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Post by Zee on Aug 19, 2023 23:24:38 GMT
I went to my 20th and had a really nice time. I still lived in the area then.
Our 30th was in 2020 so it was cancelled, but I don't think I would have returned for it. There has been talk of a 35th (!!!) in 2025, which might be fun.
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cakediva
Drama Llama
Making the world a sweeter place one cake at a time!
Posts: 7,463
Location: Fergus, Ontario
Jun 26, 2014 11:53:40 GMT
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Post by cakediva on Aug 19, 2023 23:28:58 GMT
You couldn’t pay me enough to go to a reunion with all the people that treated me like shit in high school. I was a nerd on the outside looking in. I eventually had friends, but was still never a fan of high school.
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Post by jackietex on Aug 20, 2023 0:24:18 GMT
I've never been even though I'm pretty much in the same town. At first they were very fancy, and I was not happy with the way I looked. Now, I'm an introvert with a terrible memory, so I have no desire.
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Post by dewryce on Aug 20, 2023 1:55:57 GMT
About once a decade I get on FB and go down the rabbit hole for a couple of hours, but that’s the extent of my interest in those I went to high school with. But it’s been forever since I last did that so I just looked on my high school’s page and saw posts from the last reunion for my class. It was photos of a scrapbook page, and all of the women under it complaining about how far they are behind in their albums Of course, they were using Creative Memories and I didn’t even know they were still around!
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Post by peano on Aug 20, 2023 2:31:44 GMT
I went to my first reunion which was a 5-year, but I was still living in the general area (within 2 hour drive). My HS is in a very red state, and while I don't know for sure, I would imagine many people from my class are red too. Our reunions are generally held in the summer, and I don't do Arkansas in the summer unless there are extraordinary circumstances. The only compelling reason would be that I think I was such a mess in HS (parents divorcing, mother moving out, me lost and depressed, and naturally resting bitch faced) that it led people to believe I was snooty and stuck up, and I would like people to know I'm not. Our 45th was last year, so I guess the next will be the 50th. We'll see.
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Post by Delta Dawn on Aug 20, 2023 4:05:07 GMT
In case you were thinking about going, don’t. I should have learned my lesson.
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Post by Ryann on Aug 20, 2023 4:42:14 GMT
No. I went to five different high schools. It’s all just a blur at this point.
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Post by chaosisapony on Aug 20, 2023 5:16:03 GMT
No, I'd be open to it but the tickets have always been out of my price range. Last year was my 20th and tickets were $60 each. It just wasn't worth it to me to see people I never really liked anyway. The people I liked in high school I am still friends with and see regularly.
ETA: The person planning my ten year reunion pissed me off. She asked me to photograph the event for free. So basically I'd buy my $45 (if memory serves) ticket and work the entire night taking pictures of people that were often borderline rude to me in school and make no money doing so. She got offended when I declined and I had a big laugh about it.
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Post by scrappinsportzmom on Aug 20, 2023 5:21:25 GMT
I always kind of want to go but I just can’t remember many people from high school and I wouldn’t know what to say. I have had some very kind messages every now and then from people who remember me.
I moved away to go to college and rarely went back for anything other than just to see my parents a few times a year. I graduated in 1982 and was in gymnastics and went to college on an athletic scholarship so I was training every night and while I did have some social life it wasn’t a lot.
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Post by peasapie on Aug 20, 2023 12:54:12 GMT
I attended two. The first one (10 years) was wonderful, but that was before social media. So many alumni attended and everyone was thrilled to see each other. The second one (20 years) was much smaller and not the same vibe. That was it for me.
My husband just went to his 50th; people came from all over and he really enjoyed it. I think good planning and reaching far and wide for alumni makes a considerable difference.
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Dalai Mama
Drama Llama
La Pea Boheme
Posts: 6,985
Jun 26, 2014 0:31:31 GMT
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Post by Dalai Mama on Aug 20, 2023 13:04:55 GMT
My school holds reunions every few years - some are specific to decades and others are for the school’s entire history. Turnout is always huge and people travel from all over the world to attend (international boarding school).
I graduated 35 years ago, I’m an extreme introvert, and I still go to every one that I can. My high school experience was really good.
