Conference quark::human_relations-v1

    My reunion experience (5 year, class of 81) was a lot of fun, although,
    yes it was *very* clique-y still.  Everyone sat and congregated with
    the same people they were freinds with in high school.  They would not
    even look at people that they would not associate with in high school.
    Why? Maybe they were afraid their reputations would *still* get
    spoiled??? Maybe.  Anyway I had a great time with my friends. Five year
    reunions are probably the most clique-ey cause high school was not that
    far away. I heard that the ten year is different and classmates will
    warm up to you. I will find out next year, and I cant wait!!
    
    
    have a great time
    
    Lynne -- Class of 1981 -- Shrewsbury High

    Personally I've never been able to get excited about reunions. Maybe
    because you see someone, you say "how/what are you doing now?", "Where
    are you living?", "How about your kids?"........After that you don't
    really have much in common with anybody, unless you've seen them a lot
    recently. The last I believe I saw a High School classmate of mine was
    when I happened to notice him standing in an office in Teddy
    RToosevelt's old hunting lodge in the highlands of Vietnam in 1965.
    None since. And it doesn't matter, at least to me. For some of them I
    was a long ways away, anyway.
    
    ....Bob
    
    8-)   class of 1959
    Newington High, Conn.

    				15 YEAR REUNION!
    
    I have gone to every high school reunion my class has had since
    graduating in 1972. The 5 year reunion was no big deal, because
    everyone still looks the same and still stayed with their clicks. It
    was a really great party.
    
    I also went to my 10 year reunion.........Well people began to change a
    little. Alot of my freinds had families, were divorced, or had great
    careers. Freinds that I thought were better than everyone,( the squeeky
    clean girl/boy next door type that NEVER did anything wrong)turned out
    not to be better than everyone. Freinds that got into trouble and were not 
    the greatest of students turned out to be very successful. They still
    sort of hung out in their clicks. I  mingled and talked to alot
    of different people that I didn't hang out with but were in the same
    class. Physically the guys changed alot, they were now men and not
    boys. 
    
    The only problem with my ten year reunion they had it outside all day
    at the Northboro Fish and Game (not to much class if you want to get
    away from your kids for a nice time). The weather was awful, it rained
    really hard and everyone was outside under tents with mosquetos,damp
    and cold. My class has outgrown the "Hippie Era" of loving to be out in
    the midsts of nature. Some of you can probably relate to that era in
    time and some of you probably have no clue to the way it was in the
    late 60's early 70's.
    
    Well finally 15 years!!!!Do I feel old ? I wouldn't have missed this
    one for the world. I was really nervous this time, I was afraid no one
    would recognize me or visa/versa.  
    
    This reunion was an outside party again, at "Indian Ranch" in Webster,
    MA. The weather was really nice. This time the class of "71" had their
    reunion with ours the class of "72" because alot of people could not
    attend. I think within 15 years alot of freinds relocated to different
    parts of the country, and some had totally no interest in attending.
    
    I had a really nice time, everyone seemed REALLY sincere and happy to see
    each other than at past reunions. Fifteen years is alot of time to mature
    and get over stupid hangups that you might have had growing up. This
    time the physical changes were very obvious. But seeing old freinds
    that you lost touch with is priceless, at least for me it was. Some of
    you may not be to happy meeting up with old freinds. I can't wait for
    my 20th. This time I hope that it I somewhere with dining and dancing
    into the wee hours of the morning. 

    I'd suggest going.  You really have nothing to lose and I have
    found my reunions (high school and college) to be fun.  It's
    interesting to see how people change.  Strangely enough, I have
    even become close with people from the reunions even though
    we were not close during our high school and/or college years.
    
    Claude
    

    RELAX!
    
    I just went to my 10 year reunion 3 weeks ago.  I was just as nervous
    as you were.  I was the kid that always got picked on in school.  So
    when I first received the invite, I thought that "I am not going to go"
    then the more that I thought about it the more I thought that I should
    go so I don't wonder what everyone is doing and what it was really
    like.  So I got on the phone and started to locate my old girlfriends
    that I haven't seen in about 7 or 8 years.  After finding them and
    making sure that a couple of them were going.  I decided to go.  
    
    I sent in the money for my husband and I to go and then found out that 
    my ex-fiance was going to be there (we had dated and got engaged after
    high school).  This made me more nervous.  Now I had to make sure that
    I looked REAL GOOD, so I got my nails done, hair done and borrowed a
    nice Party Dress.
    
