high school reunions

[MommaTrish]

Let's talk high school reunions.

Mine (and the husband's and my brother's, lol) is in June so planning for it is in full swing, and the planners want everyone going to be registered soon. But the problem is my brother and I can't decide if we want to go and pay (it'll be a bit over $100/person) as all of the people we liked we still talk to at least on Facebook. Why pay that much to basically catch up with the people you didn't like? And the husband is basically saying he disliked 95% of our class, so he'll leave it up to us.

What are your thoughts on reunions, especially with Facebook around keeping people connected like they weren't before?

[adi&co.]

I would never go, lol! I disliked 90% of my classmates and the few I liked are on my facebook. No way am I going to pay to sit and watch all the people I disliked have fun while I brood in a corner.

[jacinda]

I didn't attend any of my reunions. Just didn't interest me.

[SeattleSheri]

I loved my reunions and my husband's too -- we went to different schools. While I agree FB and other social media venues take some of the mystery out of it, I still thought they were fun. I'm super extroverted though, so I like socializing in general. Most of the time, there have been informal meet ups the day before or after, so maybe you could go to that instead?

[Libby Pritchett]

We've only had a 10 year so far, but I didn't go. Undecided if I'll go to the 20 year... probably depends on how good I look in a dress at that point.

Seriously though, there are a few people I'd like to see again, but they were the shy introverts like me, so who knows if they'd even be at the reunion? LOL

I actually graduated a year before my class (even though I'm technically still the class of 96, I didn't attend my senior year). So, there's that whole weird vibe... there's a whole year of high school memories that we don't share. I'm not sure that I'd fit in anyway.

[MommaTrish]

Ours is a whole weekend affair (an event each day) and Saturday is a family picnic.
And of course Arthur would have to go with me to all of it.

[rach3975]

Depends. I went to 2 high schools. One I've never been interested in going to a reunion. For the other I went to my 10th and my 20th, and they were a lot of fun. I had a wonderful, close group of friends in that high school, but we're scattered up and down the East Coast now. We're all FB friends, but those 2 reunions are the only time that a bunch of us have been together in about 15 years. Even though I know the facts of their life from FB, it's not the same as all being together. So for me it was worth going even though I was going to reconnect with a very specific group of people who I knew were going. It also helped that the reunion was in the town where my parents live during a holiday weekend when we were going to be there anyway. Don't know if I would have traveled just for the reunion, since that gets expensive.

[mariewilcox]

I went to my 10th and 30th and it was okay - there were only 42 kids in my graduating class (small prep school) and I keep in touch with a lot of them. Our reunions aren't a big expensive formal affair though - about 25 to 30 show up and we have them at a small venue where basically we just pay for our meal and socialize after.

Now, I went to a reunion a couple years ago for my Jr, High School (sounds odd, I know!) but these were the kids I actually grew up with since birth and the ones who I keep in touch with the most on FB - this reunion was a total blast! There were about 60 of us (around 90 were in my 8th grade class) and we had it at someone's home - a big BBQ/pool party one summer afternoon/evening. It was such a success that we're doing it again this summer and I'm looking forward to it.

[kristijoy]

All of our highschool reunions (mine and DH - we went to the same highschool but different years) were totally lame. Sitting in loud bars or pool halls. Not.my.thing. That just isn't a way to catch up in my mind. We went to one. Passed on all the others.

My parents generation has always done wonderful ones with outdoor picnics at a park where you could bring your kids. That to me in my mind would be so much better. Informal, hanging out, maybe BBQ'ing, playing some outdoor games. That sounds like a way to connect with people.

Maire...I totally LOVE the idea of a outdoor pool party!

[nesser1981]

They did a 10 & an informal 15 for my class. I didn't make it to either of them. But I'll be at the 20th.

[littlekiwi]

Its 10 years for me next year but I doubt anything would happen. A 20 year reunion I would be interested in though.

[Lyd]

We had a 5 year reunion that was LAME, so I skipped the 10. I went to the 20, though, and it was a blast! I was eight months pregnant and super puffy because of preeclampsia that was starting to crop up. I even had to get up in front and make a little presentation, which is really not my thing. And, still, it was so much fun! I keep in touch with a lot of people on FB, but it's not the same as actually being together. It was so fun to see people again. I think it's even better after a decent amount of time has gone by. Everyone has grown up a bit. They've had their own struggles and challenges, and it just makes everyone a little more relatable than they might have been in high school. I'm looking forward to the next one.

[carrie1977]

I didn't go to my ten year and I won't go to my twenty year....my reasons are completely different though. My ex-boyfriend that stalked me after I broke up with him ended up marrying a girl I went to school with. The thought of having to see him makes my stomach turn....shoot just randomly seeing him around town makes my stomach turn. That being said though, I'm not sure I have any desire to go even if he wasn't a factor.

[nietis]

i haven't been to the 5 or the 10 years, because it's too far... I went to high school in Aussie and I was studying in UK afterwards... So it's more because of the costs really... I'd really love to come back one day, since it's the school that organises it every 5 years, but not sure when I can really come...