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Post by auntkelly on Aug 20, 2023 13:37:41 GMT
My husband just went to his 50th; people came from all over and he really enjoyed it. I think good planning and reaching far and wide for alumni makes a considerable difference. I'm biased, but I think my hometown does a great job of making everyone feel welcome at their class reunions. The reunions are all held on the weekend of the homecoming football game on the first Friday in October. (It's always the same weekend). Every five years classes have reunions. I graduated in 1978 and my class is celebrating its 45th reunion this year. All the classes graduating in a year ending in 8 or 3 will be having reunions at homecoming. There is a coffee at the school in the morning, a luncheon that the whole town is welcome to attend, an assembly at the high school where each class is recognized, a parade in the afternoon and then the football game that night. The class reunions are usually casual events which are held after the football game. (A lot of people pick and choose what events they will attend, but I like to go to all of them). The high school kids see the alumni having fun and think "someday that will be me coming home for my reunion." And people do turn out for the reunions from all over-especially the big ones like the 20th, 30th and 50th.
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Post by FuzzyMutt on Aug 20, 2023 13:47:20 GMT
Makes me wonder if social media in the younger crowds will make them a thing of the past. I moved out of my area a year after graduation, but my whole family is still there. My graduating class was 150, maybe. The town continues to get smaller and smaller. Because of these things and social media connections, along with a very active “Breaking News” fb page I follow, I have seen passively from afar most of the major life events, marriages, remarriages and arrests (LMAO!) Our 15 year was poorly planned (clique-ey) group got together last minute at a local restaurant last minute (ironically failing restaurant owned by the family of one of my classmates. I both couldn’t and wouldn’t have gone had I known. I wasn’t on social media at the time. 30 is coming up. I’m now on the “Class FB Page” and someone posts something on the page every 6 months or so lol Honestly, I may go if I happened to be visiting my hometown at the time, or it was a good time to visit. But, the other side of that is that I feel like I “know” these people too well based on 2nd and 3rd degrees of separation, and it would feel weird to pretend to not know. Oh, Chris, you were a (large local city) police officer for 18 years, but now what are you doing? Oh, unemployed? Let’s pretend I don’t know about that time 4 years ago you made the news and ended up in court because you used super poor judgement about resources…. Oh, hi H-Rae, yes, wow it’s been so long. How are your kids? Oh, wow, that’s great! Wait, what about Emily? The one I’ve seen your ex (my sister’s friend) railing about you abandoning emotionally and financially 10 years ago? My boyfriend could go and have a great time and not have all this poop in the back of his head because he is local to his reunions and what is known is known, if that makes sense. I just can’t imagine being able to put a lot of this stuff out of my head and be social with people I didn’t even care much about nearly 30 years ago lol
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Post by peasapie on Aug 20, 2023 15:34:53 GMT
My husband just went to his 50th; people came from all over and he really enjoyed it. I think good planning and reaching far and wide for alumni makes a considerable difference. I'm biased, but I think my hometown does a great job of making everyone feel welcome at their class reunions. The reunions are all held on the weekend of the homecoming football game on the first Friday in October. (It's always the same weekend). Every five years classes have reunions. I graduated in 1978 and my class is celebrating its 45th reunion this year. All the classes graduating in a year ending in 8 or 3 will be having reunions at homecoming. There is a coffee at the school in the morning, a luncheon that the whole town is welcome to attend, an assembly at the high school where each class is recognized, a parade in the afternoon and then the football game that night. The class reunions are usually casual events which are held after the football game. (A lot of people pick and choose what events they will attend, but I like to go to all of them). The high school kids see the alumni having fun and think "someday that will be me coming home for my reunion." And people do turn out for the reunions from all over-especially the big ones like the 20th, 30th and 50th. That sounds like a wonderful experience. I wish we had something like that.
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Post by justkat on Aug 20, 2023 16:19:15 GMT
Reunions aren't much of a thing where I'm from. However a lot of us felt we should do something "special" to commemorate our 20th(!!). A cruise was decided on.
My husband and I attended. There was roughly 70% of the graduating class there. My husband had fun meeting everyone and hearing all the stories. I loved seeing everyone and catching up. Plus the cruise itself was so much fun.
I had a really good school experience. I had a good time but probably wouldn't attend another. It was fun but afterwards I feel of like btdt.
I attended one of my husband's reunions. I think it was his 35th(he's older than me). It was ok. There was a dinner at a local restaurant. The following evening there was a party(dance?) at the school they graduated from. The people didn't really do anything.lol You walked around, spoke to someone for a couple moments, got a drink maybe a snack(finger foods),we danced two times and then left. Not many people attended the dance. The dinner was a little better but most people ate and left.(shrug)
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Post by OntarioScrapper on Aug 20, 2023 16:28:52 GMT
No. I've kept in touch with the few people who treated me as a human being and not as garbage. I don't care what the bullies are like now.
