Class reunions

[MomH]

I just got home from a class reunion. Will someone tell me how most of my classmates got old and I didn't? I mean 47 years isn't such a long time is it?

It is a sure thing that most are no longer party people. It started breaking up about 9 PM. You know me -- I'm often on this forum at 2 AM.

Anyway it was fun and I enjoyed seeing everyone even if I couldn't recognize most of them.

[Miss Mary]

Reunions....ah, but they're so much fun! It's nice to see old friends but it's hard to call it a night.

My last one, 30th, was from 7 to 11 p.m. But in a rather unsafe part of downtown Cincinnati. So many were leary to continue on, closing a nearby nightclub that most went home! I couldn't believe it either!!!

Maybe an afternoon luncheon is needed for my 35th!!! So we're all awake!

Mary

[streetsoldier]

Never been to one...too many bad memories.

[azskyman]

Well, I went to 5 and 15. The 40th would have been last year, but it was a joint venture with the classes of 1959 to 1969. I did watch the video and in fact, like you, saw some people who got very old while I stayed pretty much the same. Must be this desert air that keeps me so young!

Glad you had a good time.

My wife is still on the committee for hers every five years in spite of asking one of her classmates when the baby was due (even though she wasn't pregnant) from the podium at her 10th reunion! Thought maybe that would end her reign...but instead it just adjusted her tongue a little for the 15th etc..

We would be ones to stay til midnight or so...but doubt we'd go out to breakfast after that.

My how time flies.

My oldest son has his 15th this year...how can that be? I just had mine!

[beenthru6]

I only went to my 10th, and my 25th is this year. I probably won't go. I was very dissapointed in my 10th, as most of them still only wanted to get drunk and act like idiots. We only had about 200 in my graduating class, and it was very clickish. I lost being voted most changed by a narrow margin, but I didn't think I had really changed (except my hair,) but a lot of people thought I had (the guy who won had lost around a hundred pounds). There were a few old friends who came that I was happy to see, but one has since committed suicide, and we have several that died in car wrecks and one who was murdered by her husband. Very sad.

[Miss Mary]

I think I am very fortunate to have gone to school with a great group of friends. We went to an all girl Catholic HS, graduating class totaling 234. The group I hung out with I'm still friends with today and I often ask them if I was looking thru rose colored glasses back then. We all got along so well and I just don't remember two faced or back stabbing situations. When I ask this question, they all quickly agree - how lucky we were and yes, we did get along well. It wasn't my imagination. I like how one friend of mine puts it too - Mary, we were just there in the middle ya know....we weren't the smart kids, but we were happy where we were. We knew our place, what lines not to cross. You could talk to this popular girl at school or an after school function, it was just understood you didn't call her or expect to hang out with her on weekends. Again, the lines were drawn but they seemed to be gently drawn. If that makes sense. I just think I fell into a very good class of girls (1974). Even our popular girls were very nice. Serously, I mean that.

That said, I had two nemesis to face at reunions. One was silly, she hardly ever came to them. I dated her husband a handful of times and I'd run into her a doctor's office she worked at. The icy stares and curt responses I got each time, could give you chills on a 90 degree day! Here she was at this last 30th reunion and so nice to me. I kept thinking in my head - huh, is this really Leslie, talking to ME? She asked me to sit down next to her and we spent a half hour talking! Her husband and mine work in two businesses side by side, told her that. We both laughed. She never said - I used to hate you! But we got past that.

Next.....to my biggest nemesis - the one that almost broke up my relationship with my ex. I wish now she had!!! Anyways, here she stood and she hadn't come to a reunion since our 10th (this was my 30th, you know I'm an old fart). I just felt so happy to see her, b/c before him, we were the best of friends. I hugged her on the spot. She looked stunned - hey, I try not to hold grudges. She is one person I've really wanted to see at subsequent reunions. All evening long she kept coming up to me, sitting at my group's table - the more the merrier we said (see, that nice group is still nice). Meanwhile my friends looked over - look at that, Mary and Sherry, together again after all these years. This is going to sound very wacky but we hugged about 10 times that night. Yeah, the beer was flowing too...he he. She'd say things like - ya know my dad never trusted him. And I'd say - smart man. Then we'd both mutter - why weren't WE so smart? Then she'd hug me saying - you got away!!!! Yeah!!! Boy if he had walked into that reunion, I think there might have been a line forming to punch out my ex-husband. There were plenty more in attendance who hate him too now!!! Well, hate's a strong word.....but he's not well liked anymore! Long story short, we exchanged phone numbers and promised to call eachother. My group gets together a lot and we have really missed seeing her group (friends from her grade school days) at functions (our HS has annual all class reunions, they offer a 2 hour happy hour, bring back old teachers, open the school and it's called simply Raid the Halls, lots of fun!).

So that was a very nice surprise. I carpooled with 2 of my friends and we all kept saying on the way home - Sherry and you....friends again....we all smiled then. Take that you miserable ex of mine....he he.

