In just over a week, I have a high school reunion coming up.
Since my class has never been a group to do anythingn quite the normal way, it’s a 16 year reunion. (We really did try for the typical 5, 10 and 15 year ones, but never quite pulled it all together–one of the hazards of being a bunch of busy people trying to do just that much more.)
It has, in no small part, been facilitated by Facebook. Over the past year, more and more 30-something clasmates of mine have been delving into the digital web of old memories and strange happenings that is the social networking “scene.”
Reconnecting with people one wasn’t particularly connected with a decade and a half ago is an interesting thing. My class was a comparatively small one (about 150 people all together), so we at least all knew of one another and most likely interacted to some degree with everyone through our high school career. We were in clubs together, we did plays and performed together, at the absolute least, we graduated together.
Outside of those school-sanctioned events, though, things splintered quite a bit. Geography was a big deal. Our school district covered a whole lot of land–getting to a friend’s house to hang out often entailed at least a half hour drive (and those of us who didn’t have cars were kind of out of luck half the time).
I didn’t really connect with a lot of people in high school. I always felt like the odd one out. And, while that earned me the title of “Most Unusual” in the final yearbook we were all in, it didn’t do much for my feeling of connection to that time or place.
Without question, though, all of my classmates from way back when were very important to me. In one way or another, they contributed to making me who I am now–and that’s something I’m generally quite happy with.
What that all boils down to is that, while I really didn’t care much for high school, I bear no one from that time any ill will and actually am really curious about their perspectives on everything–from then and now. With an actual reunion finally approaching, I can honestly say I’m looking ahead to looking back.
I know that’s not the case for everyone. A lot of people are quite happy to leave high school and the people from there in the past. Some that I know actively avoid connections to that time in their lives. Others are just indifferent.
No one I know has gone quite as far as Andrea Watson. She decided to send someone else to her high school reunion pretending to be her. That person? A stripper outfitted with an earpiece and followed by a cameraman. The results look to be quite entertaining. Check out the preview of what’s sure to be something special, no matter your feelings on high school.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbRuKbOSqao
