Yes, although I didn’t for some years because we had a massive falling out and none of them were talking to me when school ended. After about 5 years, I had the opportunity to apologise for my rotten behaviour and so I did. They were big enough not only to forgive me but to welcome me back as a friend, and we’re all pretty close now.
The other group of people that I hung around with is a big scattered. Two of them are my ex boyfriends, and despite me wishing they’d vanish off the face of the Earth, they persist in living nearby and being friends with my brother. I’m not on bad terms with either of them, and will speak to them if I’m in that situation, but I don’t like them and would prefer not to see them. Another of those friends recently contacted me after 10 years and that’s so exciting, but she lives on the other side of the country so there’s no chance of getting to hang out with her. I saw yet another of the girls post to the Australian version of classmates.com (www.schoolfriends.com.au) and I’d love to contact her, but not enough to pay the subscription fee so that’s a bit disappointing.
Nope, and I can’t say that I’m missing out, though somehow the alumni people have tracked me down. I knew I shouldn’t have told my family where I was moving.
I really liked my closest crowd of friends in high school: about 5 guys and 4 girls. I’m still in touch with 2 of the guys.
One of them flew from Taipei to Philadelphia to be my best man. I will never be able to repay him for that, but I’ll sure try.
The other I’ve known since 5th grade (the longest I’ve known anyone outside my family). Over 26 years I think we’ve shared enough experiences that we’ll always be a part of each other’s lives. I haven’t seen him in this millennium, but we talk on the phone about every 2 months.
As for the friends I’m not in touch with, I haven’t seen any of them since the 1980s. I don’t miss them daily, but it sure would be nice to see them again. Everyone is widely dispersed from the town we lived in, so I’m not expecting much from class reunions (haven’t been to one yet). A couple of years ago I tracked down one of my friends and emailed him, but he didn’t reply.
I had only two friends in high school worth mentioning and I think I hung out with both of them maybe twice outside of school. Since graduating, I’ve made a conscious effort to stay away from anyone I knew there and now, after moving 2,500 miles away, should have no trouble keeping it that way.
I’ve enjoyed reading most the stories in this thread, FWIW. It’s nice to hear how some people manage to stay in touch over the years.
I’m now 9000 miles from home, but before I left Australia I was in fairly close contact with several friends from my high school years.
I’ve known my three closest male friends since we were eight, or younger. Two of them got married in the last 18 months, so we all stood up as groomsmen together. Before I left my home city, I still saw them at least every two weeks. Us four plus our assorted friends and partners make up a pretty tightly knit bunch of people. We drink together a lot, eat together and go on holidays.
I went to law school with a handful of friends from high school and we stayed in touch after graduating. They’re not my closest friends, but we’d have lunch or go out for a beer every month or so. I don’t expect these friendships to last forever, but still the occasional email or “we must catch up” invite is nice.
Two of my female friends from high school stayed very close to me for several years after finishing high school, but in the last 18 months we’ve drifted apart. We still have a huge understanding and shared backgrounds, so when we do meet again, I expect everything to be like yesterday, only without less of the uncertainty and immaturity.
There seems to be this phenomenon that just because you went to high school with someone you are friends forever. I think it has to do with the fact that you are with these people, often since grade school. Even people you don’t know personally, you generally at least know their name and a little about them. High school is probably one of the few times in your life where you will have such a similar connection to that many people.
I had probably about half a dozen truly close friends in high school and a shitload of acquaintences I was on a “whats up…” basis with. I kept in touch with those five or six through college and we used to hang out when we were home during the summers. A few had fallings out with each other. Some got married and/or moved. Now I just talk to one or two from time to time.
There are two guys that I hung out with in High School that ended up going to the same university as me. We had a blast. We still keep in touch every year or so. I keep in touch with two other guys we used to hang out with also. We got together maybe a year and a half ago.
There are maybe a half dozen other HS friends that came to my wedding seven years ago but I haven’t seen since, but hear of from other people.
I kept in touch with the girl I used to pal around with and had a painful crush on all through HS until, after 14 years, she made a play for me but I was dating the woman who became my wife. It was an unsustainable relationship and I had to let it go. That was a bad couple of years. I couldn’t just pop in and out of her life like I do with so many other friends, so I popped out permanently.
I had a terrific time in high school and had many good friends. I still keep up with several of them and enjoyed attending both my 10th and 20th reunions. Unfortunately, two of my best friends in high school died after graduation, and I sorely miss them to this day. They were both first rate guys and died much, much too young.
