Wednesday, March 27, 2013

20-Year High School Reunion

It's all over Facebook.
Plans for our 20-year high school reunion.
Yes, I graduated in the year 1993.
A group has been created and old pictures are being posted left and right.
Some of which I'm going to be sharing in this post.
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My first reaction?!
I'm going to go!
I didn't go to my 10-year reunion because I didn't really care much about it and honestly, I didn't want to spend the money.
Not to mention, I didn't keep in touch with anyone I went to high school at that time.
(that was before Facebook and all the social media that there is now)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First off, let me give you some background.
I grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
From age 4-years old until age 15.
That's when we moved to Arkansas.
Hot Springs, Arkansas to be exact.
My parents hometown. Where they had grown up and all of our family, to this day, still lives.
I was in the 10th grade.
So, I went from being with kids that I knew my whole life and thrown into a high school full of people who had known each other their whole lives.
I was the new kid.
I did pretty good. I had tons of friends and hung out with the 'in crowd.
But you know what?
When it was all said and done none of the people I hung around with in high school ended up being life long friends that I have kept in touch with in the last 20-years.
Yes, there's the Facebook posts and a couple of them even came to our wedding reception we had in Arkansas but for the most part my chilhood friends in Louisiana and college friends are my core group to this day.
That doesn't mean I don't still love the friendships I had in high school.
They were great.
Memories I'll have forever.
But the more I have given thought about going to my 20-year reunion, that is taking place this June in Hot Springs, the more I think I'm going to skip out again.
Why you ask?
I'm just not sure I care enough.
The money Brad and I would spend on plane tickets, a rental car and other travel expenses we could use to take a vacation somewhere we were really excited about going!
I initially thought we could use the reunion as an excuse to bring Shelby to see family but many of them are coming here this next month.
And, my Mom brought up a good point.
If you're going to spend the money to go anywhere you should use it to go down to Louisiana and bring Shelby to meet my close friends and my family(brother and his kids)down there.

So, as much as I would think it would be fun to reminsence about my high school days and the bad outfits, big bows and crazy talent shows I participated in(see below photo).
I'm not going to do it.
No 20-year high school reunion for me.
I'll just have to read about it and see all the pictures on Facebook instead.
I think we'll take our money and head to the beach instead.

14 comments:

starnes family said...

Facebook has actually made me care less about going.....I keep up with everyone on social media. Still might go......but I, too, would rather spend the money on another vacation!

AmericanBridget (Jones) said...

Couldn't agree more. Besides, with the onset of FB, you can keep up with folks and not have to deal with uncomfortable chit-chat in person.

I went to my 10 year reunion and had a blast, but I was living in the same state at the time. Had I lived back in DC or SF, I wouldn't have attended.

My 20 year is next year and I'm not sure I'm up for going either. I was not impressed with my graduating class...so many people did nothing really impressive with their lives and I felt light-years ahead of them in terms of getting out and seeing the world, etc.

And, I attended two high schools as well. I moved every couple of years as a kid and was always feeling like the "new kid" in class. Guess those life lessons as an adolescent helped me adjust to change in my adult life!

Unknown said...

Your mama makes the best point. Go see her and show off that precious Shelby! If you want to keep in touch with your besties from Hot Springs, then y'all plan something together at another time. Maybe get them to come to the Carolina coast for a long weekend when it warms up.
My 20 year was fun, but I wouldn't do another and a lot of people that I wanted to see didn't show up.
And do you know Nathan Leslie? You're a little younger than my borther and older than my sister. I think he's maybe a little younger, but he's from Hot Springs, AR and lives in HP area. 6 degrees, you know. :)

Annie said...

I think you'll be glad you spent the money to go somewhere really memorable with you, Brad AND Shelby!

I Do Declare said...

Shocker, I had that same houndstooth blazer you're wearing in the first group shot. #Twins

donatelli98 said...

I couldn't agree more. We went to my 20th last year only because it was in the same town. We did go to Dennis' but I was back there for work and

Alayna said...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I want to see that baby:)

Claire Kiefer said...

I had no idea your family was from Hot Springs! I had a friend in college who was from there and my mom and I stopped and hung out on our big drive from Georgia to SF when I moved out here. I love Hot Springs! Specifically, I loved getting amazing spa treatments in ACTUAL hot spring water for something like $30. Incredible.

I didn't go to my 10 year high school reunion (same reasons as you, really)--I still talk to my closest friends all the time, and the others? I don't really care about. Now I'm getting mail about my 10 year college reunion at Tulane, and while I'd LOVE to go, I doubt we can afford it.

Unknown said...

Good call!! Your lifelong friends are what's worth investing in & y'all should go somewhere you want to go for sure! I don't envision going to my reunions when the times come either!

MCW said...

Reunions are torture.

Tricia said...

I agree...sounds like skipping out is the best. I had my 20th, and I seriously could have done without, and these were people I went all through middle and high school with. Save your money and hit Louisiana where your more treasured friends are. Your Mom also agrees...so it's settled. :)

Unknown said...

with FB you don't need to "go" anymore - fun looking back at your pics!

Kirsten said...

i didn't go to mine a few years ago, and it was in the same town I live in. STILL too expensive, and really, no one I cared to catch up with that I can't catch up with via facebook

Susannah said...

Good call. I don't think I'll be going to my ten year. I just don't care.