PurpleJedi said:

CallMeCarrie said:

The funny thing is that I'm not even that impressive as a traveler. I haven't really been to that many places (like your continent) and I certainly don't have any life-changing moments when I'm abroad. But you're right - I guess I have things to talk about.

I was kind of hoping that my reunion was going to be scheduled before I got back to the States, so I could say - "Sorry I can't be there, because I'm in [fill in foreign country here]." I'm such a dork!

You just traveled all over the world.

Half of us have rarely ever left our state/province in our boring lives.

You don't need a "life-changing" experience to be able to say; "yeah I was in Argentina and did the tango and sipped on yerba mate under the moonlight."

Yeah I did that! It just feels wierd bragging about it, I guess. I love you for reminding me what I have to appreciate!

6 Reasons High School Reunions Shouldn't Exist

The other day I received a letter that gave me pause. My beautiful daughter watched me open it, and sensed something she'd not seen on her father's face before. Not anger. Or sadness.

"What is that, Daddy?" she asked.

"An invitation to my high school class reunion."

"What's that?"

"A party where you hang out with all the people you went to high school with."

My daughter got excited. Parties still meant ice cream and pizza to her.

"Are you going?!"

"Good lord, no."

"Why not?

"Well, baby, I can think of at least six reasons off the top of my head. Are you going to pay me to tell you?"

"No."

"Hmm. Well, I know someone who will."

My daughter then went off to play with some toys. Or cry. I'm not sure.

I suppose there are people who thought of high school as their best years ever. Their days were filled with lots of friends they truly enjoyed. People who shared their values and sense of humor. And I guess it's conceivable that after graduation, they decided to never speak to any of these people ever again. Perhaps they lapsed into a temporary coma or moved to an Amish community that forbade modern communication technology. Maybe they were taken hostage or wandered foreign lands with amnesia until a fortuitously dropped coconut bonked back their memory just in time for their high school reunion. For those people, I get it. Go to your high school reunion. See all those wonderful people you loved so well, but, for some reason, have removed completely from your life.

But for me, for the most part, if we went to high school and I have absolutely no contact with you now, I'm like totally OK with that. Especially with Facebook and Internet and all that. If I wanted to, I could find you. But here's a Facebook message I'm not likely to send:

Now in truth, there are plenty of people I went to old high school with that I have nothing against. Even a bunch I liked. If I were to meet them in an elevator or at a business meeting or hanging out on a park bench, I'd be perfectly happy to catch up. But that's just not incentive enough. Especially since one of those people could send me a message saying, "Hey, let's grab a beer and catch up," and then I could totally go do that without seeing douche bags like Christopher Vitagliano at the same time. How am I gonna hear about my old friend's home heating business or precocious triplets when Vitagliano, who's probably still spiking what's left of his hair, is like two seats over making the waitress incredibly uncomfortable.

So really, apologies to all the perfectly lovely people of Syosset High School, but you're not incentive enough to sit through exposure to the people I never want to see again. By the way, if Syosset High School sounds familiar it's because that's the alma mater of both Judd Apatow and Natalie Portman. I'm younger than Judd and older than Natalie. Basically, I was the meat in a sexy Jewish sandwich.

#4. It Will Be Really Awkward to See All Those People I Had Sex With

A personal message to my three high school sexual conquests:

High School Girlfriend: Well, actually, part of me really does want to see you again. Y'know, just to assure you that I totally know what I'm doing sexually these days. Like when I have sex now, orgasms are actually involved. But I think it would be more awkward than cathartic. Pretty soon, old resentments would arise, and I'd have to confess that I actually faked my orgasms. (Guys can do that with condoms, unless, I guess, there's a vigilant post-coital prophylactic inspection.) And then you'll feel bad even though you shouldn't because seriously what guy can finish over the sounds of "Ow, stop. No. Are you doing that right?" So yeah, best not to see you.