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peabay
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,630
Jun 25, 2014 19:50:41 GMT
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Post by peabay on Aug 20, 2023 17:22:34 GMT
Yes. I went to a small all girls Catholic high school with 100 girls in a class. I felt like we were all friends and we've had good turnouts at our reunions. I emphasize "I felt" because I'm sure there are women who didn't feel that we were all friends and have no interest in socializing with any of us, but for the most part, I enjoy going and we've had a lot of the women attend.
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bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,540
Oct 11, 2014 3:17:29 GMT
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Post by bethany102399 on Aug 20, 2023 18:56:26 GMT
Our 20th was apparently a huge blowout. We had kids by then and either my DH was working nights or we had no one to watch the kids meant I didn't go. It wasn't a great loss.
Our 30th would have been in 21, and our class secretary is now out of state and had a graduating senior of her own. She got on FB and basically said this is not my problem, and those of you who expect me to plan something because I was elected to this position at 17 can go fly a kite (which was totally valid). A couple of people tried to get something going but it never took off.
I have zero desire to go to any of it. HS sucked for me. I've begun to understand that part of that was on me and the fact that I did carry a chip on my shoulder for a lot of years, but there were also people who actively disliked me and made sure I knew it. Why would i want to associate with those people voluntarily? Heck, I do that at work.
My mom on the other hand had a blast in HS and returned for reunions every 10 years. She had HS friends come to her funeral. She never understood why I hated that time so much.
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Post by gryroagain on Aug 20, 2023 19:13:01 GMT
I went to my 10th and really enjoyed it, I happened to be living back there for a couple years. 20th I was in Korea and we were due to move back to the (opposite coast) at around the same time as the reunion, it was just way too much going on.
30th I had every intention of going, but they didn’t have one (2022 but COVID still). Then it was planned for the 31st, this fall. I had every intention of going with some hs friends, see family in the area, etc. Suddenly this May they changed it from October to July…and I could not go as I’d been on a 2 month trip to the US and Bahamas and was returning in June to Mexico. It was way too soon to plan for, and most people felt the same. It ended up being very small and really just one clique of people. Really disappointing for a lot of people and no idea why it happened that way.
If they have a 40th I’ll try to make it, but not if it’s the same shitshow this one was.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Aug 20, 2023 19:23:54 GMT
No. I was in invisible in high school. I have access to the FB group for my graduating class because it’s a public group. One year (40th, I think) they posted pictures and names of attendees. The reunion was planned by the very people I expected to plan and go to a reunion. The popular girls, the cheerleaders, the jocks. All reliving their glory days. The only reason (and I do mean only) I went to high school with those particular people was the geographical boundary line set by the city. The year after I graduated, a new school had been built, and they shifted the school boundary line. I look at the FB page a few times a year to see who passed away. Other than that, I have no interest. Last year my name was posted on the “does anyone know whatever happened to these people” list. I thought it was hilarious. At least I haven’t erroneously been reported as being dead. Way back in the days before social media the people organizing the reunions would send out these postcards to last known addresses for people in the class they couldn’t find. I would always write “return to sender addressee unknown” on those postcards and put them back in the mail, LOL. So I guess you could say that I wanted to be dead to them at least! I haven’t seen or talked to anyone from HS since I walked away on graduation day and I kind of like it that way.
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bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,540
Oct 11, 2014 3:17:29 GMT
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Post by bethany102399 on Aug 20, 2023 20:07:33 GMT
I would always write “return to sender addressee unknown” on those postcards and put them back in the mail, OMG, they would send those to my moms house all. the. time. As I refused to give anyone my current address. I tried doing that but she wouldn't let me lol. Unfortunately I am FB friends with a couple of people I hung out with in HS so they do know I'm alive.
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Post by ~summer~ on Aug 20, 2023 20:11:18 GMT
My high school graduating class had like 800 people - the vast majority I don’t care about seeing.
There is a small group of like 7 of us that I arrange get together as for.
We are getting together next week to celebrate us all turning 50 this year.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Aug 20, 2023 20:11:54 GMT
I would always write “return to sender addressee unknown” on those postcards and put them back in the mail, OMG, they would send those to my moms house all. the. time. As I refused to give anyone my current address. I tried doing that but she wouldn't let me lol. Unfortunately I am FB friends with a couple of people I hung out with in HS so they do know I'm alive. I never put my maiden name on anything and half of my profile is blank because I didn’t want to make it too easy for those people trolling Facebook or whatever looking for former classmates to put two and two together. 🤣
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Post by birukitty on Aug 20, 2023 21:03:48 GMT
No.
