MR

I just found out that my 20 year high school reunion is in May. I have mixed emotions about attending for a number of reasons. Partly due to a lack of money, just the $30 attendance fee alone is a financial stretch for me at this point in time. Then there is the thought of facing all those people most of whom, with the exception of a handful, made my life a living hell. Think Carrie without the final blood shed.

Take away all that, and then there are the questions to be answered. Are you married? No. Did you ever marry? No. Any children? No. Are you a relationship? Not at present. What do you do for a living? I'm an office manager. What? You aren't an actress?

I think you get the point. By the twentieth year you are supposed to have accomplished something. Me? I don't feel I have accomplished anything. All my fault of course. The few talents I had (I used to be a pretty great writer. At least all all my high school teachers and college professors said so), I squandered.

My question for all of you is, did you or do you plan on attending your 20 year high school reunion? If yes, why? If no, why not? Those that said no, did you regret not attending later?

Thanks for reading.

Doesn't sound like you should go.

Yes, went. I'd say, "Go." Maturity happens.

I've never attended one and never had the desire to. My junior high and high school years were in a lot of different schools. My senior year was divided between two schools. I just never got that close to very many people at school.

I think the bigger question is finding peace with who and what you are. This is the pot calling the kettle black cause I'm the same way, but you can't approach situations in life worried about what others think. All those questions are not about a reunion, but about your feelings about yourself. The only reunion questions should be about the money to attend and if there is any worthwhile experience in store for you, not about your position and marital status.

Just my two cents.

scarygirl wrote:I just found out that my 20 year high school reunion is in May. I have mixed emotions about attending for a number of reasons. Partly due to a lack of money, just the $30 attendance fee alone is a financial stretch for me at this point in time. Then there is the thought of facing all those people most of whom, with the exception of a handful, made my life a living hell. Think Carrie without the final blood shed.

Take away all that, and then there are the questions to be answered. Are you married? No. Did you ever marry? No. Any children? No. Are you a relationship? Not at present. What do you do for a living? I'm an office manager. What? You aren't an actress?

I think you get the point. By the twentieth year you are supposed to have accomplished something. Me? I don't feel I have accomplished anything. All my fault of course. The few talents I had (I used to be a pretty great writer. At least all all my high school teachers and college professors said so), I squandered.

My question for all of you is, did you or do you plan on attending your 20 year high school reunion? If yes, why? If no, why not? Those that said no, did you regret not attending later?

Thanks for reading.

My 10 year reunion is coming up sometime this summer and I've been asking myself that same question. I was kind of a shy geek in high school (still are ) and had a very small group of friends. Everybody else either treated me like garbage or acted like I didn't exist and being in a small class of only 40 people didn't make it any easier. The last thing I want to do is spend an evening with people I, for the most part, hated. Two college degrees are my only real accomplishments and I don't want to have to explain why I'm working at Kmart and still job hunting. This too is my own fault, I pissed away a golden opportunity at PSU because of my immaturity, by the time I pulled my head out of my ass it was a little too late.

I think you should rent an awesome limo, hire a male exotic dancer (with an accent), go find you a bang-up dress, and walk through that place like you OWN it!!! Tell them you own a couple of companies overseas and just spend your time doing what you enjoy, while being a millionaire. Hell, take out a loan if you have to, but MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!

I never understood the whole high school reunion thing. What's the point? I have no curiosity about anyone I went to high school with.

My 20 yr is in 6 years.

I am the Class of '93 so my 20 year reunion is next year.... Matter of fact i have no desire to go but no real reason except it just isn't my thing i guess.I wasn't a nerd,wasn't popular,wasn't pretty much anything but out of everyone's way doing my own thing minding my own business.Could be fun but i'd rather be home doing things with my kids and family.

G.I.Jim wrote:I think you should rent an awesome limo, hire a male exotic dancer (with an accent), go find you a bang-up dress, and walk through that place like you OWN it!!! Tell them you own a couple of companies overseas and just spend your time doing what you enjoy, while being a millionaire. Hell, take out a loan if you have to, but MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!

Yeah, because the I invented POST ITs idea has already been taken.