I'm sincerely sorry for anyone who avoids their HS reunion. One thing I have learned is long ago grudges truly are a blur sometimes. Maybe it's b/c you're so old you forget why you argued in the first place or you just decide to be nice. I don't know. But my 2 old 'enemies' talked to me!!!

Mary

[MomH]

I graduated from a very small school. In fact, the elementary kids didn't move out of our building until my Jr. year. Only 52 in my Senior Class. The class of 60 (my brother's) started a tradition at their first reunion of asking the classes two years ahead and two years behind to participate. They have done it every 5 years since then. So many of the gang in '60 had brothers and sisters either two years older or younger that it made good sence for everyone to come home at the same time. On Fiday night someone in town hosts a get together for their year. Saturday night everyone gets together for a banquet and Sunday afternoon their is usually a buffet or picnic for everyone.

I had not planned to go. I did not think I could handle all the condolences I would receive and felt it might put a damper on the festivities. The friend giving the get together called a couple of times to encourage me to come. I finally agreed to go late if she would warn everyone not to say anything. They didn't -- just a lot of hugs which I could handle.

[MGC]

I attended my 10th and 20th but skipped my 30th. Funny, but the same people who hung out together in HS grouped right back up during the reunions. Very little mingling and cross socializing. I talked with my group. I had to laugh though, the macho jocks were now all fat and bald, the hot babes all had half a dozen kids and been divorced three or four times. Me, I've maybe gained 20 pounds since I graduated despite having three wonderful children. I'm happy I'm me.....MGC

[pojo]

We supposedly have our 5th, but the story seems pretty fishy.... If you understand my class officers, you'll know why. Anyways, one of my good friends told me about the supposed reunion... I wasn't notified... gee what a surprise there! There were too many 'arseholes' in my HS that I care not to see again.

[vbhoutex]

Went to the 20th and "enjoyed" it. It was very interesting to see the changes in my class. Some/most were still cliqueish and definitely had no reason to be!!! Went to the 30th and I will not be back. Everyone except for a few had really grown "old" but still tried to act like it was 1969. I just can't handle that. I didn't have a lot of friends in the school anyway even though we graduated 605 that year. I have better things to do than act like I am having fun with people whom I really don't know and who care about me as much as I care about them. I'm not into faking it. It is great to read the happy stories of reunions. Too bad mine haven't turned out like that. I tried to take them that way, but I guess old habits die hard or you can't teach an old fart new tricks. Don't get me wrong. I can and will party with the best of them. I just don't consider those people the best of them. Now if it was an S2K party !!!!!

[Kim_in_MN]

Well, I went to my 10th and had a blast. We were supposed to have our 20th last summer, but no one got organized and called a meeting to plan it; why is it that the guys think the women have to do all of the planning, but they are the ones complaining that we DIDN'T have the reunion?

My class only had 36 graduates, so there weren't really any cliques.

Kim

[LaPlaceFF]

My 20th is supposed to be this year. I'm wondering if my class is even having one.

[BreinLa]

My 10th was going through a divorce from my high school sweetheart, no fun. My 20th was remarried and pregers for my daughter, couldn't act up, drink or anything. My 30th man did I make up for the last two hehehehe My 35th this year and can't wait!!!!!!!

[JenBayles]

Never been to one...too many bad memories.

I'm with you streets! <shudders in horror>

[Swimdude]

Never been to one.

But...

Maybe that's because I haven't graduated yet.



I'll be a Senior next year.

[GrimReaper]

I'm with streetsoldier and JenBayles: I didn't like most of my classmates back then.... can't think of one good reason to see them 20 years later!!!!!!!

[hurricanefreak1988]

Well, I can't blame them if they don't want to meet you, considering you're the Grim Reaper and all.

[Radar]

I was treated badly in High School so I wont be going to mine either. This year will be my 20th high school reunion. However, it did give me some satisfaction when last summer I was back in my hometown and I saw the head cheerleader/homecoming queen (who treated me so badly) at the drug store and I didnt recognize her she is aging so badly and she recognized me and marveled at how young I looked and said how terrific I looked. Her kids were with her and they were acting bratty, my kids were with me and acting well behaved. It did give me a brief moment of pride but it didnt erase all the pain she and several others had put me through in high school... Needless to say the ones I have been friends with in high school we are still in contact and will have our own reunion minus the mean girls....

[streetsoldier]

To give you some idea, the friends I had in junior/senior high school I could count on one finger of one hand...she doesn't go to reunions, either.

College, though, is something else...still keep in contact with many of those people.

[coriolis]

Well, to put things in perspective for me - my dad was the assistant principal. I didn't smoke, drink, or party and I did well in my classes. So how popular would that make me then? (It was a different story in college - I earned the nickname "Ed the Head" and barely scraped through, gradewise)

The only saving grace in high school was that I did sports and had some good freinds through that. I went to my 15th, and it was ok. Some of the people who didn't like me much then opened up. I'd have to think that the most popular ones back then would feel the most need to keep up appearances later. It is fun to see how people age: the wallflowers who blossomed, the queens who went downhill, the jocks who got fat and dumpy.... My 30th will be in two years. I think that I'll try to go.