    When we got there everyone that I saw (even my worst enemy) came up to
    me and said hello and the typical "What are you doing", etc.  It was
    nice, everyone just exchanged baby pictures (if they had kids) and just
    danced and partied the night away. 
    
    So don't be nervous and enjoy yourself.  You will have a great time.
    

    I didn't go to my 5-year and don't plan on going to my 10-year (which
    is this weekend).  The girl who was my best friend is still my best
    friend, even tho she lives 5 hours away from me.  We see each other
    once or twice a year and call each other at least once a month. 
    Because her family still lives in the area where we grew up, she finds
    out tidbits of info of various people and 'forwards' the info on to me. 
    Sue is the only person I care to keep in touch with from my graduating
    class, so it's not a big deal for me.  
    
    Although, I did drag my husband to HIS high school 10-yr reunion last
    summer and we had a blast.
    
    Go for it!
    
    -- Kristy

    It's been 2 1/2 years since my 10-year high school reunion and I'm
    STILL talking about it. My high school doesn't hold 5-year reunions, so
    the 10-year bash was the first since graduation. I had a WONDERFUL
    time, and for the most part, I found the people much nicer than they
    were during high school. Yes, some of the snobs were still snobs. But
    the difference was that I didn't care. *I* knew I had a happy,
    successful life and that I didn't look half bad (I was almost five
    months pregnant, but I wasn't really showing yet so few people knew).
    The biggest surprise was that although the women looked pretty good,
    the MEN looked TERRIBLE!
    
    It was alot of fun to see and talk to people, although by the end of
    the night, I felt a little sad knowing I might not ever see some people
    again. Still, I told some high school friends who didn't go that they were
    fools not to go--and I still believe that today.
    
    Overall, as nervous as you may be about it, you should have a great
    time if you go there with confidence.
    
    Enjoy!
    
    Nancy-
    Livingston (NJ) High School Class of 1977

re-.1
I too am from the class of '77 different school but I had the same comments
except it was the women that looked terrible 90% of the "beautiful people"
were at least 30# over weight.


-j

    Well, I'll bet nobody has ever been to a reunion like the one I'm going
    to this Saturday.  I'm from a really small town in Ohio.  My class had
    42 graduates, and our's was one of the largest.  So a few years ago
    some of the folks in town decided to put together an alumni
    association, with the intention of having a full High School Reunion
    including all graduating classes from 1914 to 1974 (the last class
    before going to a consolidated system).  The first one was held in 1986
    and was a terrific success with over 600 people in attendance.  It was
    truly the best time.  It was really more like a home coming.  What was
    really amazing was seeing all the "BIG" guys from the Senior class when
    I was a Freshman.  They sure seemed bigger then.  Now they're only four
    years older than me and not so big after all.  In fact some of the
    biggest bullies I remember have mellowed so much they seemed kinda
    wimpy.  This years' reunion is being held at the Wheeling, WV. Civic
    Center.  I'm not sure how many are going but they expect a larger
    turnout than the first.  The only problem might be that our town was
    hit hard by flooding this past month and many people lost everything.
    It's a neighboring town to the one that had the ~23 deaths due to creek
    flooding (Shadyside, OH.).
    
    So anyway, .0, go!!  You'll have a good time, honest.
    
    JOHN
    

    
    .0
    
    If you had checked, (DIR/TITLE=REUNION), you would have found a
    discussion on this subject.  See note #473 for this subject matter.  It
    has 47 replies at this point.
    
    -dwight

    re: .11  Yea, it's there, but who wants to read about something
    from 2 years ago...  and this is supposed to be an interactive file
    so what's the sense if you can't "write" a subject which may have
    been mentioned at a previous time, but may not be completly pertenant
    to the base noter...
    
    Now, on to my reply to the base noter...
    
    I went to my class reunion from Grammer school last year!  (I won't
    mention how many years.)  Anyway, we had a great time.  Of the 38
    of us that graduated, 32 showed up for the reunion!  The surprising
    thing was that none of the "cliques" which existed back then (which
    was up to 8th grade) existed now.
    
    Also last year, I went to my husband's reunion WEEKEND!  It went
    from Friday night, where there was a gathering of about 50 in a
    rented suite, to a semi-formal on Saturday night to a brunch on
    Sunday morning.  Other than being exausted, it was a great time
    too!
    
    I was nervous as anything for both of these events.  But they were
    such a great time!!!
    
    					relax...
    
    						enjoy...