Nope, didn't go to mine.

Best thing was I found out that I was listed as among the people the organizing committee couldn't find.

Despite living in town, living in the same place, with the same phone number and coaching the kids of a few of the people I went to high school with.

I've disappeared. YES!

scarygirl wrote:My question for all of you is, did you or do you plan on attending your 20 year high school reunion? If yes, why? If no, why not? Those that said no, did you regret not attending later?

I haven't been to a single one of mine, but almost went to the last one, and might go to the next. I wasn't popular in high school either, but I had my group of friends. I wouldn't be too shy about seeing most people I knew or knew of - especially if plenty of alcohol is involved, lol.

But keep this in mind when you say we're supposed to have accomplished something after 20 years. That can be fulfilling to some, but not necessary to enjoying your life on your own terms. Take me for example - I tend to think the way our world works is B.S. - people with narcissistic and paranoid personality disorders seek positions of power where they get to set the rules for everyone else, in order to benefit themselves at the expense of everyone else. Politicians, CEO's, and people on several levels on down the chain. The sad thing is, so many people line up to be sheep for these people and think that's where their self-worth is. I just can't live my life that way - I want to live it on my own terms, and screw what anyone thinks about it. One less sheep for them to slaughter, lol.

I can't give you false hope and tell you people won't judge you, but keep this in mind - people are masters of putting on happy and successful faces. Who knows how many of them are really happy? They may have miserable marriages, have sociopathic kids, crap jobs, be under an unclimbable mountain of debt -- all because they were driven to keep up with the Joneses and meet what they felt everyone else expected them to be.

If someone gives you any stick, you can always pull out a trump card -- that at least you aren't going to burn in Hell like they are! Hahahahaha!

If you don't feel comfortable, don't go, but don't write it off completely - hey, take a friend and have a drink or two, and you might just have a blast. If anything else, sit there and people watch, and feel good about who you are. Best of luck to you!

G.I.Jim wrote:I think you should rent an awesome limo, hire a male exotic dancer (with an accent), go find you a bang-up dress, and walk through that place like you OWN it!!! Tell them you own a couple of companies overseas and just spend your time doing what you enjoy, while being a millionaire. Hell, take out a loan if you have to, but MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!

Yes, just like "Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion"!

If someone gives you any stick, you can always pull out a trump card -- that at least you aren't going to burn in Hell like they are! Hahahahaha!

So it took me twenty years and the invention of youtube to figure it out, but I just realized something: Slaughter's album Stick it To Ya, the one I played in my cassette deck over and over as a teenager, all the songs are exactly THE SAME! Holy crap, Slaughter SUCKS!!!!!

Yes folks, I have MATURED!!!!

Angiekay wrote:

DRFU is spot on. The only reason people ask those questions is because they have the same insecurites they had 20 years ago. You're not married and don't have kids...THAT will make them envious!!! LOL! While they are struggling to keep a marriage afloat, kids under control and trying not to gain weight and look old and fat, they will covent your freedom! I went to my ten and 20th....we had SOOO much fun at our 20th, even more so then the 10th, because we were all light years more mature and there really didn't seem to be those boundaries and cliches that there were in high school and that were barely there at the 10th. This year is my 25th and I am going and looking forward to it tremendously! These people, good or bad, were the building blocks of your life...I guess I'm lucky to have a good relationship with almost everyone in my class(even better then we could have guessed 25 years ago because of Facebook).

I would encourage you to go. I think you would regret not going to at least ONE of your reunions. Who knows, maybe it will heal some wounds. If not....at least you can say you tried and you never have to go to another one.

I actually went to my ten year reunion. It wasn't horrible, but the cliques were still there.

Angiekay wrote:

DRFU is spot on. The only reason people ask those questions is because they have the same insecurites they had 20 years ago. You're not married and don't have kids...THAT will make them envious!!! LOL! While they are struggling to keep a marriage afloat, kids under control and trying not to gain weight and look old and fat, they will covent your freedom! I went to my ten and 20th....we had SOOO much fun at our 20th, even more so then the 10th, because we were all light years more mature and there really didn't seem to be those boundaries and cliches that there were in high school and that were barely there at the 10th. This year is my 25th and I am going and looking forward to it tremendously! These people, good or bad, were the building blocks of your life...I guess I'm lucky to have a good relationship with almost everyone in my class(even better then we could have guessed 25 years ago because of Facebook).

