A few of the people from my year at school are arranging a reunion this year. Quite why it has to be this year, I’m not sure - we’ll all be hitting 37 - surely 40 would have been a better number ? Last year would have been 20 years since we left. It really makes no sense at all.
As fun as it has been to get hear voices from the past on Facebook making encouraging noises about the prospect of seeing one another again, my gut reaction is to stay the hell away from any sort of reunion.
I have a couple of misgivings; one entirely pragmatic, and the other less so.
When the idea of a reunion first cropped up, everybody seemed enthusiastic. I’m not quite sure when, but suddenly all those who are either unhappily married, divorced, or still single suddenly started admitting all of their various crushes, and their excitement about perhaps seeing those people again. Some people who are happily married then got sucked in.
I’m not so sure I want to be a part of that.
There’s also the entirely irrational memory of not really fitting in at school. Sure, I had friends, but I was never one of the “popular” people. As an adult things seem to have turned around somewhat though - I have a half decent career, a house, a lovely other half, amazing kids… I wonder how difficult it will be walking into a room full of ghosts of the past.
As my other half commented - “there’s a reason you didn’t all keep in touch”.
Have you been to a school reunion? What was it like? How did you feel?