I went to my 30th, and got to punch the kindergarten bully.
“So, Marcos, I’m going to hit you, for beating me up 40 years ago.”
“Okay… I don’t remember doing that… [pause a beat] …but it sounds like something I would’ve done. Go ahead.”
Refreshingly cathartic.
I went to my 10th - I had a blast showing up as the “swan” after my “ugly duckling” years in high school. I still have the vintage red velvet dress I wore that night.
I didn’t go to my 20th because I didn’t get an invite - despite responding to an email stating I was interested, and despite having the same mailing address.
I didn’t go to my 30th because I was acting in a play 60 miles away on that particular date.
We shall see about the 40th in 2020.
This applies to me. Also if there was a twenty year reunion (which would have been 2007). I do live a long way away now, which makes it difficult.
My school was really tiny, though, so it would only be a gathering of 20 people if you’re lucky.
Heck, I skipped my high school graduation. I saw no reason to take the time for that. The idea of a nth year reunion just does not compute. Why?
I did attend my college graduation for my parents sake. I was long gone by the time of my grad school graduation.
I went to school for a reason. Once completed it was time to move on. Attending a party afterwards did not appeal.
Why didn’t I go to my 10-year reunion?
I was in Afghanistan.
And the bloody bastards didn’t care that I didn’t make the 20-year one either. Those money-grubbing asswipes can go fornicate with themselves. I made a living for myself, and one of service.
Tripler
Bitter? Nope. Just jaded.
I was 2600 miles away for the 10-year reunion. Didn’t feel like springing for the trip.
Was 5000 miles away for the 20-year reunion.
I’ve got seven years left before I need to be 7000+ miles away. My choices look to be Australia, Southeast Asia and India, or Eastern/Southern Africa.
We have one every 5 years, last one was our 45th, next year will be out 50th. I have been to everyone. I used to really enjoy the after parties but they started slowing down after about the 25th year.
I always have a great time. I often look for kids that I know didn’t have much fun in high school and try to recall something I admired about them but never told them. I have evolved a different set of friends from high school that I never associated with back then.
I had an interesting conversation with a lady at my last one. My school was racially very diverse and we all hung out together and partied together. This was a black lady that went on to become a high school teacher. She told me that since she left high school 45 years ago she has had very little interaction with white people. I live n Southern Ca and was very surprised to hear that the white teachers and black teachers sit in different areas during lunch. She said she first experienced this in college and from that point on. On the plus side she has reconnected with some of her old high school friends and they are doing things together.
Why didn’t I go to my 10-year reunion? For the same reason I didn’t go to the 20- or 30-year reunions, and the same reason I won’t be going to the 40-year reunion.
'Cause fuck those people, that’s why.
I skipped a year and graduated early. So the school reunions are a bunch of people I mostly didn’t come up through school with. No reason to want to see them.
We didn’t have one.