With the advent of social-networking sites, mostly due to Facebook's popularity, it's easier now more than ever to communicate with friends and family and reconnect with old friends and acquaintance. Now having said that, I've been reconnecting with former classmates, old friends, and distant relatives, some living thousands of miles away across different continents. There was a point in my life when I was looking forward to attending my next high-school reunion. In fact, there is one being held in the next couple of weeks, i.e., on June 11, 2011. This will be my class's (1991) 20th-year reunion. Yes, I am that old; well, at least I'm a year younger because I skipped a grade. After having given it much thought, however, I think I'm going to skip it. It would be quite a shame because I've never gone before. There were some people back in high school that I didn't like, and I certainly don't care to see them ever again. Putting animosity aside, I'm also a bit shy and uncomfortable with most social situations in which I don't really know anyone personally. You see, I was quite the loner back then, and I although I got along well with most teachers and classmates, I admit I didn't have too many friends (or close friends) in my teenaged years. There are some other factors, and even if I put aside my doubts and insecurities, I don't think I would enjoy it too much. I would like to hear people's perspectives on this ... Have you been to a class reunion, and did you enjoy the experience? If you haven't, how do you feel about the prospect of reconnecting with old classmates in the future? Do you still keep in touch?
We never had a 5-year reunion, and my 10-year reunion won't be happening until 2013, so I'm not really sure what I'm gonna do. The year after high school was right when Facebook started being popular, so I never really had the opportunity to lose touch with my high school classmates. I even lived with one of my high school friends for my first two years of college, so I remained in touch with even more people through him. I have a feeling I will probably go to my 10-year reunion when it happens. I think it'll be a lot of fun.
I skipped my 10-year-union once I realized I didn't care to see most of them again. The ones I wanted to be in touch with, I already am.
I went to the 5 year, skipped the 10 year, went to the 20 and 25 year reunions. The 20 year was kind of weird since it was the first one after the 4-20-99 shootings. Most of the people I cared about in high school, I still hang out with 28 years later.
I think for me it's less about keeping in touch and more about getting the chance to interact with a lot of people that I may not have interacted with much when we were retarded teenagers. I have met up with random people from high school over the last 8 years and have been impressed with how a lot of them have grown up into genuinely good human beings.
Next year I have my 20th reunion for where I did year 11 & 12. Back in 2002, we had a reunion, for 10 years. That was great, as I hadn't seen many people since I left Townsville around late 1996. I had caught up with a few friends beforehand on an Australian social network site (pre-facebook days). But it was great to see many old friends over that weekend. Nothing is planned yet, but I will be making the trip to Townsville, as I've really only seen one person from my year. Want to catch with many old friends, as got in contact again via facebook since I joined. Also, last year, I had another reunion for 20 years since finished year 10 at Gloucester. It was great to see everyone, as I hadn't seen virtually everyone since I left. Over those 20 years I'd only seen 2 people, and my sister saw an old friend of mine also. I walked in the door, and first thing I heard was "JJ" (my old nickname in high school). Had a great night. I remember hearing, about previous reunions, as virtually no-one knew where I was. I could have been at 15 year one (I did have plans), but was going through some personal problems at the time.
Same. Our 10 year reunion happened in 2009. By then, I was already associating with the people who mattered most to me during my high school years.
Because of FB, i don't see the need to have a reunion, really. In any case, those i went to high school with that i have any desire to keep in touch with are my friends on FB. And anyway, my 10 year reunion isn't until 2013, anyway, and i probably won't go, because i really have no desire to.
Meh. Actually i once got a FB friend request from someone that was a complete douche to me in HS. Needless to say, i didn't accept the request.
To be fair, only a few people were douches to me. Most of them jsut ignored me since i kept to myself and didn't do anything to attract attention. But in any case, i have no desire to see most of the people i went to high school with.
I'm a bit hot and cold on the subject. I went to my 20th. It was alright, not great. Most of the people there were still living in the same small town. I moved out after HS and did a lot of traveling. I went back looking forward to reconnect, see how people had changed. Some had. But I was surprised most had not. Some of the same petty stuff people fought about in HS were still there. I spent more time rehashing the past, which was fine, but ended up being the only thing talked about with some. And then there were the married people who didn't come the reunion with their spouses getting drunk and hooking up with each other. There's nothing worse that almost forty overweight former classmates bumping uglies with each other on the dance floor attempting to recapture their youth. Blech! But other than that, it was alright...
I couldn't be bribed into going to mine, and I have removed the few classmates from high school who have tried to add me on Facebook over the years. To say that I am over that period in my life is a considerable understatement.
My 10 year reunion was last year. I didn't really figure I wanted to go, but once I perused the FB page the coordinators set up for it, I KNEW I didn't want to go. Most of the people that RSVPed for it were the snooty types I had nothing in common with back then, so I didn't know them that well. It basically came down to me questioning why in the world would I waste a weekend catching up with, well, strangers?