50th Reunion This Weekend

[ProfessorGAC]

Informal gathering at a big pizza joint Friday night, and a mingle & eat this at a historic mansion Sunday.
Both were in the city where we all grew up.
I figured 50 was a big deal & there won't be many more.
Stayed a bit over an hour the first night, about a hundred minutes.
It was all right, but 3 of the people I would most liked to have seen again didn't show.
Even if there are other reunions, I think this is my last.
Glad I went, but I think I'm done.

[underpants]

1. Sounds great.

I guess my 40th is next year. It’s an hour from here.

[ProfessorGAC]

2. It was only 35 Minutes For Me

The first joint was only a mile off the interstate, so getting there was quick.
The other is in an area where traffic is very light on a Saturday evening.
It was easy to get to, easy to get home.

[captain queeg]

3. My 50th is next summer. I went to my 25th and was fairly disappointed

Like you said, a lot of the people I was hoping to see didn’t come. The bunch of stoners I hung out with after high school were there in force but I’m just not that way anymore. I might go to the 50th, I haven’t decided. It’s back in Ohio where I grew up and I still have a sister there I could visit and stay with.

[Auggie]

5. Wow -- my 50th is next summer in Ohio as well

And somehow I'm on the reunion committee

[captain queeg]

10. What part of the state?

[Auggie]

13. East of Cleveland. You?

[captain queeg]

15. SE of Cleveland. Close to Kent State. A little town called Garrettsville.

[Auggie]

19. Out of my range

My mother went to Kent State but I’ve only been there twice. I’m Lake County — borders Lake Erie.

[captain queeg]

20. I lived in Geneva-on-the-Lake for awhile after I graduated

It was a fun place to live, but too far from where I worked. I left Ohio in the late 70s. When my mom was alive I’d go back every year for a visit. But you know I never saw much of the state outside about a 30 mile radius from where I grew up. I’ve drive the interstates across the state but just passed thru.

[ProfessorGAC]

8. The Weird Thing For Me...

...is that I didn't actually graduate with the vast bulk of that group because a few of us (honors students) left after our 3rd year fir college.
But, we were there together for 75% of HS.
I was a little surprised how few guys I played basketball with showed up.
There were only 5 of us, including me, for freshman team, sophomore team and varsity. 3 out of about 20.

[captain queeg]

11. I didn't graduate with my class. I dropped out my senior year but only needed 1/2. Credit which I got that summer.

But there were a lot of people at the reunion that got their GED. Don’t know if they were officially invited or just showed up.

[biophile]

4. Glad you went too!

Mine (I have two 50th reunions this year) are coming up in September and October. One is for the high school I didn’t graduate from but went through 1-10th grade so they graciously include me as an honorary class member. The other is for my actual Alma mater - went there two years and was great but because I didn’t really grow up with them, didn’t know most of them as well. It’s amazing how many have already passed 😔.

[LudwigPastorius]

6. I've never been to any of my reunions.

Besides a few key people that were my friends, high school wasn't a particularly enjoyable time in my life.

I might go to my 50th, though. If I live that long.

[claudette]

7. Yes

I was done after my 50th reunion. So many of my classmates had passed on and it was too depressing.

[Silent Type]

9. Get it. Didn't go to my 55th because my classmates are 75% serious trumpsters. At 50th, I left after 50 minutes.

[ProfessorGAC]

14. I Heard ZERO Politics Either Night

If there had been pro-TFG chatter I wouldn't have stayed as long.

[SheltieLover]

12. Congrats, Professor!

[captain queeg]

16. I hadn't thought about how many will have passed. Didn't hear of many at my 25th.

But by next year I’ll be 68 which doesn’t seem all that old to me. But my overall health has been ok. I’m sure there’ll be many with conditions that’ll take them out. Then add in the car wrecks (we had some of those at the 25th). We started HS with about 125. Less than 100 graduated. We held the distinction of the highest drop out rate the school had ever seen. Maybe that’s not true anymore.

[ProfessorGAC]

17. The List Last Night Was Pretty Long

This was a dual reunion as there was the all-boys school & the all-girls school, so a total of around 400 grads.
(Drop out rate was miniscule.)
I didn't count them, but there had to be 30 on there. I did notice the oldest one was August 1974. Somebody died 2 months after graduation. I don't remember that.
There were 2 from earlier this year.

[captain queeg]

18. I'm sure we'll have lost some. We didn't get that great of a turnout for the 25th so not sore how the 50th would be.

When my mom was alive she’d send me news clippings or other news when she saw someone I knew has died. I used to wonder how she even knew that I knew some of them. But she’s been gone for close to 20 yrs and I haven’t stayed in touch with any old friends. I have a sister who was one year behind me and she’s stayed in touch with a couple people. And I’ve heard a few things thru her but not like she and I ran in the same circles.

[ProfessorGAC]

21. Sounds Just Like Me

My mom dies in late '09.
My sister is 11 years younger than me, so we definitely didn't run in the same circles.
And, I even lost touch with friends in college because I went to school year round & my campus visits weren't to visit friends, but to play parties & clubs in our coffeehouse trio.
I did run into two guys that I hung around with a lot in HS. But, it's been over 50 years since I saw them!

[Upthevibe]

22. ProfessorGAC..........

I went to my 10th, 20th, and 40th.

Next year is my 50th (class of '75). I'm not really interested in going. It's in South TX. I've kept up with a few of my friends and one of them and I are still really good friends although she's still in TX and I'm in CA.

[ProfessorGAC]

23. If I Lived A Thousand Miles Away....

...I never would have gone. So, I don't blame you.
For me, it was just a 35 minute drive.
Where in south Texas? I've been to Brownsville several times. I had projects in Matamoros over the years, including a remediation effort.
My California time was mostly Orange county. Had family in Anaheim & Santa Ana. And a site I worked at is in Orange County, too.

