High School reunions....

Rembrandt

A friend the other day was telling me about his upcoming high school class reunion. I began the reminise about my previous reunions and how the atmosphere seemed to change when another 5 years rolled around.

5 Year....everyone was bragging about their college accomplishments and the superb carreers ahead of them. Not too much had changed in personalities, the loud attention getters were still using the same techniques and impress each other. The girls were busy showing off their husbands and guys talked sports & cars.

10 year....by this time most had completed schooling and the kids were beginning to arrive. Most talk was about aquiring homes or who had the nicest car in the parking lot. The loud party types were fewer now.

15 Year...Appearances began to change, those with the long hair were beginning to bald and traces of gray appeared. Discussions centered around business opportunities and how their kids were excelling in school and sports. A few of the people who were not high school stand outs showed up and much to everyones amazement, had done very well in life's arena.

20 Year...Now the numbers seemed to dwindle...many grads were divorced or were first time grandparents. The mood seemed mellow, nothing to prove, talk centered around kids and family....a few showed up that had been previously intimidated by pier pressures...it didn't matter much now...and everyone seemed to have a great time.

25-30 Year...Some were no longer with us, others had changed physically to the point no one knew who they were...a little more weight, a little more gray, the topics ranged from retirement plans to taxes and politics.

Those who were thought to succeed and become the classes greatest hopes....had lives full of troubles and heartache. The geeks and ones who suffered the most humiliation during high school...did very well for themselves, for they turned out to be the real achievers.

Random thoughts of Rembrandt...

William81

Rembrandt, you hit it right on the head for the 5-20 year. My 25th
is the first weekend in August. Should be interesting.....

andersk

My 40th reunion is coming up this October ... I think it will be a most interesting event. I have not made it to any of my reunions yet so I can't wait!

Kankakee High School Class of '62!

Ken

DarkStar11

Our senior year my class actually voted to NEVER have a class reunion. We started the year with 77, graduated 63, and none of us cared much for each other. About 5 of us met up in a dive bar where we used to hang out to commemerate the passing of ten years. That's the closest we got, or will ever get, to a reunion.

DarkStar11
"...But Mona Lisa musta had the highway bluesYou can tell by the way she smiles..."

GreenLantern

My 5 year was pretty good, not at all like Rembrant's. Grilled out burgers and dogs, and had a couple of kegs. Felt almost like a party from high school, except for the food and cops telling us to keep the music down. Back then they confiscate it and tell us to go home!

Then, skipped my 10 yr.

Lowrider

Did my 35th last summer. Fairly small group (50 people, plus or minus)and very friendly. I talked more to some classmates that night than I ever had during all of high school. Funny how people change. They're all just plain folks now.

Lord Lowrider the LoquaciousMember:Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets She was only a fisherman's daughter,But when she saw my rod she reeled.

Edited by - Lowrider on 05/09/2002 00:00:48

Pup

This year marks the 20th reunuon for me I've never attended one yet. I figured if I don't know or care what somebody's doing after 5 years I'm certainly not going to care after 10 or 20. People that are in my past are there for a reason. Let them stay there. So it is written, so it shall be done.

Politicians, like diapers, should be changed often and for the same reason.

He Dog

My own experience was much like Rembrandts. There are still some people in the class I am in touch with from time to time, and reunions are always interesting. With a class of over 400 there was a lot of interesting variety in professions and where people now live. It is surprising though, how large a percentage still live in there in my hometown. Don't see how they stand it.

idsman75

DarkStar--that's the only way I'd care to bump into any of the people that were in my high school class. I haven't talked with a soul from my graduating class of '93 in years. I can't say I miss any of them either.

