Next year is my 20th high school reunion. While I’m 98% sure I will NOT be attending my reunion, there is a very small part of me that is curious to see what will happen.
I’m not planning on attending for one main reason: I hated high school. My family moved to Rawlins, Wyoming when I was in the sixth grade. When you move to a new town at this age, clicks have already been formed. The girls in middle school and high school were brutal to outsiders. Most of my friends in high school were either a year or two older or a year or two younger. I had a couple of friends who were in my class but mostly, I felt really abused by most of the people (especially the girls) who were in my grade.
In fact, I don’t think I’m the only one who felt that way. The Rawlins High School class of 1991’s ten year reunion was actually cancelled because there was not enough interest. My belief is that there was no interest because the two people planning this reunion were two of the meanest girls in the class.
I would not want to ever re-live my high school years again because they were so rough and I didn’t really establish my own identity until I left that town and went to college. Thankfully, I left the state to go to a college where I was the only one from my high school attending.
On my way to work the other day I heard a story on the radio about how the city of Nashville had received some grant money to tear down seventeen old buildings around town that are considered eyesores. I thought to myself, “Wow, they sure can tear them down a lot faster than they can build them up.” Can’t the same thing be said about hurtful words?
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Ooh, very true. I too am a ’91 grad. I didn’t go to my 10 year and have no desire to attend the one coming up…just so past that phase of life that it seems a waste of a perfectly good weekend to go to go and hang out at an old haunt.
I was fortunate to have a few good friends in high school… went to my 10 year reunion just for the experience and decided I’d rather just get together with those few friends than go back to the 20 year! I don’t understand cliques and “mean girls” — do they not realize how hurtful they are? Do people not realize just how much their words and actions in junior high and high school affect others YEARS later? You are so right in your comments.
I didn’t have many friends in high school. My parents moved to a small town in Tennessee when I was entering 10th grade and it seemed like everyone had known each other since they were born. High school wasn’t horrible, but I just didn’t feel very much a part of anything and it was mostly due to my own shyness and fear.
I went to my 25th reunion and it was a lot of fun. I discovered that the things I had felt were actually pretty common. A lot of the people that I had thought were really cool ended up having a lot of problems and didn’t turn out so cool. Some people told me they always thought I was really cool in high school and I never saw myself that way. That 25th reunion was kind of revelatory to me.
Last year would have been the 40th reunion. I was looking forward to attending, but no one organized anything. Since I live in Los Angeles it would have been difficult for me to do much. I guess there was interest , but no one wanted to be responsible. Maybe there will be a 50th anniversary for those of us who are still left.
By the way, I’ve been to Rawlins a few times but I don’t really remember it. Must not have made much of an impression on me.
It’s kind of weird when someone comments on an old post isn’t it?
Lee
Tossing It Out