Okay, it's that time again. Hard to believe that my next high school class reunion is coming up this weekend. It will the...oh, you don't need to know which one. Let's just say that I remember when Neil Armstrong took that first step on the Moon [and okay, when John Glenn first circumnavigated the globe.] If you have never been to yours, I highly recommend it. It is a great touchstone for where you've been and where you are now. Let's just say that the movie "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" (1997) is not so off the mark.
For years I have thought about handing out a survey because it would be an interesting social experiment with a true "control group". We are all the same age and most of us went from grade school through high school together so we have a host of shared childhood memories. It has always been fascinating to me those classmates who even after all of this time, can remember even the most minute details about our life in high school. Honestly, I kind of left that all behind and moved on to other things that I kind of left behind along the way.
But anyway, this is my problem. These are the only question that I can come up with:
"Are you where you thought you would be?" and "What is your favorite memory?"
And that is about it. My mind goes blank. So, I guess you know what I am about to ask. Help me! Who better than the smart, thoughtful CommentaramaPeeps! If you were going to go your reunion and you were going to give a survey, what would you want to know? If nothing else, it will be a diversion from 24/7 cycle of RUSSIARUSSIARUSSIA! [That sounds like a line from a '70's comedy, doesn't it?]
Please help!
Oooh, oooh, oooh*, just thought of another great question: "What was the most useful class you had in high school?" (Me: Latin)
*Another '70's comedy reference.
For years I have thought about handing out a survey because it would be an interesting social experiment with a true "control group". We are all the same age and most of us went from grade school through high school together so we have a host of shared childhood memories. It has always been fascinating to me those classmates who even after all of this time, can remember even the most minute details about our life in high school. Honestly, I kind of left that all behind and moved on to other things that I kind of left behind along the way.
But anyway, this is my problem. These are the only question that I can come up with:
"Are you where you thought you would be?" and "What is your favorite memory?"
And that is about it. My mind goes blank. So, I guess you know what I am about to ask. Help me! Who better than the smart, thoughtful CommentaramaPeeps! If you were going to go your reunion and you were going to give a survey, what would you want to know? If nothing else, it will be a diversion from 24/7 cycle of RUSSIARUSSIARUSSIA! [That sounds like a line from a '70's comedy, doesn't it?]
Please help!
Oooh, oooh, oooh*, just thought of another great question: "What was the most useful class you had in high school?" (Me: Latin)
*Another '70's comedy reference.
21 comments:
My 45th is coming up in September.....there were 115 of us that walked in the armory to get our diplomas, we've lost 24 so far...real small town, most of us were friends and still are..1972....I was in basic training less than a month after high school...
Maybe a "where are they now" for the members of the class voted as "most funny", "most likely to succeed", etc.
What was your favorite music then? How do you feel about it now?
I've been following the blog for a while, but have never commented. I had to comment on this one, though. I'm thinking we might be of similar age, but the class reunion experience couldn't be more different.
My class had 365 members. At our 30 year reunion in 2012 only about 30 of us showed up...and I admit the only thing that got me there (to my first reunion) was being nagged to death on Facebook and others said the same. The organizer said a significant number of people she had contacted told her to take them off the list, they didn't want to come and they would never want to come to a reunion. This year marks 35 years since graduation and there are no plans for a reunion.
Since then I've talked to a lot of people and have found that very few people from my generation on down have any interest in reunions. The thing I've heard over and over is that I keep up with anyone I'm interested in on Facebook. Those that want to, plan personal get-togethers.
I'm thinking Facebook may end up being credited with the death of class reunions.
Hi Stacy, thanks for posting! :)
Sorry for going AWOL yesterday. I'm having a problem with my leg... huge hole courtesy of my car door and some bad veins. So I spent the day at my doctor and getting scanned and the such to figure out if it's ok. Seems to be!
Bev, On your question, I have no idea. I've never gone to a reunion because it's not my thing really.
Maybe ask them: Most important(s) event in your life. See if they answer with personal or political answers. Favorite President. Biggest mistake. Biggest success. Did your life turn out the way you wanted it to?
