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Reunions
My business school is planning their fall Homecoming reunion. It's making me think about reunions...
Most people initially say it's because they want to reconnect with and see old friends. My question is if you really liked these people, then why aren't you just picking up a phone and calling them? Why wait for a reunion and hope they'll be there? And if you don't like all the other people, why go out of your way to spend time with them?
If it's to show how successful you are (which seems to be the motivation in every TV show), rest assured, if they weren't impressed by you then, they won't be now. That's just going to lead to disappointment and a feeling like you wasted an evening of your life, not to mention whatever travel time and expense it cost to get back to the damn thing. The people who matter will be impressed if you can still tie your own shoelaces and the mean people who don't matter wouldn't be impressed if you won 10 gold medals, made your first million by 20 and won a landslide election to become the youngest leader of your country.
If you're just curious about where other people are in life, google it. You can probably find out anything you want to know. Or, getting back to that first point... look them up and call them!
When I think of high school, for example, pretty much everyone I'd want to talk to I still do. Fortunately all of them participate in the same hobby as I do (the SCA) or are willing to come and visit me, or I'm willing to take the time to visit them when I go home because they all still live in my home town. Anyone else from high school I just don't have any interest at all in. If I got a high school reunion invite (doubtful that I ever will) I wouldn't even look at it before tossing it to the recycler.
University is a bit different though... those people all came from somewhere else, and they all moved away when it was done. I think only one person in my circle of friends stayed in London after graduation. I'm actually considering attending. But as it gets closer, I'm reconsidering... I've got a few friends who have already told me they can't make it. I've got one friend who won't even answer my MSNs so I can ask if he's considering it or not (not sure what's up with that). Most of them hated both the school and the rest of the class, so I'm now sure they'd be motivated to return. If I go, will I be putting in a lot of effort and travel time with a new baby just to see a bunch of people I don't care about? Initially it seemed like a fun idea to show up with a new baby no one would know I'd have, just to see the look of shock on people's faces... but now I'm wondering why that would motivate me. Do I really want to show off the kid to this bunch of people who won't care? Being one of the first to be married when I went back to graduation was fun, but do I really want to go there again? I also remember feeling a little bummed about being one of the only ones without a job. And though I have a damn good reason not to have a job this time around (illegal), I can't help but feel that might make me feel a bit fail-y. Though now we're getting back to the whole why do I care what these people I don't care about think?
What has everyone else's experiences with reunions been? Good stories? Cautionary tales?
I do have to come home at some point to tour the kid around the extended family that can't travel (grandparents). I could easily combine that trip with the homecoming thing. But should I even bother with the homecoming?
Most people initially say it's because they want to reconnect with and see old friends. My question is if you really liked these people, then why aren't you just picking up a phone and calling them? Why wait for a reunion and hope they'll be there? And if you don't like all the other people, why go out of your way to spend time with them?
If it's to show how successful you are (which seems to be the motivation in every TV show), rest assured, if they weren't impressed by you then, they won't be now. That's just going to lead to disappointment and a feeling like you wasted an evening of your life, not to mention whatever travel time and expense it cost to get back to the damn thing. The people who matter will be impressed if you can still tie your own shoelaces and the mean people who don't matter wouldn't be impressed if you won 10 gold medals, made your first million by 20 and won a landslide election to become the youngest leader of your country.
If you're just curious about where other people are in life, google it. You can probably find out anything you want to know. Or, getting back to that first point... look them up and call them!
When I think of high school, for example, pretty much everyone I'd want to talk to I still do. Fortunately all of them participate in the same hobby as I do (the SCA) or are willing to come and visit me, or I'm willing to take the time to visit them when I go home because they all still live in my home town. Anyone else from high school I just don't have any interest at all in. If I got a high school reunion invite (doubtful that I ever will) I wouldn't even look at it before tossing it to the recycler.
University is a bit different though... those people all came from somewhere else, and they all moved away when it was done. I think only one person in my circle of friends stayed in London after graduation. I'm actually considering attending. But as it gets closer, I'm reconsidering... I've got a few friends who have already told me they can't make it. I've got one friend who won't even answer my MSNs so I can ask if he's considering it or not (not sure what's up with that). Most of them hated both the school and the rest of the class, so I'm now sure they'd be motivated to return. If I go, will I be putting in a lot of effort and travel time with a new baby just to see a bunch of people I don't care about? Initially it seemed like a fun idea to show up with a new baby no one would know I'd have, just to see the look of shock on people's faces... but now I'm wondering why that would motivate me. Do I really want to show off the kid to this bunch of people who won't care? Being one of the first to be married when I went back to graduation was fun, but do I really want to go there again? I also remember feeling a little bummed about being one of the only ones without a job. And though I have a damn good reason not to have a job this time around (illegal), I can't help but feel that might make me feel a bit fail-y. Though now we're getting back to the whole why do I care what these people I don't care about think?
What has everyone else's experiences with reunions been? Good stories? Cautionary tales?
I do have to come home at some point to tour the kid around the extended family that can't travel (grandparents). I could easily combine that trip with the homecoming thing. But should I even bother with the homecoming?