it wasn't exactly the "Golden Years" or a high-point of my life ... but after 15 years of AA and a strict program of hobbying (in lieu of partying) has restored me to the fully functioning member of (TER) society you see before you ... god bless my hero and my saviour [sic] Bill Wilson!

Hi IW:
My experience was as follows: My ten year reunion was not much different than my five year reunion(I went to a Catholic High School that was, and apparently  still, is big on reunions).

Believe it or not, many who had taken a professional track, ie Lawyer, CPA etc were just coming into their professional lives as it were. Most of the "Jocks" were still in fine form. The nerds, for the most part either looked the same or some were beginning to lose their hair. The one thing common with this group was that they were for the most part established and making $$$$$$.

As far as the ladies were concerned. The majority had not changed much at all.  If she was a knockout in High School she was a knock out at the ten. A few had married High School sweethearts. I was able to recognize just about everyone without a name tag. There was one girl who I did not recognize because she had really come into her own. In High School, she had been really plain. Thats not a chop, but you asked. At our 10 I did not recognize her because She had really changed. A true "Ugly Duckling" story.
So, for me, the 10 was a great party, but nothing super earth shattering, in terms of change.

Now for the 20, which I experienced in 96, that was an experience.

First relatively few people showed up. In addition, quite a few had died.

Virtually everyone was established professionally. Most of the "Jocks" had let themselves go. The ladies were mixed. Some were pretty as ever, others not so. One friend of mine looks identical to the day she graduated from High School, even after having 2 kids. Generally speaking at the 20 year mark thats when you see the change.

So, I encourage you to go to your 10, and have a blast, if enough people show it will be an experience.

Hi,
I would go.  Out of 610 kids about 500 showed up for mine in 1982.  As an example of how people change, I weighed 115 lbs when I left high school and 185 at my reunion (mostly muscle though, I had a late growth spurt).  I suppose since I grew so much I wasn't as impressed by the jocks.  Some of the other  ugly ducklings had become swans too.  I was a nerd in high school so inevitably you campare jobs and positions in life.  I was pleased with that but it was also impressive how many people were happy living a very simple life style.  Oh well, to each his own.

15TH, 20th. 30th, the numbers have dropped off dramatically so go now and see what people have done with themselves.  It is unlikely you will regret going but on the other hand if you don't go, you always wonder about the boy or girl who sat behind you in history class.

Have fun!!!

An old man decides to go to his high school's 50 year reunion. He hasn't seen anyone since their 25 year reunion and is very interested to see who might show up. When he gets there he runs into his old high school sweetheart. They sit down at a table and talk about the past 25 years.

"How have you been?" he asks.

"Just fine, just fine," she replies. "Although I do have some good news and bad news for you."

"Bad news first please."

"Well, I had to have a hysterectomy a few years back."

"Oh, that's terrible," he says. "What's the good news?"

She says, "The doctor found your old high school ring you thought you had lost."  

Re: I regret not going to my 10 year................

You should definately go, I missed mine and will regret it always.
I did go to the 15 year reunion and had a blast. It was amazing how everybody had changed. I was a little tomboy in high school always playing sports. In the 15 year reunion I was voted most attractive ( I was already in this biz) wow! I could not believe it. Everytime I got up to go to the bathroom I had a trail of men stopping me and wanting my attention. It was great!
I feel that being in this biz gave me a sense of confidence I never had in high school.

My 20 year reunion  is next year and I am not missing it for the world!
Please let us know how it goes.
kisses & licks......
mara

Re: From what i remembered, I had a great time.

It was a good party.  The hot chicks in my class had all gained weight except for 2 of them, yes I had fantasies of them all lol.  Good to see old friends and apologized to those whom I didn't treat so well.

Heard all the stories of friends accomplishments and those who ended up in the big house.  Toasted to those who were no longer with us but remembered as good friends.

The wierd thing was hearing who amongst the men and ladies later turned out to be homosexuals.  I guess were homosexuals but had hidden that life style through the many years of knowing them.  Although none of these friends showed up and had moved from the neighborhood I still considered them as friends and good people who I had the pleasure of meeting.  

