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We just went to one of my 20th High School Reunion events this weekend (yes, after having a huge Carnival Birthday Party, too - we are wiped out!!).

Did anyone else attend theirs? How did everyone look? Any different at all? Did you recognize most?

We went for my 10th Reunion, too. Everyone was basically the same. No real big changes.

We'd heard that the 20th is where you notice huge changes, by then those who are going to have children, usually do and that makes all the difference. lol

Everyone looked exactly the same!! We had a very small class of less than 150 students and everyone knew everyone. It was fun to learn that there were many assistant principals and teachers in our class. Interesting, too, since we all know what everyone did when we were younger!! lol And they are now helping to rear children of schoolmates!

We found that about 87% of my classmates either were still living in town or had moved back. AMAZING since we all talked about our longing to leave such a small town with little to nothing to do. Now, with families, I guess we all realize the value in that.

Anyway, did you see those you wanted to and how was everyone? Most of us noticed that things that we thought were huge issues to us as teens, just didn't matter anymore in the least. Well, we had a good time.

Michelle,
Glad you had a good time at your reunion and it sounds like you had a super busy weekend.

I didn't go to my ten year reunion... my logic was the ones that were important to me I kept in contact with... why would I want to pay money to go see the ones that didn't?! Maybe I'll have a change of heart by my 20 year... who knows. Perhaps I'm just jaded because I've arrested too many old classmates or known of many of them getting arrested and just don't feel like I have anything in common with them anymore.... but hearing you talk does make the nostaglia kick in a little!

quote:

Perhaps I'm just jaded because I've arrested too many old classmates or known of many of them getting arrested and just don't feel like I have anything in common with them anymore

Oh, my! Yikes! Maybe, I see what you are saying.

I didn't have the greatest high school time partly because of my home situation, but I did have some wonderful times inbetween and families who were very good to me.

I went more for the factor of showing that I'd made "it" (still alive) in spite of my living situation. I moved out very early my senior year (I was barely 17), lived with a friend (a couple years older and out of school already) and worked while attending and didn't go to college until many years later (most of my college education came after I married), so I wanted to prove a point for myself and not necessarily to anyone from school, just to myself and life itself that it can be done. I feel proud of what I've accomplished and again, it was so very different going back years later and no one was sweatin' the small stuff anymore. Sharing my family with everyone was nice, too. Some had children much older and others around the same ages. I do keep in touch with a nice handful and the reunion was a good way to actually get together. They come down once a year to visit family, so it works out nicely.

My husband was going to make a CD of '80s songs to listen to along the way - back off he's mine! How sweet is that??!! We got so consumed with Birthday Party stuff and with his schedule didn't get around to it (hey, the thought was there), but we had the radio on to an oldies station and did catch a few goodies. lol

We drove around to see the many, many houses I'd lived in (that one town alone I lived in 7 houses in 2 years - not including others in surrounding towns), church I'd attended, and pre-school I worked at, along with the two schools I attended (again, just in that town), and beach I frequented. It was good to reminisce and show the boys just how fortunate they are from where I'd been, plus some fun things, too.

According to classmates.com they did not get a good response for my 20 yr reunion and the first acitivity didn't even happen someone didn't follow thru with reservations (probably because of the low response) and the Sat event was a picnic and I just had Sophie so I did not attend. I really wanted to see people but those who rsvp'd I didn't recall some of them, so I do not think I missed to much. I see more people logging on to this site and I think if it was planned late summer early fall it would of been a better turn out.
I have talked to a few friends of mine and they didn't even realize it was 20 yrs already

MY 20 YEAR REUNION IS NEXT YEAR, OK I'M TELLING MY AGE. I REALLY CAN'T WAIT TO SEE PEOPLE OR FOR THEM TO SEE ME. I WAS KINDA A DORK. I KNOW WHAT YOUR THINKING, BUT I REALLY WAS. I EVEN WENT TO PROM STAG. SO I CAN'T WAIT, I'M PROBABLY THE ONE WHO HAS CHANGED THE MOST.

