Sunday, September 11, 2011

Class Reunions




I have never attended a class reunion of any kind and I have never thought too much about it. A recent post by
Nancy at Blissed-Out Grandma about attending her class reunion made me regret that I had never been to one and made me determined to find out about and go to the next one.

After reading Nancy's post I did an internet search and found numerous sites dedicated to my graduating class showing pictures of past reunions, a list of the entire class with information about those who had submitted it, old yearbook pictures and other memories from our high school years.

Since I started looking and thinking about it I have been sort of obsessed with reading all of the information and going through the hundreds of pictures, both the old ones and the ones of the most recent reunion held in 2010. Since my classmates are all now around 64 years old, the recent pictures showed a group of people both the same and very different from the ones I last saw in 1965. It made me feel both old and young again at the same time.

The most sobering thing is that out of a class of 641 there have been 67 known deaths....nearly 10%. Several of those deaths have happened since the 2010 reunion.

High school was not the best time of my life, but it has been very interesting to travel back in my mind to a time that, I believe, leaves an imprint on all of us.

The next reunion won't be until 2015, but I really think I want to plan to go. I haven't kept up with anyone I was friends with in high school and my best friend died a few years ago. A lot of the others I was good friends with are "missing" but maybe some of them will turn up before the next reunion. I went from kindergarten through high school with a lot of people who were in my class and I would love the opportunity to reconnect with them.

If nothing else it will be a great motivation to lose a few pounds.

Have you gone to your class reunions? If so, what was the experience like for you.?

19 comments:

  1. I have gone to several of my class reunions and have enjoyed all of them. I went to a small school and our town (Nederland) holds a town festival every July. Class reunions are held at the same time - with the 'special' years (10, 20, etc) ride in the parade. It is a great time and you get to see people from other years.

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  2. I attend reunions for two high schools since I went 9th through 11th at one, and then, I went to 12th at another. I have really enjoyed them all. I am very close to a group of girls from my class. We meet every three months for lunch. I just reconnected with them a few years ago, but they have become very important to me.

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  3. I went to a boarding school that I really disliked, so I haven't been back although I'm in touch with a few old classmates.

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  4. I have attended many class reunions...both my husbands and my own...they are fun as long as you don't get into one-up-man-ship...don't try to compete on who has done better than whom...just enjoy all the stories...

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  5. That would be interesting to go to your next one, Jeanie, because I'm thinking, if I did my math right, that would be your 50th? I know my hubby keeps up with some things on Classmates.com and sees how many of his graduating class have passed (he graduated 1971); it is sobering to realize our own mortality and to realize how many years have passed since we graduated high school.

    I went to one reunion, my 15th. I had an okay high school experience, not the best, not the worst, but I really didn't keep in touch with too many after I graduated. I felt a bit out of place at that reunion and decided not to attend any more.

    Hubby went to his 10th reunion and 20th reunion. At the 20th reunion his mom wanted me to wear one of her huge diamond rings so it would make him look like he was successful (I didn't, he was successful in his own right and I was afraid I would lose the ring). He too hadn't kept up with many of his classmates and after the 20th, didn't express any desire to go to any other reunions, including his 40th this past August when we were down here in the same city of the school he graduated from.

    However, neither one of us went to school with some of the same people from kindergarten to high school. I think having that long of a connection for those many years would put a desire in me to see them at least one more time, provided they choose to attend the next reunion.

    betty

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  6. I went to my first, skipped the second and may possibly go to the next one. Still have time to decide! LOL

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  7. Linda, Wander to the WaysideSeptember 12, 2011 at 7:18 AM

    I've never been to any of my reunions because of the distance/money factor, and really haven't had a desire to as I only had a handful of friends who I was never in touch with after graduation. I did find our class website that had photos of some of the reunions, and most of the people who attended had actually stayed in the area - and were the same people who were the 'clique' and high profile (football, cheerleaders, class president,etc) kids! All of whom had 'made it' out in the world in one way or another (president of a company, one a famous heart surgeon, another a mayor, etc). I would totally feel out of place saying "I'm a pet sitter and house cleaner"! I graduated in 1966, so I think if I haven't gone now I most likely never will. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't!

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  8. No reunions here since I didn´t finish high school. But since we live in a little town, I have contact with many of my class mates from that time.
    I think you should go to your reunion. It would be fun to reconnect. Have you tried searching on fb for some of the friends you knew back then?

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  9. I have been to several high school reunions and have kept in touch with a few classmates. Many people don't recognize me because I have gained so much weight since high school.

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  10. How or what exactly did you look up - that is an awesome idea. I haven't been to one either.

    I hope you get to go to the next one! sandie

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  11. I went to my 20th - put a lot of ghosts to rest - but not since then. Maybe my 50th a few years from now.

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  12. It is fun hearing of other people enjoying their class reunions. I attended four different high schools and the one I was attending for graduation I was only there four months. I only had one friend and I lost touch with her many years ago. So I have no reason to travel for a class reunion. Lately I have been watching my hubby reuniting with some of his high school friends on facebook. Watching him catch up with them and hearing some of their stories is fun for me.

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  13. I went to one -- 10 years. I knew no one. You have to understand that in high school I did a lot, so I had no idea who most of those folks were! I would really love a reunion of the three classes during my time in HS -- many of my friends were younger or older. That one I'd attend!

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  14. I'm debating whether I should go to my 10 year reunion. I wish I could just gather a group of people I actually care about seeing, and forget the rest. is that bad? ha

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  15. Jeanie - my husband and I graduated from the same class in 1962 and our 50th is coming up. My best friend E-mailed to see if we're going (we're not), and I told her I'm not old enough to have a 50th class reunion!

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  16. I've never been to one, but my mom went to a few. She grew up in a small town where everyone knew each other so she had a great time. I hope you go and have a lot of fun.

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  17. Hi Jeanie. Hope you are having a good day.

    I am loving the cooler weather...and that "Fall Feeling" is in the air!

    I like to see people from my school days on Facebook, and see what their lives are like now...but no, I have never gone to any reunions. I never really wanted to. But if you have a hankerin' to do that, then I think you should. (:>) It might be fun.

    Thanks for your recent visit to my blog. I always appreciate your nice comments!

    Linda

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  18. I have gone to 1, 5, 10, 15, 21 (we ran behind) and 25. We didn't have a 30th because we could not make up our minds about when or where. What impressed me the most was that by the 15th, at LONG last everyone seemed to have dropped the cliques and façades. And we hung out with NEW people, enjoying blowing up the myths we had about one another. After that I actively enjoyed the reunions and, through Facebook, some of us have kept close touch.

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  19. I only went to one our 5 year..no one had changed alot...I felt I had changed a lot...I had a little one...haven't been back since...but I have kept in contact with a few old class mates and we get together every few months...

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