Did you ever see Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion? Below is the trailer:
I remember watching this movie in early adolescence - it was funny, yet it also led me to wonder about my own high school reunion. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend my 10 year high school reunion - the following morning, I left for a hiking trip at the Grand Canyon. However, I'll be honest and say that a part of me had no interest in going. Yes, I said it.
The whole idea of reunions is an interesting topic, especially how it relates to female friendships. Reunions can trigger old feelings (good, bad and downright ugly) from earlier years. We feel as if we have to show our "best" selves and seem we're doing amazing, even if that's not really true. Maybe we weren't in the popular crowd, and so we have some feelings about running into certain people who made our life horrible during those awkward adolescent years. We may even prepare in extreme ways for the reunion by dieting, working out and/or getting a makeover (see above movie). It is one night of our life, but can cause some major anxiety and fears.
I didn't have much desire to attend my high school reunion due to feeling it wouldn't provide any real purpose for me, especially since I do not live in that state nor remain close with anyone from high school. Thus, it didn't feel worth the time and money to fly back to the east coast for one night where there would probably be superficial conversation and uncomfortable silence. But that's me, and I realize not all of you feel this way. Although, since the book came out, I've re-connected with one friend from high school (I wrote about her in the book), so that's been a positive outcome.
Some people enjoy seeing where their classmates are living and what they're up to; the purpose is to get caught up with everyone. However, I think high school reunions are similar to Facebook - you get updates but nothing really happens past that. If you don't keep in touch with those from high school and don't live in the same state, it's hard to maintain a friendship that you haven't for the past 10 or so years. Maybe you disagree.
For those of you who have kept in touch with your friends from high school, then my guess is that you're planning on or already have attended your high school reunion. It'll probably be more fun for you and have a greater purpose since there's a connection with the people there.
Did you attend your high school reunion? Was it what you imagined or completely different? Did you leave feeling closer to anyone?
I completely agree with this post! The reason why I wanted you to write it, is that I'm a little unclear on what purpose they exactly serve. Like you said, people go to great lengths to look/seem good at them when really everyone is just paying attention to themselves or their own friends at best :) The only really good conversations I had with people outside of my own friends were with people I have seen since high school, mostly because they are friends of other friends.
ReplyDeleteSince I live maybe 15 minutes from where the reunion was held, I figured I might as well go- but I would never fly in for it! I do have friends who live here and were here over Thanksgiving but just decided not to go which I think is a valid decision, definitely!
The best part of it for me was seeing some of my guy friends that I don't see often. I don't know what it is about boys, but I find them a lot harder to keep in touch with, but it might be partly because a lot of my friends who are guys don't live as close. I find I have a lot of fun when I see them but then in between I don't talk to them often like I do with my other friends. I'm okay with that, but I like to take any opportunity to see them and hang out for a night. This is probably the only reason I would bother going to the 15 year reunion... and we will see when that comes around if I do :) Maybe I'll just throw my own party with people I want to see. Haha.