[MamaBee]

I wanted to be one of those that you see listed as "Couldn't be Contacted!" hahaha... however I have two uncles with nieces in my class - so they know where to find me... but I loathed high school - it was a means to the end.

They had scheduled a 5 year - which I think ended up as a bar hop... then came the 10 year and no on wanted to attend... and then finally the 20th this past year - no one cared... hahahaha... classic. I graduated with 75 kids - at least 1/2 still live in the area... then there is probably 10 that are in jail... and a few that have passed away.

DH had his a few years back - his 20 was a bar hop, too... he is friends with almost his whole class (like 24 kids) on facebook - only those that still lived in the area and it was a beerfest....

[emmasmommy]

I'm a big. fat. HELL TO THE NO.
lesson learned the hard way

[NeverendingJen]

Mine is next year, not sure I will attend as I haven't heard anything about it yet. considering we have to travel 900 miles to go, its really iffy. if it happens to coordinate with a planend trip we might go

[MommaTrish]

Well, like $70 (if I'm remembering correctly) is going just to some fancy restaurant for dinner the last night - which means that better actually cover the food too! I'm just not sure. The first night is at a bar, the second day is the family picnic, and the last day the restaurant. If nothing else we might go to the the family picnic (which would still be like $70 for all of us - $15 per adult, $10 per child over 3). I just don't know at this point. I kind of also don't want to be the weirdo who brings her baby to the fancy things or the weirdo with 5 kids at the 10 year reunion. lol

[pewtertm]

I didn't go to either of mine...cost being one reason, the cliques being the other. I do have a few friends that went and according to them, it was the same old, same old with the "in crowd"...no appeal to me.

[JulieB146]

Super not interested. Even if I wanted to go, I'm 3000 miles away. So not worth the trip to see folks I'm not interested in, other than a profile on FB.

[Deannaj]

I haven't attended any of mine--but I live in California, and attended school in Michigan--so a big trip would be necessary. I do keep in touch with "the important to me" people though on facebook, and would love to see a few of them, but definitely not in a bar, or big dinner or anything!! Now, throw in a beach party or bbq or something like that, and MAYBE! I just think that when I went to high school everybody was warned about NOT drinking and then the first reunion letter said byob. I don't want to be around that. I don't have to drink to have a good time--people act stupid when they are drinking. So nope, won't go.

[lauren grier]

I've refused to attend mine so far. Anyone I actually care about I still communicate with, then there's fb for stalking people I don't actually like but want to spy on their lives...... I'm all set Plus, I hated most of the people at my highschool, I am Sooooooooo not up for comparing how our lives are now.

[MissKim]

I haven't attended any -- 10, 15, 20 or 25. And no plans to do so. I can't even remember the last time I actually saw anyone from my class. My parents no longer live in the town where I grew up, my senior year I was better friends with underclassmen than my own classmates, and I just live a different life than most of them. I don't think we ever had that much in common and we certainly don't any longer. I'm friends with some of them on Facebook but they found me. I don't use my maiden name on Facebook so they have to be detectives to find me, and I've never added anyone. I don't mind seeing what they're doing, but I don't really care either. Oh, I should add that the reunions are on Memorial Day weekend so I always just schedule us on vacation that weekend when I know a reunion is coming... good excuse.

My DH is even more of an introvert than I am and he'd rather do about anything than go to a reunion. He just throws any invitations away.

[glumirk]

Um, my 10-year was cancelled due to lack of interest last year...in a class of over 500. Hahaha!

I can see where it may be fun to catch up with people, but honestly most of my friends were my friends because we were in the same classes (I was on the honors/AP track, so it was the same 25-30 kids in most of my classes) and worked well together. We had different ideas of how to spend time on the weekend, and have probably just gone further apart.

[SweetMelissa]

My ten year one is in 2016 and I'm honestly on the fence about if I want to go. I know someone who had theirs this year (from the same school) and it was a lot of free events (which was cool) but then there was a fancy $80 per person dinner at a restaurant that was an hour north of where we live (and where the school is located). If that's the case in 2016 then I'll do the free stuff and skip the big fancy dinner.

[crecia27]

I've enjoyed the 2 I went to, but I'd never pay $100 a person! Like you I already keep up with almost all that matter so why invest that much money in a crap shoot!

[Kara]

I'm much more interested in my college reunions than my high school ones. My 15 year reunion for college was a blast. I skipped the 10 and 20 year HS reunions but I was told that the 20 year was totally worth it. I just couldn't see spending money we didn't have to go.

[Sherri Tierney]

I would totally go if it was feasible. I live in Kansas and graduated in Arizona. I work at a school and our reunions are always during Homecoming week. Not only would I have to take time off work when it was inconvenient, but I would have to travel. I have a lot of great friends from high school that I would love to see...

DH graduated a year after me. It would be even more ridiculous to try to go to his one year and mine the next.