[lastlib]

24. Never been to a high-school class reunion....

probly won't go to any in the future. Just too few people from that hell-hole I'd want to associate with....

[ProfessorGAC]

25. I Can See That

The city where I grew up was sizeable, so pretty diverse my whole life. I couldn't describe it as a hell hole.
I went to a private HS. The 2 privates (one for boys where i went, one for girls) & 3 public HS. There were probably 7,000 high schoolers during that time.
It wasn't a bad experience, it just wasn't all that. I'd call it tolerable.

[kozar]

26. And the 50 went fast,didnt they?

Ive never gone to a reunion, I had the benefit of an older brother, who always said, "I did my best, after, high school", I ,learned ,Prof, did my greatest things after, high school.
What I did in high school, what I did in college, didn't matter.
The greatest thing, I ever did, was adopt LilBit.
I learned that ,when my HS buddies, never called me.
Prof,, you only missed memories of youth.
Folks are remembering now, what you did for them.

And they weren't even born, when you graduated

Koz

[ProfessorGAC]

28. I Buy That

I didn't have a bad time in HS. Straight A student that played basketball, ran track & a musician.
I wasn't ostracized.
But, it was just 3 years I spent before college.
I college, I was in such a hurry to get done, I didn't have time for too much partying.
I became much more knowledgeable after I worked for a living & became a much better musician.
Plus, I married the best friend I ever had. The years after HS were, indeed, more instrumental.

[kozar]

29. So call me

Maybe, I, can help

Koz

[kozar]

30. I thought

Maybe, I, can help

Koz

[kozar]

27. 50 went quick?

Ive never gone to a reunion, I had the benefit of an older brother, who always said, "I did my best, after, high school", I ,learned ,Prof, did my greatest things after, high school.
What I did in high school, what I did in college, didn't matter.
The greatest thing, I ever did, was adopt LilBit.
I learned that ,when my HS buddies, never called me.
Prof,, you only missed memories of youth.
Folks are remembering now, what you did for them.

And they weren't even born, when you graduated

Koz

[debm55]

31. I am so glad you had a wonderful time. I had mine last year but did not go as it my dad's funeral. I have never been to

one and was looking forward to it. But I didn't. as I didn't think it was proper.

[ProfessorGAC]

32. Wonderful Is A Strong Word, Deb

To be honest, I'm not sure I would have done the 2nd night but that was a prepaid thing, that I did in May.
At least I got 2 tonic waters with lime, and some pasta!
How's Rich feeling?

[debm55]

36. Not so great. He has to drink 25 oz of water, use a clip, and double dose of merilax. He is very tired and sort of mean.

Tomorrow is day 7 of a 27 dose of radiation. I still love him and understand .Thank you for asking.

[sinkingfeeling]

33. We're in the planning stage of my 60th. About 1/3 of my class has passed away.

[ProfessorGAC]

34. Were More Like 10%

Another 10 years is a big variable.
Big class?
We had around 400 between us & our sister school.

[sinkingfeeling]

35. I had 54 in my graduating class. The 4 grades of the high school was around 230 combined.

[ProfessorGAC]

38. The 2 Schools Had Right Around 1,600 Students

Both private high schools, one all-boys, the other all-girls.
There were a few classes for juniors & seniors where you could drive to the other school for an hour.
I never did that, but a lot of guys wanted to just to have an hour to see the girls!

[XanaDUer2]

37. Kick

[kimbutgar]

39. I have my 50th in October all girls high school.

Went to everyone except for the 40th and was on the fence for the 50th but a friend begged me to!

The one plus is I haven’t aged as badly as some of them!

[ProfessorGAC]

40. You Know...

...I noticed that, too.
Some of the people I talked to looked older than me or my wife.
By definition, we're all the same age, but some people looked way older than others.
It's not like I look 40 or anything, but I looked younger than well over half the folks there.

[bif]

41. Mine was last year and I regret not going.

That was the biggie and there probably won't be another one. Oh well.

[ProfessorGAC]

42. I Don't Regret Going

Probably only needed to go one night, not both.
I guess the advantage to going both nights is that I didn't feel bad about leaving early because it totaled 3 hours.

[geniph]

43. I enjoyed the first few reunions (my 50th is in 3 more years)

I really enjoyed the 10th and 20th, then was disappointed by the 30th, and bored stiff by the 40th and irritated by the 45th. After the 20-year reunion, they stopped being dance parties and turned into a bunch of old farts - half of whom don't even bother to dress up - standing around talking about what their kids are doing, instead of what they're doing. Now it's what their grandkids are doing. The 45th was awful, just a bunch of judgey old ladies sitting around turning up their noses at anyone who was drinking the free wine. I don't even know if I'll go to the 50th. I miss when we used to dance and talk about what we were doing, instead of who has died or what medications we're on. *grumble*

[ProfessorGAC]

44. Similar Here

I didn't hate it, but it wasn't enough fun to look forward to another one.

[3catwoman3]

45. My 50th School of Nursing reunion was last October.

Out of a class of 66, only 6 of us came, which was disappointing, but the 6 of us thoroughly enjoyed getting reacquainted. Among the 6 of us, none of us had been particularly close to the other 5 when we were students, and none of the classmates each of us had most hoped tp see were in attendance.

The surprising benefit of this was that we all got to know each other much better over the 3 days of the reunion, more so than we probably would have if our "best buds" had been there. When we said goodbye after the 3 days together, I said to everyone that I was leaving feeling as if I had 5 new good friends, and everyone agreed.

We've stayed in touch with Zoom meeting since then.

I'm really glad I went.

[ProfessorGAC]

46. Good For You!

That's a great result of your going.