    I hated high school and have never been to a single reunion.  But this
    year is my 20th and I may go just because I'm still in shape and still
    single.  "Living well is the best revenge" as they say.  The last thing
    I'd be is nervous.  I used that all up when I was in high school and a
    hayseed compared to the hip in-crowd.  School, (or should I say the
    classmates), was pure torture.  Now if only my adorable geometry teacher, 
    Sam, shows up...  I'm 'his age' now and I've got Descarte down pat!  ;-)
    
    Sandy - Burncoat 1970

RE:  .12  MLCSSE::LANDRY

>    re: .11  Yea, it's there, but who wants to read about something
>    from 2 years ago...  and this is supposed to be an interactive file
>    so what's the sense if you can't "write" a subject which may have
>    been mentioned at a previous time, but may not be completly pertenant
>    to the base noter...
 
Based on your logic, the base note should say "Don't put your experiences here
unless they happened this year."

Or... we could prompt the mods to delete that whole topic as it's so out-dated!

And yes... it's an interactive file.  That's why you can "REPLY" and enter
discussion, unless you really need to practice entering the "WRITE" command and
like to see your name in print when scanning the directories...

-dwight

    
    but dwight buddy, YOU were the one who said to check out the other
    file...  ("how many reunion notes are needed???")
    
    i'm only saying that maybe if it's worth saying once, it's worth
    saying twice...
    
    if you don't want to read it, that's your choice.
    
    
    jean
    
    class of '72

    
    I did go back and read the referenced note...it had some good
    stories in it but I'm glad I have this "updated" note for
    more recent replies.  Thanks for the reference, I hope
    that this note doesn't need to be moved to the old one.
    I know I miss alot of new replies to old notes because I haven't
    read everything in this file, so doing a next/unseen would take
    forever!  Due to workload I am sporadic when it comes to reading
    this file......
    
    Hope I didn't step on anyones toes by entering this note, and
    I also hope it doesn't go down a rathole with a debate of
    whether or not it should be here....I'm really interested in
    people's high school (or other) reunion experiences.
    
    Thanks!
    Cherie

re:  .15  Landry
    
>>>but dwight buddy, YOU were the one who said to check out the other file... 

So.  You make no point.

>>>i'm only saying that maybe if it's worth saying once, it's worth saying
twice...

And thats why people ought to reply to the original topic.  That's where I want
to make my decision on reading'em or not.  I don't want to hit next unseen to
keep finding new ones.
    
>>>if you don't want to read it, that's your choice.

Tell me something I don't know, pal.  That's not the point.
    
-dwight

RE:  .16  dery_ch

>>>I know I miss alot of new replies to old notes because I haven't read
everything in this file, so doing a next/unseen would take forever!

That's why one does a SET SEEN/BEFORE=DATE after doing a DIR/TITLE=REUNION.

... or use a date with the directory command...

-dwight

    
    Jeeesh.......much ado over nothing!
    
    Dwight - thanks for the insight on using notes.  I am a self-taught
    noter so I'm sure I'm uninformed about alot of highlights of notes.
    
    If the moderators feel this should be included under the older
    note, I have no problem with them moving it if they let me know
    they're doing it.
    
    I hope the banter going back and forth can be taken off-line
    so this topic will not get any further off track.
    
    Regards,
    Cherie

This moderator would prefer that any discussion of whether or not notes should
be moved, or where notes should be placed, take place in an exchange of MAIL
with the moderators.

Though I also prefer that existing topics be added to if the subject matter
is the same, I also am not rabid about moving notes, especially if there
are already several replies to it.  In those cases, I provide (or someone
else provides) a pointer to the earlier discussion.

				Steve

    
    Soooooo....anyway.....
    
    For those of you who did attend your reunion, how was everyone
    dressed?  Is it usually a black tie event, or more of a regular
    suit and tie thing?
    
    Just wondering if I should be looking for a formal cocktail 
    knock-em-dead dress, or just a regular type dress....
    
    Thanks!
    Cherie

Cherie,

The required dress should be included in the invitation.  They had casual for
mine, but almost all the women were all decked out in party dresses and such,
like they were going to an expensive club or such.  Most of the guys were very
casual.  A handful wore suits.  I wore nice black slacks, nice casual shirt,
and jacket, (sleeves back), for a nice casual, but dressing, look.  Some of the
women were really competing in the dress area.... and the very women who did
the planning and put "casual" on the invitations were the ones competing!

It is an event to 'compare' yourself to your old peers.  That can't help but
take place.  I went to a meeting where some of the women were planning the
event, just before hand, and that was obvious.  People will be checking out
your dress, your weight, and asking about your work.  But they are still fun,
especially if you're one of the ones who has taken pride in your appearance and
health!  :^)

Normally, the folks without jobs, or with low-income jobs, folks that gained a
lot of weight, etc, will be the folks who do not attend.  That's too bad and
that's why "casual" was on the invitations, but ya can count of people ingoring
that too!