Sorry about your leg, Andrew. Glad things seem to be ok.
Thanks, tryanmax. It's just one of those things. Fortunately, it's not a blood clot, which was the worry.
On the main topic, I've never been fond of class reunions and made it a point not go to my 10 year. I had very few friends back then and I'm fine with keeping the majority of them at Facebook length. The few I do want to see I have ways of meeting up with. I can definitely see where social media has pretty much eliminated the need for them like Stacy said.
On the other topic, that definitely sounds like an ordeal, Andrew! Take care of yourself.
- Daniel
Oh good, a non-Trump article for me to participate in. :-)
I just realized I'm closer to my 20th reunion than my 10th! I figured I'd go to the 10th, even though (shocker!) I was never exactly Mr. School Spirit and the people that I wished would be there were nowhere to be seen. And because the school wouldn't allow alcohol, the reunion was held in the back corner of a sports bar and not in the school gym like in the movies.
All I'll say is I had some unexpected fun. [clears throat]
To answer your question, those are pretty much the questions I'd go with. Another one (albeit cliched) might be "If you could go back, what would you do differently?"
Till next time,
До свидания!
Andrew - Stop doing that and I command you to BEEEE WEEEELLLLL!
Did that work??
Stacy - That's interesting. My class was about 550. Mostly we have about 50-100 classmembers w/spouses attend. I go because I have sound it interesting to watch everyone grow up and grow old. It is interesting to see how people age differently and more than others. And you are right. I think social media will probably render these kinds of functions obsolete. Though I am not sure why they exist in the first place. But it's fun!
Critch - You were probably in HS the same years as my brother. Many of his friends did the same thing - basic training right out of HS. That changed for my class as the draft had been suspended by then...a few years earlier the date of which will not be publicized for fear of being thought "old".
LL - I am not sure we had official "Most Likely..." categories. I will have to check. But I am almost sure we had our own personal "Most Likely" mental lists. I can say that we did have "Most Changed" award and that went to someone in our class who had gender reassignment surgery right after graduation.
Anthony - Music! Of course, that is a BIG part of our era late rock into early disco. I would ask "What to you think of the music scene today?" Answer most likely "THAT'S not MUSIC!! It's some kind of screechy, made up mess of sound!!!" Oh, wait, that may have been our parents who would say that...
Andrew and ScottDS - The first one was interesting. I realized that I participated a lot more than I thought I did in HS. But everyone had just started their lives, so not much had changed.
By the second reunion, it was stunning how the guys in our class had blossomed more than the women. The geeky quiet nerdy types had grown in handsome men and the hot cheerleaders & jocks had begun to "got to seed" so to speak and just quite couldn't let go of those HS days. And by this time everyone is well on their way on that path of life. And then the death rolls started...
By the next one, we started looking and acting like our parents...;-)
Bev -
Interesting observation. At my 10th, all the girls who were hot in high school were still hot but all the guys looked older, if only slightly. Except for one guy who lost weight and looked totally different - he was the winner!
It'll be interesting to see everyone at the 20th... if I go, of course.
Bev-
I've found that the geeks had blossomed, too, but there's no justice....the hot jocks and cheerleaders were still well preserved after 30 years. And just as stuck on themselves.
I had a draft number of 13 but I was already in basic when it was drawn...I remember at the induction station in St Louis they called about 20 of us over into a corner in a large room..a few seconds later the other 200 people who were going through physicals that day were lined up and given a numbers 1-2-3...the 1s went to the Army, the 2s went tot he Navy and 3s went to the Marines...they must have some of the very last who were drafted...us 20 or so were all volunteers...
Like I said, I was friends with those people and still am...we see each other out in businesses...we make jokes about impromptu class reunions at WalMart where it seems like we run into lots of our classmates..one of our teachers remarked that we were the last good class...1972...after us came the drugs that are destroying the Ozarks Culture..I will put a toothless-meth-making hillbilly up against an inner-city crackhead anytime on a who's more worthless bet.
I remember our 20th class reunion the class wallflower had really blossomed...they looked store bought, but they looked good...
Sorry about your leg, Andrew. Glad things seem to be ok.
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