bike' subculture groups. And darn few of those. Yet, even tho I will have naught to next to nothing to converse with any of them about, should I or the world still exist in any semblance of 'normal' / current form, I am considering attending the 50th if one happens. Can't really explain it, but I'm thinking about it...

For folks who haven't attended earlier reunions, I think there's a morbid curiosity factor. The 50th I attended had people coming out of the woodwork, I'm guessing as many as half the attendees hadn't shown up for any of the earlier ones. Most of whom I didn't like back then, and 50 years didn't change that. I wouldn't go so far as say my own experience was fun, but I'm glad I went. What I did get out of it, was validation of the odd road I traveled through life. It was particularly excruciating, and enlightening, listening to another attorney pontificate about his career. Made it clear to me I made the right move when I ditched private law practice early in the game.

 

[Ray70Chrg]

Went to a all-Boys HS, so not sure that reunions were even held. Do keep in touch with 3 shipmates from the Navy. Used to be more of us, but time has taken its toll.

 

[Ron H]

I think there's a morbid curiosity factor

Likely posted already; but my plan was not to go and my wife I met in the same class didn’t seem to care one way or the other, despite her being in the more popular girls crowd. Could be having something to do with the lost beauty of youth. Well chit, who hasn’t? Never met or saw anyone who looks better nearing 70 than they did when 40, with or without plastic surgery. Genetics can be kinder to some. I went a long time looking younger than my age, up until maybe a decade ago, and same with a couple gals I knew. Nope, NO longer the case. Agree it could be curiosity of sorts, maybe thinking the last opportunity. As it worked out, got talked into going by a close bud’s wife in our class with some please-pleading and didn’t want to be an asshole about it. No plans anyway to make an excuse and the dinner was good, lol.

 

[68BabyBlue]

Forgot I had posted this now five-months after going to our 50th. The Walleye Pike dinner was better than I expected, no bones.

Walleye for dinner alone eclipses any reunion I’ve attended. Costs almost 40 bucks per pound where I live.