By: Scotty Frye
As a high school graduate of the Class of 1999, 2009 brings about the landmark 10-year class reunion. For my fellow ‘99 graduates, it was right around this time 10 years ago that we bid farewell to high school and looked forward to all that college had in store. I’m sure you can still recall the inundation of Baz Luhrmann’s “The Sunscreen Song“, Vitamin C’s “Friends Forever”, and Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” that seemed to play on a continuous loop everywhere you went.
Like many, I have remained close with my good friends from high school and have a pretty good idea of what they are up to in their lives today. Nonetheless, this marks the first “official” gathering of our old classmates and an opportunity to get reacquainted with some of those we haven’t seen in a while. I realize Facebook and the like have made this much less of an issue as you can probably find 97.2% of your high school classmates on there without much effort.
Actually, if it were not for information from Facebook sent to me I would know nothing about my class reunion; apparently that’s where all of the planning and details are being circulated. However, as someone not on Facebook I have not been privy to the goings-on of the majority of my high school classmates. It is this miniscule group of us (Facebook non-users) that keep things interesting in the lead-up to the reunion as we are the wildcards that not much is known about. As the event draws nearer, questions begins to generate that can only be answered by attending such a grand gathering. Though both guys and girls may engage in such pre-reunion chatter, it’s the nature of the chatter that sets the groups apart.
During the holidays in late 2008, my girlfriend and I got together with some of her friends, several of which were high school friends she remains close with. Even then, discussions were taking place among the girls about the “upcoming” (i.e. 11 months away) class reunion. Discussions of whether or not husbands/ boyfriends should be invited or if it should be a girls’ weekend, among other topics, were discussed even at this advanced stage. Though I cannot definitively confirm, I am certain follow-up conversations regarding the following topics have, or will soon, ensue in leading up to the reunion:
- Which girl has packed on the most lbs?
- Which girl has lost the most lbs?
- Are ____ and ____ still together?
- How long will it be before ____ and ____ get
divorced?
divorced?
- How many kids does ____ have now?
- What is that bitch ____ up to?
(In fairness to my girlfriend and her friends, this is by no means specific to them but is generalized based on discussions I’ve overheard among older female friends who have already attended such functions and just general female banter.)
Following the reunion, a debrief session or conference call will be held among the ladies to discuss in detail their findings regarding weight fluctuation, relationship status, and how so-and-so managed to end up with a great guy.
Guys also approach a class reunion with curiosity as I will readily admit that I sometimes wonder what direction the lives of certain classmates have taken. However, the questions to be answered by attending a class reunion are of a slightly different nature for guys, and include such gems as:
- Is ____ still hot?
- Do you think ____ lost 20 lbs and is now hot?
- Is ____ still hooking up with ____?
- Who is making a lot of cash?
- Is ____ still alive?
(These questions are specific to my friends and I, or are at least questions that I would like answered regarding high school classmates.)
After, or possibly during, the event the guys will likely have a discussion of their own to debate the increased and decreased hotness of girls, dudes overachieving with their girlfriend/wife, who is making tons of cash, and any drunken reunion hookups that may have taken place.
The ultimate lesson to be learned from everything above is that when it comes to an event like a class reunion, as long as you didn‘t become the fattest, the ugliest, or show up with the fattest/ugliest date, you will probably make it through the evening alright.
