Missed my 5, 10, and 20. Main problem was my class was so huge, 1100 kids, that I only hung around with a few of them. And if they didn’t show, I’d be spending quite a few bucks to hang around with a bunch of people I recalled vaguely if at all.
We crashed Mrs. D’s 20th a couple of years ago, and she really enjoyed herself. Me, well there was the open bar…
I graduated in a class of over 600. Those of us that were “close” scatterred to the far reaches of the universe and had difficulty keeping track of one another. I figured that the 10 year reunion would be the perfect venue for getting reacquainted.
Wrong.
Only one of the people that I really wanted to see showed up. I’d had a huge crush on her in high school, and was disappointed that she’d grown to where she could now double as a channel buoy.
Now, I was determined to have a good time, and I did, but I was really depressed by how the old high school cliques reformed the instant that people walked into the room. It was sad to see people that I hadn’t seen since high school actually ACTING like they were still in high school, only now they’re all zeroing in on 30.
I was so disappointed that I swore that I’d never go to another one. I kept that promise for the 20 year reunion, but relented for the 25. I had a great time at the 25 year reunion – with the exception of one jerk that insisted on telling us how successful he was.
IMHO - If you want to see these people again, or think that you’ll regret not going, then by all means you must go. But be prepared for a let-down.
I had a graduating class of around 220. I attended my 10th reunion and was pleasantly surprised. It was fun, seeing people again, even people I didn’t know well. It was an opportunity to reflect on how shallow our people skills and judgment of character really can be as teenagers.
I was thrilled to see that some of the people who attracted the least social attention in high school (too smart, too quiet, too geeky) were quite successful in real life. One guy who might have been the least attractive, most stereotype-fulfilling nerd in high school had gotten contacts, lost the braces, attained an engineering degree and hubba hubba! I still grin thinking about the change in him.
Some of the people who were “popular” in high school had clearly not enjoyed similar success later.
But on average, people were doing interesting things. Some unexpected, some pretty ordinary. I thought most people were very welcoming and interested in one another, regardless of their status 10 years prior, regardless of how well they remembered each other.
There were exceptions, and in addition, some people who were still local (who I thought would be most likely to attend) stayed away because they were ashamed they hadn’t done more, or figured everyone would just be the same. I think it was a faulty call on their part.
I got a huge kick out of it. It made me look back on high school with a little more forgiveness.
I was looking forward to going to my 10 year, even though I hated my high school, and most of the people in it. Then I got the invite, and it was like 150 bucks a person to go to this thing. I’m not paying 300 bucks for my wife and I to go see a bunch of people I couldn’t stand back then, and probably wouldn’t like now. 20 year coming up in 3 more years, might go to that one…
Cranky,
Your comment about looking back on high school with a bit more forgiveness reminded me of how the 25 years since graduation and the reunion had been a great equalizer.
[ul]
[li]The former head cheerleader was ordinary. Noone in the grocery store would pay her much mind.[/li][li]A woman that nobody remembered, with the help of modern cosmetic surgery was a 42 year old knockout.[/li][li]A woman that was very popular in high school, though plain and a non-dater, was a true winner. (I’ve kicked myself for 25 years for not asking her to the prom!)[/li][/ul]
With observations like these, obviously the reunion did have a few high points. 
Rent Grosse Point Blank, and then go! 
Go. If you don’t like it, you can always blame me!
I went to my ten year one (100 miles away in hot summer driving conditions) & went through the “shall I hire a car because everyone else is bound to have a really expensive one” shallow, I won’t impress anyone at all thing. I didn’t hire a car, I did have a good time & everyone was doing a real range of jobs - investment banker, full-time mother (& next one cooking), computing, social worker, teacher, self sufficiency drop out, even some with more ratty cars than mine! We just chatted about “do you remember” & what people were doing now, and had a good time. The weird thingis everyone looked pretty much the way we thought they would, still recognisably them, but older (but not old looking if you know what I mean) and if we had sat around at school and said “what will so&so be doing in 10 years time?”, we’d probably have been right for most.
I enjoyed it even though I was one of the kids that wasn’t in any clique, and only had a few friends. I even went on to the pub afterwards when most of them had left. So go, enjoy it. At least you won’t wonder what you have missed.
Merry, you weren’t supposed to mention that here. What are you doing, trying to blow my cover?
You have to go!
All I know is I got laid by the formerly mousy girl who grew up to be a total hottie, and all the “popular” girls were now eating for two. Or else they were just fat.
What a night, best time ever.
With a graduating class as small as the one you mention, it might be fun.
I went to both my ten and twenty year reunions. The ten year was okay, although a lot of the cliques were still in place, and I was rather shy (and at my twenty year reunion, I realized that many people hadn’t recognized me).
At the twenty year reunion, a guy who hadn’t been at the ten year got hold of the mike and was talking about former classmates, and said “Did you get a load of Laura ______?”
In high school I wore thick glasses, had braces and was very thin. By my ten year, I had contacts, no braces, had gained a little weight, and no one recognized me until the twenty year when I was reintroduced by the guy with the mike.
It was fun to be in the spotlight, and people I hadn’t talked to in years came up and spoke about themselves and asked me about myself. And they all seemed very nice and grown up, (which we usually hope happens to us).
I think being a music teacher is wonderful, and you can be proud.
Go.
If you fondly remember High School, go. It’s a good time to reacquaint yourself with old friends, and you’ll have a great time.
If you hated High School, go. It’s a good time to put old issues in perspective. Ten years helps, and you’ll feel better about it.
If, like most of us, your High School years were a mixed bag, and you’re afraid everyone else is doing better than you, go. If you don’t, you’ll always wonder if you were right.
Even if you have a night that makes Carrie’s prom look like fun by comparison, it’s over in a few hours, and you won’t be wondering anymore. Resolution is a good thing.
Did I mention you should go?
Don’t go! Don’t go! Old people show up and claim they went to school with you!
(I don’t know who I stole that line from, but it’s one of my favorites. You couldn’t drag me to a HS reunion.)
I’d say go. What have you got to lose? And it’s liable to be a lot of fun. The matter of who’s impressed by whomever’s distinguished record never comes into play, in my experience. I’ve been to my 5th, 10th and 20th (30th coming up this year) and I’m glad I made’em. I was a badboy in HS, and the nice girls weren’t supposed to know me. Well, that’s all trash a few years later. I think you’ll find a lot of people who’ll be really glad to see you.
I’m planning on going to my ten year next year (and of course, LlamaStud, I’m wanting you to accompany so I can show you off and stuff!). It’s a little easier for me, though, as I’m just an hour and change away from where I went to high school.
Wait a minute. Ten years…and that’s as far as I’ve managed to get? :::coughcoughPATHETICcoughcough:::
Wait another minute. Why hide the insult in a ::cough:: when I’m insulting myself?
Anyway, I graduated from a class of 600 as well. I want to go out of curiosity, more than anything. My close friends all dispersed as well (not to mention most of my friends were in other graduating classes, both older and younger). But, I have no real grudges, except one chic who moved to the east coast long ago. And even with her, I’m curious. Like…who’s dead and stuff.
Wait a minute…did I say that out loud?
No…I typed it. phew