High School English Teacher: Sure it was hot having sex with you, Mrs. Kupnick, when I was 17 and you were a MILFy 38 -- but it was the 90s. Seeing you now would just be unseemly. Would you ask me to escort you to the annex for old time's sake? Will you be wearing some sort of body stocking and seek assistance from Industrial Light and Magic to reclaim your former glory? Or will you diss me completely to pursue the teenage son of some former student who brought his kids when the sitter got sick at the last minute? It's hard to say, but I don't want to be around for any of it.

Vanilla Ice: I was always a classic rock guy, and I hated you for what you did to Bowie and Queen's "Under Pressure," but when you came to my school's career day, damn, I just knew I had to be a complete embarrassment of a rapper when I grew up. And short of that, I had to get into that pair of oversized gold pants. Although I'd spent the first 18 years of my life as a heterosexual, and all the time since, for one magic day during senior year, I knew what it was like to own your ass just like Sug Knight, but with less crying. Let's not ruin it with a reunion. Shhh. Don't speak, baby. I love you because I love you.

I went to college during the height of grunge, and as such, I was very fortunate to be a young, long-haired man during rock's last great death rattle. But my teen years were filled with some of the worst music of any generation. To ease the pain, I disappeared into the 70s: Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Jethro Tull, and Elvis Costello -- painfully aware that it was yesterday's music even if it was great. My classmates occasionally enjoyed the old stuff too, provided it was Billy Joel or Billy Joel. It was Long Island. Liking Billy Joel was the law. And while I'm sure Joel's "I've Loved These Days" will be heard at the reunion (it was our prom song after all), I'm guessing the music committee will also be filling the dance list with the likes of Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and Roxette's "The Look." I'm not dancing to that. I'm not listening to that. I might bust a move to Biz Markie's "Just a Friend," but that's it. Not going.

There's only one thing that could get me to go to my high school reunion, and it's an ideal that can never be achieved. My initial thoughts were that before I could go, I would need to reach a level of success that would be absolutely devastating to everyone there I hated. But what would that be? Money? A trophy wife? Fame? It would have to be something objectively awesome. Like Bill Gates awesome. Brad Pitt showing up with Angelina after having just won an Oscar awesome.

But the more I thought about it, I realized that short of being named the All-Powerful Master of Space and Time there was no level of accomplishment that would be enough because the measure of success is a personal one. Everyone wants different things from life. A house, kids, a nice car, a private business, extreme wealth, creativity, peace and quiet, fulfilling charitable acts, hot deviant sex, lots of friends, calm seclusion, deep roots, constant travel.

I suppose someone who deems their own life a failure would not be likely to display it for their enemies, but that does not sum up the existence of those avoiding their reunions. There are content people with no desire to be judged by someone else's standards. People who don't want to explain to the Christopher Vitaglianos that they shouldn't have to explain why they don't have kids or why they have so many. Who don't trust the Vitaglianos' determination of what the right number of kids is. Or the right kind of car to drive. And if you already found yourself one step out of sync with your peers' values and aspirations as a teenager, how much greater will the ensuing years of obligations and taxes deepen that divide?

To put it in comedy writer terms: Life for me has been a journey to a place where the people get my jokes and make me laugh. Each year, I keep getting closer. Going to a reunion wouldn't necessarily take me in the opposite direction, but it's a detour I don't need. I'm trying to make some time here.

#1. Christopher Vitagliano

Seriously, fuck that guy.

-Author's note. Occasionally, writers do a thing where they write something that is not true. To that end, please be advised that Christopher Vitagliano is not a real person or based on any one person. I also didn't refuse to talk to my daughter and make her cry. Oh, and Vanilla Ice never came to career day, but, yeah, we totally had sex.

[Edited 6/5/12 16:47pm]

CallMeCarrie said:

PurpleJedi said:

You just traveled all over the world.

Half of us have rarely ever left our state/province in our boring lives.

You don't need a "life-changing" experience to be able to say; "yeah I was in Argentina and did the tango and sipped on yerba mate under the moonlight."

Yeah I did that! It just feels wierd bragging about it, I guess. I love you for reminding me what I have to appreciate!

...and it's not bragging if you don't say it with attitude.