So Cherie, I'd say if you buy that formal cocktail, knock'em dead dress, that
you'll be in good company, (and get lot's of dancing partners too)!

-dwight

Also see note 473.18 in the other reunion note.

    You mean I might actually have to dress up if I went to my high school
    reunion?  If so, then I guess I can strike that off my list of future
    activities.  I am still recovering from the trauma of having worn a tie
    for most of a day a few months ago.

    -- Mike

    Hey Mike,
    
    I hear it about the tie!  I don't wear'em.  Too stuffy for me.  I have
    a drawer full that I'm preserving.
    
    I like to dress up... but casual.
    
    -db
    
    PS:  Those few that wore a suit, (with tie, of course), were probably
         about 3 or 4 out of about 35 to 40 men.

    
    	My fifth year class reunion is Labor Day Weekend.  I was on
    	the committee to help organize it.  I created the invitations
    	and made sure there were enough.  My husband printed up the
    	envelopes where he works.  All this was given to our Treasurer.
    	Our President took off to Washington DC in the middle of all this
    	and didn't fill in the Treasurer as to what was going on ...SO..
    	she hand writes and stamps all the envelopes thereby wasting the
    	ones my husband printed for us....and the company still hasn't	
    	been paid.  I've been wondering for weeks why I never got my
    	invitation.  Found that out Monday night "oh well I didn't
    	send them to anyone on the committee."  Gee, thanks.  Just cuz
    	I helped organize the darned thing doesn't mean I'm not entitled
    	to my own invitation.
    
    	Fortunately, my husband and I are moving that weekend so I have
    	a good excuse not to go.  I've heard that a lot of the people
    	I graduated with hadn't received invites either. (and they 
    	weren't on the committee)
    
    	My class was unorganized when we were in school....I was hoping
    	things would change at least a little but I guess not....maybe
    	by the time our tenth rolls around. ( And I won't be helping
    	out for that one!)
    
    	JJ
    

>    Just wondering if I should be looking for a formal cocktail 
>    knock-em-dead dress, or just a regular type dress....


At my high school reunion last year, women dressed in a range of styles.
Most women (married) wore their nicest dresses.  A couple women dressed like
bridesmaids and they were totally out of place.  

The woman who got the most attention though wore a black leather
bra (Madonna style) with sequins and studs under an open leather
bolero jacket, which matched her leather pants.  

Remember that you're going to spend alot of time standing and chatting
and dancing.  Wear shoes that you can stand/walk/dance in comfortably.

And...go for the the Knock-em-dead dress 8)

Kath

    
    My 20th-year high school reunion is this year.  Seems scary !  Not
    scary to see the people, but scary that I've been out of high school
    for 20 years.
    
    I mean, I don't think I look real old, but when I graduated high
    school, the people that had been out 20 years sure looked old to me.
    
    I remember the 10th reunion.  I did talk to one woman that I hadn't
    talked to since *kindergarden*.  By the reunion time, she had 3 kids
    and she was gorgeous, so we found things to talk about.  Back in
    kindergarden we were both shy as ever.
    
    I guess since I'm still single, I look towards this reunion as a "gee,
    maybe that woman I always liked but never spoke to will..."
    
    Thanks.
    
    /Eric

    I attended my 20th HS reunion 2 summers ago.  Two of my friends
    went shopping with me to find the perfect dress...a deep purplish
    blue silk, short skirt, and a neckline that implied sin, yet didn't
    show anything but my curves.  I was skeptical, nervous, but realized
    that I looked 100% better then during high school.  many of the men
    failed to recognize me.
    
    Ironically, the women who looked the best were single.  (I was *only*
    separated then).  The men didn't really look that great.  I had the
    most fun dancing with the man who was valedictorian and married (his
    wife didn't come along).  I guess both of us were eggheads in HS and
    in our old-age had become much more interesting people.  Actually,
    most everyone was interesting.  At the 10th we were all still too
    self-conscious.
    
    My suggestions:  dress up as much as you feel comfortable...no long
    dresses though, and sensible shoes.  For guys, a tie is not necessary
    unless you want to wear it at the beginning, then take it off.  Study
    your yearbook ahead of time, and try to guess who everyone is.  Put
    a smile on your face and you and everyone around you will have a better
    time.  
    
    sherry