Sunday, January 07, 2007

Crazy - another post in the same week!! HAH!

I'm getting ready to see some old friends from college in the next week - a group of us who lived together in the dorm (and were also in the Christian women's service group on campus) kind of put together our own reunions to catch up with each other and just hang out. We all are from different classes, so "standard" reunions wouldn't necessarily bring all of us together and this way we can choose where we go, when we meet up, for how long and how much money we want to spend to do it. But it kind of got me thinking about other people from my past that I haven't ever "reunited" with and the concept of reunions in general.

I remember my mother in law being very excited about going to her high school reunion, I think it was 25 years - she had seen a lot of her old friends and they all caught up on what had gone on in their lives, where they were living now, etc. My parents never talked about high school reunions but every once in a while they would go back for college reunions. My 10 year high school reunion was a few years ago and I didn't go. Actually, I'm not sure that it really happened, but I wouldn't have chosen to go anyway. I'm still somewhat traumatized from my high school experience and didn't think that 10 years was enough time for me to be able to go back being even remotely objective about my fellow 375 classmates. Maybe by the time 25 years goes by I'll think of it as "fun" to see those people and discover what they've been up to - how much money they make, kids they have, where they live, etc. but for now I still feel relieved that I made it out alive and relatively sane. :) So, what about you? Have you been to reunions? Do you look forward to going someday? How long do you think it has to be before you're ready to go back?

I also think it's interesting that I'm really looking forward to this reunion (which isn't even 10 years after my college graduation) - that my college experience was so much more positive than my high school experience. I wonder why. Maybe because this group is a selective cluster of folks that I was close to rather than the whole graduating class. Several, but not all, of these women were in the religion program with me, so we all learned and grew together intellectually, spiritually and emotionally - I was closer with these people than I ever was with anyone in high school. maybe that's college or maybe that's the difference in being 20 vs. 16. I don't know. I'm curious to hear your thoughts about your own experiences though and wish you all a great week!!

8 comments:

kelly f said...

Mandy--I've never thought a lot about reunions and didn't go to my 10th for HS...but, over the holidays my little sis and younger cousins turned me onto Myspace. I'd vaguely heard of it but had no idea about the "community" that existed out there. So I joined up last week and have had a blast in the past few days finding high school, college, and Girl Scout camp friends I'd lost touch with. Brings back lots of memories and is a pretty neat way to stay in touch without time constraints or expense. I won't stay glued to it 24/7 like the college kids do (all the college-age kids in our family were also very into Facebook throughout the holidays--my grandparents have a free wireless signal over their house, but that's a long and different story--so anyway I guess FAcebook is similar to Myspace but I didn't really get the whole scoop on it). Anyway, I plan to make a point of checking Myspace every week or so to see who I can find and who might have found me. I think it's neat.

All that said, please tell everyone at your reunion that I might know that I say HI and if someone would shoe polish "for sale" on Mary Brewer's car windows while you're there, Micah and I would just love it!

kf

Big Unit said...

KF, you and Micah are people I have thought of from time to time and wonder how you are and where you are.

Big Unit

kelly f said...

Big Unit. grin. Likewise I have wondered about you. I'm at work so can't take time to fill you in but will try to do so later.

Look at what you caused, Mandy! Another reunion!

Princess FArkel

mandyc said...

OH! *wiping tears* It's so beautiful to bring people together. Hee hee hee!

See this turned out much better than if I had done a rant about how much the military pisses me off right now. This led to happy things... I'm going to go meditate on happy thoughts, like seeing old friends. :)

Kim in KCK said...

I went to my 10-year HS. The informal get-together at a bar the night before the big event, and the family picnic the day after were the good parts. As the time got nearer for it, I was more excited about seeing the people that I'd been in fourth grade with that I happened to graduate with than the ones I graduated with. I even tracked down our fourth grade teacher and had him show up at the picnic. That was the best part. We all loved him.

When my twenty rolled around, we were in the process of moving and we were strapped for funds so I didn't want to spend the money to hang out with people I didn't like all that much anyway. My twenty-fifth should have happened in 2005, and I never heard anything about it. I'm probably on the lost list since I moved away.

The reunions with REAL friends are always great fun, though. Haven't been to one of those in a while. Maybe I need to put one together...in my spare time...right!

kelly f said...

Big Unit--I talked with Micah on the phone last night and I could tell he was smiling when I told him about you. We are both good--I'm with my partner of 10 years here in Little Rock and have a super job that I love and he is a successful attorney in DC with a very serious gf. What about you???

Mandy sorry for using your blog as our conversation space but I don't know how else to contact the big unit.

Big Unit said...

Mandy, will you give my email to Kelly & Micah? Thanks.

I am the site manager at the Harn Homestead Museum here in OKC www.harnhomestead.com

My wife is an attorney; non-profit Native American stuff. That is cool that Micah is an attorney.

Two sons - 13 yrs and 10 months. Fun - Fun.

mandyc said...

kelly and unit - no problem. this is the most conversation on my blog in a long time!! :) I'll email both of you with the respective other's email address so you can continue this conversation on your own, not in the public realm. I'm heading out of town for a while though so give me a few days. Sorry!