I didn't go to 10 year. I wasn't really interested, and had a lot going on. It would have been expensive. I wouldn't mind going to 20 year, even though I didn't have many friends in my grade. It's an excuse to go to NY and see family. I have a cousin who graduated with me and still hangs out with the same people! I just fear that my husband and I will be hanging out by ourselves! I tend to dance and make a fool of myself when I drink too! UUGH!

I've got 4 years till my 10 year but I plan on going. Hubby has 3 but he don't care to see anyone he went to school with.
Most of the people I went to school with that I was good friends with I still email or talk to through myspace.

i didn't go to my 10 yr. i had just gotten back from ny when my mom called me to say she recieved an invite for my reunion. i couldn't make a return trip soo soon it wasn't in the budget. but i probably wouldn't have gone anyways. i wasn't really close to anyone in my grade. i also went to a vocational school now if they would have had a reunion i would love to go see those people i was much closer with them.

OK so I am going to "go there" with this thread and I hope I don't offend anyone (that is NOT my intent) but really what's the point in a high school reunion? If someone was a friend in high school then you probably kept in touch over the years. Sure, there were some people I wasn't able to keep in touch with and I would love to know how they are doing but I just see high school reunions as people trying to rub it in as to what they have accomplished or what they've done blah blah blah. Yes, it's nice to be able to go and say, "You doubted me but look what I've become" but really, does their opinion matter?? I say be proud of who you are and what you've done because you did it for you... I've seen too many day time talk shows where people confront people from their past because they bullied them or just made their life miserable in one way or another and I'm always screaming at the tv for them to not give those jerky people that kind of power in their life.
There was one girl in high school who confronted me because she heard I was going to a rock concert that she was going to. She told me if she saw me there she would "kick my butt in the parking lot". My mom wouldn't let me go to the concert but I never backed down from that bully. Now all these years later we are both moms and her daughter and my daughter are friends. I would never speak negatively about the mom but I do admit I have to sit back and smile at karma. She goes out of her way to be polite to me and I am too classy to be anything but polite back but I couldn't imagine going to a class reunion just to deal with people like that or to "prove" to anyone that I am successful. The people that matter know... and that's all that matters to me!
This isn't quite sounding the way I intended... I mean this to come across as be proud of who you are and what you've accomplished because that is who you are and what you've done... not because some kid was a punk to you and you feel you have to prove yourself... the only person you have to prove yourself to is the person standing in the mirror!

Jmarr,

LOL! No alcohol needed here! I make a fool of myself as often as I can (but yeah, adding a Cosmo or two tends to make the tables look like dance floors!)

Hey everyone! OK, so I felt I needed to clarify my position on this and make sure it didn't seem as though my post was in reference to Michelle's post because it's not.
Michelle did share with us that part of her going to her reunion was to prove that she made it and I commend her for that. From what she shared with us she had some pretty tough times to deal with and I honestly don't know how I would have dealt with being in her shoes.
I think that at one point or another during our high school years we were all the target of someone. From the prom king and queen to the wall-flowers we were all subject to being the target of teen inmaturity. My issue is with people holding on to that and allowing someone who is so insignificant in the big picture allowing them to continue to hurt them or hold such power over their life. We should all be proud of ourselves and not worry about what others think... especially people from so long ago. Besides, of all the titles people can study to be, strive to be, whatever it is the title of "mom" that means the most to me!

Jen, that is so sweet of you. I appreciate you and your thoughts! Yes, I wanted to go for myself, more of a full circle come 'round again for me in my life's journey.

By "made it" I mean to say, literally, alive and living a rich, full, blessed life inspite of that which my family life had set against me back as a child and teen. Home life back then was extremely tough (yes, I was targeted a couple of times in school, nothing bad, though) and unfortunately, I still encounter bully-ish behavior now, yes, even from adults, but it doesn't get to me, not then, nor now.

I totally get what you are saying in that you are what you make of yourself, not what others think of you. I so agree! I was never one of the "in" people and had friends in all groups, but was more quiet, shy, reserved. I still can be, just ask Shawn. When we first met that took her by surprise, considering my online chatter! lol

You are so right, "Mom" is the most valued, worthiest, most precious title I, too, could ever desire - Right up next wife to my best friend and champion of good causes.

You are so kind, Jen, and I look forward to actually meeting you and hopefully soon!