When I was growing up we moved every 2-3 years. I was in a wonderful high school and had friends that I loved as a freshmen and when that year ended, my parents moved us yet again but this time my mother wanted more land (this was in them mid 1970's and they were into the "sustain your own" movement) so we moved into a rural area in Virginia. It literally was culture shock for us, especially my teen sister and I. These folks talked with a rural accent, and if your great grandparents weren't born in that area you were ostracized and were looked down upon. They drove pick up trucks with gun racks in the back. They even got the first day of hunting season off of school! Now speaking with a rural accent didn't bother me one bit, my grandmother lived in Georgia. Just trying to set the scene here. One example is on the school bus you'd hear "Put the winder up" instead of "Put the window up". Previously I'd gone to a high school in Fairfax County, Virginia so this was a huge change for me.
I remember the day we moved in. Our farm was down a dirt road and the first house on that dirt road was really run down. A teen boy was standing outside of that house when we turned onto the dirt road and he had these huge cheeks. I thought he had the mumps! Nope-turned out to be chewing tobacco! He was wearing filthy overalls and just stared at us as we drove by.
I went to this new high school for the next 3 years, for my sophomore, junior and senior years and then graduated. I never made many friends-maybe one or two. I hated every day I went to that school and couldn't wait to graduate, get out of there and get to college.
So, no way am I interested in going to any high school reunions!
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Anita
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,647
Location: Kansas City -ish
Jun 27, 2014 2:38:58 GMT
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Post by Anita on Aug 21, 2023 0:49:53 GMT
In case you were thinking about going, don’t. I should have learned my lesson. Care to elaborate?
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Post by cawoman on Aug 21, 2023 8:35:38 GMT
Yes! I have gone to all of mine. Our 50th was in 2019. I went to K thru high school with many of the same people in a large suburb of L.A. Of course there were several elementary schools that fed into the high school so lots of new people too. Our reunions have all been so much fun. Regardless of social groups in high school, it seemed as though everyone mingled with each other. I really enjoyed seeing everyone at each one. Next year we are having our 55th. My husband of 3 years graduated the same year, so for the first time we will be going together. A lot of people know but I'm sure we will surprise a few, lol.
Growing up in the 60's was a great time and we had a lot of fun. Still do!
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Post by melanell on Aug 21, 2023 11:18:14 GMT
I have not. I don't know if I would have gone, had social media not become a thing. But now, I can see what's happening with my classmates all of the time. And many of them who live out of town use social media to announce when they'll be back in town, so people can get together on those occasions, too.
I remember seeing pics from maybe our 20th or 25th, and there were only a few people there who I would have really enjoyed spending time with (based on how I felt about them in high school, anyway!). I think that was only the 2nd reunion we've had.
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Post by Bridget in MD on Aug 21, 2023 11:20:34 GMT
I go to some but not all. Our class president really isn't involved in planning, so it becomes what a group of cheerleaders want to do (which is fine, if they are planning). The problem is, they don't plan well, or they lose interest I guess when it's not just them - they have literally ditched the reunion to go hang out themselves, so it's ackward. The school did a big thing for our silver diploma (25 yrs) and this year, my son will graduate on my 30 yr reunion.
I live 10 min from my HS and my kids also attend it - many classmates are now sending their children so I joke that going to parent/teacher night is often a reunion for me! LOL.
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Post by workingclassdog on Aug 21, 2023 14:11:37 GMT
Nope.. I think my class is still pretty clicky in groups. Damn, it's been 37 years. Class of 1986. I wasn't really a 'popular' kid.. Very shy and transferred in my junior year. Most kids had their 'groups' by then. I found that I was more friends to individual people.. so I always had friends in different groups.. one was the "smoker", one was a geeky kid, one was the football star and so forth. I stayed away from the groups and they tend to run the reunions. My best friend to this day I met in my senior year on St. Patty's Day. She is the only one I really care about..
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SweetieBsMom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,618
Jun 25, 2014 19:55:12 GMT
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Post by SweetieBsMom on Aug 21, 2023 15:28:50 GMT
My graduating class was around 40 so we don't do normal reunions like someone with a larger class, it's more "hey, we're getting together here at this time, join us".
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