Three of my four closest friends are from high school (or earlier!).
We actually had a five year reunion (last summer - I graduated in 1998), and boy o boy was it eerily familiar! The nice people were still nice, the geeks were still geekin’ on, and the cliques were still clicked together. Maybe some of them will grow up before 2008 - I would like to think that I have.
Probably not. If anything I became MORE immature between my 5 and 10 year reunion. Both were a really good time. My 5 year wasn’t a big deal because I was still in touch with a lot of people and ran into folks around town a lot. 10 year was a lot more interesting. Plus I had just finished business school and move to Manhattan for a new job so I at least “appeared” successful (although I didn’t want to be one of those “hey look at my new job in Manhattan” guys).
I will be 40 next month. Of my 3 best friends, one I met in grade school, and the other two in high school. We have been roommates, bridesmaids, labor coaches etc. My very best friend (we met at 15) has an 8 year old whom I adore. I saw her born, held her first, and she considers me HER best friend now.
I haven’t attended any HS reunions. The people I would want to see I see all the time and the rest can bite me.
My wife and I were friends in high school (not high-school sweethearts, just friends).
I’m still in regular or semi-regular contact with 5 or 6 of my high school friends, and my wife is still in regular contact with 3 or 4 of hers. We currently live about 3 miles from the school, wich I drive by every day on my way home from work. I wasn’t a big fan of high school in general, I did not partipate in anything extracurricular (except the Academic Decathlon Team), but I liked my friends a lot and the vast majority of my fond memories from that period revolve around hanging out with those friends, most of whom are still my friends.
I’m from a small town, and besides Mr. Snicks (my high school sweetheart) and my siblings, I keep track of only one other friend from high school. She keeps track of some of the other friends that we hung around with, so if I ever feel an overwhelming need to get in touch with someone, I’ll be able to find them. Hell, I can just call their parents to track them down if it’s that necessary.
Otherwise, high school was pretty much unenjoyable. Not sure I’m interested in seeing the classmates anytime soon.
That said, my 10 year reunion is next year, and there are two guys I’d like to see again. However, if I can’t guarantee that they’re going to be there, I doubt if I go either. Not worth it.
Snicks
Nope. Going to college was the beginning of the end. With each year that passed after graduating, I had less to do with folks from my home town. Then I moved to DC for a few years, and hardly went back home (Maine) except for maybe twice a year to see my folks. Now I have no contact with any of them, and really have nothing motivating me to try to track people down. I can’t say there’s any real reason for this except a mutual loss of interest.
I’m the sort who generally moves on. I really don’t keep up with past aquaintances, old girlfriends, whatever. I’ve wondered at times why this is, but, as having little social connection to my younger days isn’t keeping me up at night, I just shrug and live life as usual. Keeping up with family and the few local friends I have pretty much eats up whatever free time I’ve got, so it’s not like I’m looking for reasons to go on another road trip.
My high school friends and I have a Yahoo! group which we use to keep in touch. We’re hoping to get together in person this fall. I’m amazed that my old buddies have turned into such creative, fun, good-hearted people.
My oldest friend and I met in kindergarten. We went out to celebrate his 26th birthday last week.
My husband does. He keeps in touch with his two best buddies. One of them still lives there so he’s much more in touch with the grapevine so to speak and so he’s vaguely in touch with most the guys he played football with.
I keep in touch with more friends from college than high school, even though I went to college 1200 miles away but returned to the same city I grew up in.
I think the reason for that is that one college friend continues to make a strong effort to keep the communication going among a group of us. If he hadn’t, I don’t think I would have. We did get together a couple of times after about 30 years - once in Estes Park and once at North Carolina’s Outer Banks, and plan to do so again.
I did recently track down a couple of friends from a grade school that I left after 4th grade. The internet is useful for this. I sent them an e-mail and they both responded and were very surprised to hear from me. But they don’t seem to have kept in contact with any of our other classmates from that era.
I graduated in 1998. I stayed in touch with two of my friends up until a year ago.
One I’ve been friends with for ten years now. She was in my wedding last April. Although we might not know exactly what’s going on in each other’s lives, we keep each other informed of the important things. We’ve both grown over the years, but it’s been in a similar direction for both of us.
The second I had a falling out with last year. We haven’t spoken since. I know how she’s doing and what she’s been up to because of the first friend. We basically just grew in separate directions.