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Reunion Conundrum

My 10-year high school reunion is next month. I have to decide – by tomorrow – if I’m going or not and I’m conflicted. So, I’m here to solicit your opinions, one and all!

Backstory: I only went to the school I graduated from for 3 years. In that time I made some great friends – a few who I still talk to and see regularly, a few more who (thanks to Facebook) I am semi-caught up with already, and some who I have no idea what happened to. Anyone who I wasn’t friends with will likely not even remember me – at least not much. It was a small school, but again, I was only there for 3 years, and it’s been 10 – and I’ve never been that memorable.

PROS:

- It would be interesting to see the people who I was friends with but who I lost touch with after high school. See what they’re up to – typical reunion stuff.

- My close friends would go and I’d have a good time with them even if the rest of the reunion is lame.

- Like all girls who were overweight in high school, I had a secret fantasy that I would lose a bunch of weight and show up to the 10-year reunion looking great. I can actually do that! (I have a cute husband, too!)

- Ten-year reunions only happen once by definition. What if I don’t go and regret it?

CONS:

- I live 200 miles away from my hometown. While this is not that far – and my family lives there – I am going to be there the prior two weekends. That’s a lot of weekends in a row to spend where I used to live, as opposed to where I currently live.

- I would feel like a complete jackass going to the reunion if it turns out no one remembers me. Or cares. I’m a bit concerned about that.

- Yes, I’ve lost weight and can “live the fantasty,” so to speak. But now that I’ve done it, it doesn’t seem so important. I don’t care about showing people that I’m not that fat girl anymore. I lost weight for ME, not people I went to high school with, and I don’t feel the need to gloat.

- I don’t know who’s going and who’s not. It would really suck if I went through all the trouble of going and no one I was hoping to see was there.

- My husband doesn’t particularly want to go. He will go, but I know he doesn’t want to, and it’s unlikely that he’ll enjoy himself. Do spouses ever have fun at these things?

That’s basically it – all the pros and cons I can come up with right now. They’re not all weighted equally, so I can’t just count them up and say there are more cons than pros so I shouldn’t go.

If any of you have thoughts on the subject, I’d like to hear them. I’m officially soliciting advice! Did you go to your reunion? Was it fun? Awful? Are you a former classmate of mine who will (or won’t) be at the reunion? Simply think I should (or shouldn’t) go? Leave a comment!

This entry was posted on Monday, July 13th, 2009 at 7:22 am and is filed under Personal Stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  • Shannon

    New reader of your blog but I thought I should respond as my brother and I were talking about h.s reunions just the other day. While the highschool we graduated from doesn’t do ten reunions per say, they do an Alumnae day the last day before Christmas holidays each year. I’ve never been. I moved 500 miles away from my home town within weeks of graduating and while I go back often, it’s not to visit friends I left behind. My arguments, for myself, against going are that I haven’t talked to the people I went to highschool with in 7 years for a good reason.

    I personally probably wouldn’t go. If you’re getting in touch with people you haven’t seen since than, I’d save the weekend away up and than go to them, wherever they live. Sure you may see fewer of your former classmates, but its bound to be more meaningful than a contrived 10 year reunion.

  • Stephen

    Wow, Shannon hit the nail on the head. I would much rather hang out with the people who I know want to spend time with me and not those awkward, “so what are you doing with yourself now?” talks. However, I always enjoy seeing both you and Eric. The choice is yours but you only get 1 ten year reunion. You’re successful and look great, might not be so bad. Free food and open bar right?

  • http://www.logmyloss.com South Beach Steve

    I am probably not going to be much help here – I am not a real big fan of school reunions. Not that I have a reason not to go, but the way I think about it, the people I want to see, I already see. My wife however, does want to go to our next reunion (we graduated together), so I suppose we will go. That is not my choice though.

  • http://www.reteachingloveliness.blogspot.com ered

    I’m new here too but I think about this, since my reunion is also coming up and I live on the exact opposite side of the country from where I used to live. I would find one friend who was going and go with them(for me, my best friend from high school–we’re not superclose right now but I know he would go with me and we’d have a great time although we might cut out early with any great old friends we find there). I only went to my high school for 3 years as well but I do know that the school I went to *before* that, which was private and recently closed its doors forever, had a reunion that I didn’t find out about until it was over and I really regret that, although I don’t really know any of those people right now. I’m pretty good knowing what I’ll regret though, so if you know that about yourself it’ll probably help too. For example I didn’t go to prom–I knew I’d never regret it, and I never have. But for me the 10 year reunion is another story (though I’m less likely to go to any after that…) best of luck to you.

  • Alicia

    That’s a tough one.  I agree with finding someone to go with.  It’s less awkward when you walk in if you have a friend with you.  I went to my reunion and I actually really enjoyed myself.  I actually now have 2 clients out of it, so you never know.  People ask what you are up to and maybe what you do will help others (bring business cards just in case). Just think, if you get a new client, you can write off the whole trip! I’m sure you will make a good decision, and would it really be so bad to see your fabulous family that many weekends in a row?