The main thing though was that everyone appeared to be laid back and didn't care if you were high on the hog or down on your luck.  It was just really nice to see old friends and reminisce of fun times.  

If you decide to go to your 10 year reunion, sit back relax and enjoy the moment.  Sounds like the beginnings of a wonderful session doesn't it lol.

Take care and have a great time.

                                    jammers

I graduated from a public high school in the midwest in 1967 and left the following fall for the Big Apple, eschewing the small-minded, conservative kids I'd gone to school with, whom I felt had considered me a "weirdo" or "egghead" because I read Ferlinghetti, smoked cigarettes (and on the sly other things) and tried to put French words into my conversation. (Oh, I thought I was so cool, but they didn't.)

And, of course, it was hard to get a date with that kind of a reputation.  I had a girlfriend from another school who was similarly odd.

I didn't go back for twenty-five years.  Then something stirred inside me, and I decided to investigate.  In 1992, I went back to my twenty-fifth reunion.

I was terrified.  I was convinced, before I arrived at the reunion, that either (1) no one would be there or (2) I would arrive and would recognize no one.  So I got good and soused before I arrived.

When I did arrive -- it was held in a party room in a hotel -- there were many people in the room and there was a long table set up for "registration."  The first person to check in with was Dick V., who looked exactly as he had in high school, except that he had no hair.  He shook my hand, welcomed me warmly, and send me down the table to the next person, where I registered to have my picture taken for a "then and now."  I returned to the table to get a name tag that showed my picture from the yearbook of 25 years before. The person managing that was Sally O.  Sally had been a cheerleader in high school, was cute as a button and had the most gorgeous red hair I've ever seen.  She looked up from the table and saw me and said, "There you are!  Did you know I had a crush on you all though high school!?"  I nearly collapsed!  To think that I could have gone out with one of the cutest girls in the school!  Whoa!

I went on to have a really great time at the reunion.  What I learned:

1.  It was really good to do.  I'd cut off that part of my past for a quarter century and it helped make me a more complete person to go back and "integrate" with those people.

2.  Folks grow up.  I don't know about 10 years, but after 25 years, just about everyone had mellowed.  

3.  People were actually glad to see me, much to my surprise.  

Now, more than 10 years later, I have a number of people from high school that I keep in touch with. It was a good thing.

As for telling them that you're an internet personal service provider, I'd say -- go to the reunion, see how you feel about the people NOW, and then make the decision.  

But go -- it's a neat experience.

T.

Yes, some of the hots turned out to be nots.
Some of them stayed the same.
There were a few ugly ducklings.
What was truly amazing were the people who didn't age at all.

10 Year - 1982: Most of the cheerleader types had gotten fat.  Many of the "plain" girls had blossomed into real beauties.  The class president was a bicycle messenger.  Quite a few "nerds" had become rich.  The football star had come out of the closet and had become a flight attendant.  Most of the criminal types were LAPD or CHP officers . . . go figure.

20 Year - 1992: I was in Europe and missed it.  I am told that everyone just bragged about how much they were worth and tried to outdo the next guy . . . a real bust.

30 Year - 2002: We have all finally matured to the point where the most important question from everyone had become, "Are You Happy?" . . . Life is good.

At my 10 yr reunion, there was a big difference between those who had gone away to college and those who had stayed local and/or not gone to college. The latter mainly talked about the same things they did back in high school, while the rest talked about careers or kids.

At my 25 yr reunion in 2000, our organizers did a lot of communication and networking over classmates.com. We managed to have more than 100 out of 300 classmates show up.

The difference at 25 years was striking. Everyone was much more mellow. Guys I had fought with in high school had grown up. It was a lot of "water under the bridge". Very mellow indeed. We all felt very lucky to be together. The principal of our high school even let us tour the place on a Saturday afternoon, without needing hall passes.

I enjoyed reading your responses. It's fun to reminisce about high school. I am definitely going to attend my reunion. It's not for a few months, but I will let everyone know what happens. Thanks again for responding to the post.