SSG idsman75, U.S. ARMY

Old hickory

I don't go to my reunions.(class of 69 -285 graduates) I liked the people in my class, was a decent athlete(State 880 Relay) got good grades and had lots of friends. It's just that I'm not that person and probably never was. There are some people I'd like to see, but after not talking in 33 years I can probably survive without it. I would like to talk to some of the teachers but they're mostly dead or senile{ some were in 68!} I also still live in my home town so I kind of keep up a little more than most psople in my class. If I'd moved to Montana like I always thought I would it might be more interesting to go to one.

mudge

Went to my 10th, 20th and 30th. My 10th was a real eye-opener. The girl I dated (Homecoming Queen, "Miss This" and "Miss That") and was ready to marry (she wasn't ready to marry me, I wasn't catholic) had found her guy and her profession. Professional "breeder". She'd been married for about 7 years and had 5 (count 'em) 5 kids. This former beauty was another Delta Burke. What aPORKER !!! She had to weigh 200 lbs. At 5'5" that ain't good. All I can say is...Thank Odin for unanswered prayers.
20th was a bunch of guys telling anyone who'd listen, how successful they were. Mostly BS.
30th.....lemme put it this way....I didn't realize I had gone to school with all those OLD people.

Mudge the uteful

I can't come to work today. The voices said, STAY HOME AND CLEAN THE GUNS!

Edited by - mudge on 05/09/2002 15:24:16

Edited by - mudge on 05/09/2002 15:25:32

Edited by - mudge on 05/09/2002 15:27:03

gunpaq

The year 2000 was supposed to be my high school 25th year class reuion but was cancelled because the important people in the class were just too busy with their careers at the time. Yea, just too darn busy making a buck. A Chester County area high school class of 450 and the official reply was: everyone is just too busy and not enough interest to warrant a reunion this year. I guess the few spoke for the many who did not realize that they were too busy or did not have an interest in a 25th class reunion. I wonder what will happen when the 30th roles around?

Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.

CAndres35

my 50th is coming up next year. i went to a couple of them and didnt think much of my classmates in shool and last time i saw them still didnt think much of them so am undecided whether to go are not. might just go to see who has kicked the bucket and who the survivors are. carl

Lowrider

Damn Carl, you're one OLD dude.

Lord Lowrider the LoquaciousMember:Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets She was only a fisherman's daughter,But when she saw my rod she reeled.

texshooter

My 30th year reunion just passed. Big Deal. Live in the same town as then. We had 148 in our class. I had about 4 good friends then, and the same 4 now. I was the fatboy outcast, no fancy house or new cars, you all know the routine. Guess what, our group now: 1 county judge, 1 boat business owner, 1 electric utility company manager, and 1 mechanical engineer. Some of the "popular" dudes are not near as fortunate, even though some are lawyers and medical people. Our little gang is working to get all of us to the next reunion. Time will tell.

"Remember, time takes care of ALL problems"

Edited by - texshooter on 05/09/2002 21:41:44

martzkj@msn.com

Hi, I never attended one yet. All my friends were a year or two ahead of me so I never made any close friends in my grade. However I still have my older friend more than 15 years later. However I vowed I will attend my 25'th in the year 2011 if I'm still alive, just to see who else is still kicking.

tccox

I missed our first two reunions (20 & 30) due to being overseas but made the 40th. There sure were a lot of old fat strangers there! Thank goodness for the name tags with our graduation pictures on them. There were only 60 in my class and we have lost 10 or so already. We are going to have a 45th this year since they are dropping fast. There are very many who never left or like me, have come back to retire. Some have done better financially than others but it is not a big deal.

My only problem: This area is the buckle on the Bible belt. I'll bet if I jumped up and yelled "BEER" at the banquet, half of them would pass out.! (Ladies & Gents, Beer is still not legal in this county!)

We are just a small town school and everyone has known everyone for years. Many of my teachers also taught my parents.
Anyway, our class was so popular the Statler Brothers sang a song for us, "The Class of 57". Tom

Those who beat their swords into plowshares will plow for those who dont.

mudge

Dear Mr. Lowrider (aka Whippersnapper)
WATCH YOUR MOUTH
My 50th is next year too. And NO, I'm not going. Can't afford a new walker and I ain't gonna' be seen drivin' the old one.
Damn kids....you can't teach 'em respect for us "geezers".
Right "geezers"?

Mudge the ancient

I can't come to work today. The voices said, STAY HOME AND CLEAN THE GUNS!

Edited by - mudge on 05/10/2002 12:58:45

Lowrider

My most humble apologies to Mr. Mudge the Ancient and Mr. CAndres35. There's no reason for a 53 year-old youngster like myself to show disrespect for my elders.

Lord Lowrider the LoquaciousMember:Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets She was only a fisherman's daughter,But when she saw my rod she reeled.