I would encourage you to go. I think you would regret not going to at least ONE of your reunions. Who knows, maybe it will heal some wounds. If not....at least you can say you tried and you never have to go to another one.

Great post and I agree with this ^^^ You never know what might happen. Maybe you'll run into someone who's interested in you and never had the nerve to ask you out. Just go!!!

Peartree12249 wrote:I never understood the whole high school reunion thing. What's the point? I have no curiosity about anyone I went to high school with.

^^^^^^^This.


All the people from "back then" that I still want/need to talk to, I already do exactly that. No need to piss away money on travel and "admission" to some rented ballroom to talk and get drunk. I can do that anytime.

verslibre wrote:

You could wait for # 30 ... by then ( at mine) most of the women had the kids raised and had lost weight, found decent hairstylists, and were wearing cute clothes. The guys mostly looked like hammered shit.



Bonus: by that age no one can hold a grudge because they can't remember it ...

scarygirl wrote:
Take away all that, and then there are the questions to be answered. Are you married? No. Did you ever marry? No. Any children? No. Are you a relationship? Not at present. What do you do for a living? I'm an office manager. What? You aren't an actress?

I think you get the point. By the twentieth year you are supposed to have accomplished something. Me? I don't feel I have accomplished anything. All my fault of course.

Thanks for reading.

Its the answer to those questions that are causing concern, needlessly. Its ok not to marry or not have children and an office manager sounds good to me. Your not an actress ? here's a secret everyone is acting, the world is a stage so ham it up just like others on the night.
Where is the rule that says you must accomplish something and who sets the standard ? Most people are only interested in talking about themselves and will at least exaggerate and embellish their answers ( you can too ) so let it all go over your head, its a game. If you do go play along and have fun, its all good.

I didn't go to the 10 year reunion, finishing up school and getting my life on. Went to the 20th and it wasn't bad. Seen a lot of people that I'll probably never see again. The friends I had from high school are still that, my friends. Talk to them weekly or every other week. The others from school, you know them and thats it. I would go if I were you, especially if there's free booze all night long like ours.

Rick wrote:I've never attended one and never had the desire to. My junior high and high school years were in a lot of different schools. My senior year was divided between two schools. I just never got that close to very many people at school.

This pretty much sums up my answer as well.

I spent my entire school years in one school system, with the same classmates. That said, I've never attended any of the reunions and never really had the desire to do so. The only reason people go to those, for the most part, are to see who's gotten fat, bald, or both, and then compare themselves to others' jobs so they might have a shot at feeling better about their own lot in life. I keep in touch with a few of my classmates on Facebook anyway and occasionally see some of them when I go home for the holidays.

DrFU wrote:You could wait for # 30 ... by then ( at mine) most of the women had the kids raised and had lost weight, found decent hairstylists, and were wearing cute clothes. The guys mostly looked like hammered shit.



Bonus: by that age no one can hold a grudge because they can't remember it ...

False. Everyone knows women get the short end of the aging stick.

I would never go to one of these things. It's just ridiculous.

Heck yeah ...soooo much fun!!
That said, I keep in touch/actually SEE my dearest/best
friends on a regular basis, but not everyone.
I can't imagine not attending, but those were good years/memories.
People should've matured past all HS crap by the ten year reunion,
I cannot imagine being almost 40 and still trying to put on a show.

SG, if you come up w/the funds, GO!! Most actresses have been
married and divorced 10 times by this point anyway ...

I went to my 15 year reunion a few years ago and I wish I did not go. It was nothing more than a show off your kids show as they allowed everyone to bring their entire family along. It was weird and of course made people like me who does not have any kids feel like I was not welcome. It was kinda funny all the people who didnt have kids were all kinda talking on one side and the other side had parents trying to feed their kids and trying to keep them from running around. I will never go to another reunion again, period. Total waste of time and I found that I had nothing in common with these people anymore.