PurpleJedi said:

CallMeCarrie said:

Yeah I did that! It just feels wierd bragging about it, I guess. I love you for reminding me what I have to appreciate!

...and it's not bragging if you don't say it with attitude.

Jeez...next you'll be telling me that I actually have to act interested when they start talking about their kids.

CallMeCarrie said:

CallMeCarrie said:

PurpleJedi said:

...and it's not bragging if you don't say it with attitude.

Jeez...next you'll be telling me that I actually have to act interested when they start talking about their kids.

ZombieKitten said:

CallMeCarrie said:

Jeez...next you'll be telling me that I actually have to act interested when they start talking about their kids.

Reunions are for getting hammered!!!! Sufficiently liquored up you won't care about any of that shit!

PurpleJedi said:

ZombieKitten said:

Reunions are for getting hammered!!!! Sufficiently liquored up you won't care about any of that shit!

Now you're talking, ZK!

Ace said:

Anybody been? How many years after graduation? Good experience or bad? Any stories to relate?

I went to my 10 year one back in 07 and it was cool but the after party was where it was off the chain, everybody let loose! That after party story would fit well in the orgy thread, LOL!!!

purplethunder3121 said:

#2. I Will Never Achieve Enough to Make My Enemies Suffer

There's only one thing that could get me to go to my high school reunion, and it's an ideal that can never be achieved. My initial thoughts were that before I could go, I would need to reach a level of success that would be absolutely devastating to everyone there I hated. But what would that be? Money? A trophy wife? Fame? It would have to be something objectively awesome. Like Bill Gates awesome. Brad Pitt showing up with Angelina after having just won an Oscar awesome.

That's the only thing that would make me consider going to mine.

it's never been common practice in the uk, thank god! i couldn't think of anything more tiresome

If you'd asked me when I got the invite, I'd have said, "No, thanks." (I tend to be cynical like that). But I ended up going and I'm glad I did.

This was our first reunion and I'd say that 25 years is just the right amount of time for one of these things. Most people have a better sense of self at this point in their lives and any past drama is water under the bridge. As long as you go in with the right mind-set (no romantic notions, no chip on your shoulder, no ego), I think you'll find that a quarter-century later is the perfect point to reconvene.

To a man (and woman), everyone was lovely and I've reconnected (and connected!) with some good people.

Don't deprive yourself of a potentially great experience out of grudges and/or insecurities about how you've "fared" in the intervening years. Like most things in life, it's what you make it.

In the words of the great Guru Pitka, "All bids for connection count."

Ace said:

If you'd asked me when I got the invite, I'd have said, "No, thanks." (I tend to be cynical like that). But I ended up going and I'm glad I did.

This was our first reunion and I'd say that 25 years is just the right amount of time for one of these things. Most people have a better sense of self at this point in their lives and any past drama is water under the bridge. As long as you go in with the right mind-set (no romantic notions, no chip on your shoulder, no ego), I think you'll find that a quarter-century later is the perfect point to reconvene.

To a man (and woman), everyone was lovely and I've reconnected (and connected!) with some good people.

Don't deprive yourself of a potentially great experience out of grudges and/or insecurities about how you've "fared" in the intervening years. Like most things in life, it's what you make it.

In the words of the great Guru Pitka, "All bids for connection count."

I'm glad you had fun!

Not for me, as my life really began in University. But my partner went to one last year, he went to Wanganui Technical College between 1954 and 1957, it was the school centenary and ironically most of the attendees were his age (60s and 70s) and went there in the 50s. My partner was the only one who didn't look really old. He loved it though, a good catch up for him.

My high school was in rural Cnaterbury was known for its racism and conservatism. I was forever called a faggot etc and a freak and it was only in the last two years I gained any real friends. High school was not a nice time, at least most of the kids of my school dropped out in the 4th or 5th form (Grades 9 -10) and the last year 1994, the school changed became less racist and rural and now its one of the most diverse and dynamic schools in Canterbury. My borther and I were going to go to a reunion in 2010 but balked at the $500 costs.

[Edited 6/10/12 5:20am]

The friends I have from high school that have stayed in contact over the years are the only ones I care about.