Would you go to a School Reunion?

Mark25 · 20-08-2022 4:24pm #1

Hard to believe but been 20 years since leaving school and there is a year reunion coming up in a few weeks, not sure if I want to go.

I was alright back at school - wasn't the most popular or anything - but afterwards as people say "fell in with a bad crowd" and was a bit of a scumbag for a while and got into plenty of trouble that people local would have heard about

Think I have sorted myself out now (eventually) have an alright job and am doing alright. I still know some of the lads I was in school with and it might be good to catch up but not sure what people might think.

Have you ever gone to a reunion? How did it go? Were people like they used to be or how you expected them to be if you hadn't seen them since school?

BattleCorp · 20-08-2022 4:33pm

I've been to a couple of reunions and they were good craic. Great to catch up because you lose touch with people even if they are still living in the same town as you.

If you've a chance to go, then go. Nobody gives a fcuk if you got in trouble or not.

Strumms · 20-08-2022 4:33pm

I’d say what’s the appeal ?

you don’t know these people anymore… you’d I’d imagine spend time getting drunk and trying to reminisce about a time in your life which was generally challenging, occasional laughs etc… but would it be worth it ? I doubt it.

the people you disliked you will still dislike.

the people you liked but lost touch with… that happened for a reason.

so in all likelihood it’s not worth the hassle and effort.

BattleCorp · 20-08-2022 4:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119498384#Comment_119498384

Jaysus, who rained on your parade. True, he doesn't know a lot of these people any more but it's a good chance to reconnect with old friends/school mates/acquaintences etc. You are being harsh with regard to losing touch with people. It happens organically as people grow. They move away, have families, generally life gets in the way of hanging out like you did in school.

We aren't the same people that went to school, that was 20ish years ago. Take me for example, I used to be a skinny annoying cnut. Now I'm a fat annoying cnut. 😁

We'd about 50 people turn up to the last school reuinion we had and I don't think anybody had a bad night.

Jonnyc135 · 20-08-2022 4:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058259644/would-you-go-to-a-school-reunion

I'd say go chat the people, have a laugh an **** the dry arses

Viscount Aggro · 20-08-2022 4:46pm

The only reason to attend a school reunion, is to stick it to them. Turn up in a flash car etc.

BattleCorp · 20-08-2022 4:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119498452#Comment_119498452

20 years later. All the women will be single again. 😁

BrianD3 · 20-08-2022 4:52pm

I would go if I could bring an AR15 with me.

Joking aside, no I wouldn't attend. It's nearly 30 years since the LC but thanks to Facebook and linkedin I have a good idea what they have done with their lives. In many cases they have done much better than me and I don't need to be reminded of that fact in person.

Jonnyc135 · 20-08-2022 4:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119498476#Comment_119498476

Realistically who gives a **** what they have done or what you have done though just go and have a laugh

20-08-2022 5:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119498457#Comment_119498457

This is a fact.....weird but true....... the " hotties" from back-in-the-day turned out to be " yeah grand ok'ish' but some of the 'wallflowers' from back then turned out to be real stunners!!!! But the OP does raise a fair question....... is there any point to a reunion????

MrMusician18 · 20-08-2022 5:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119498514#Comment_119498514

Of course there is, is it not usually a shake down opportunity for the alumni association.

AMKC · 20-08-2022 5:21pm

No never been to one. Never invited if there ever was one and that's OK with me. Its over 20 years now since I finished school too and I am a totally different person to that person now anyway. I liked school but very few of my classmates. Class of 99 we were :)

I know what a few of them are at but very rearly see or talk to them these days and now since this year they would not regonise me now anyway :)

Larbre34 · 20-08-2022 5:24pm

Each to their own. I went to a couple over the years and enjoyed them. I certainly wouldn't be considering them a dick swinging contest. If you had a reasonable time at school and wouldn't mind a beer with some lads you don't usually see, then go for it. Otherwise, give it a swerve.

Mark25 · 20-08-2022 5:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119498476#Comment_119498476

That's what I'm thinking that would the people who turn up being the ones who have done well and want to tell you all about it. I know how some are doing but therea are some I think it would be good to catch up with again.

I went to an all boys school so wouldnt be there to check out the women!!

BattleCorp · 20-08-2022 5:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119498476#Comment_119498476

*BrianD3 added to FBI/NSA watchlist. 😁

Gusser09 · 20-08-2022 5:29pm

Are they a thing in Ireland? I wouldnt go. I didnt like 95 percent of the people i went to school with.

EOQRTL · 20-08-2022 5:35pm

Not a chance. Got picked on and bullied in school which to this day i know had a lasting negative effect on me at times. They are mostly organised on Facebook according to my wife which im not on anyway thankfully. The thoughts of going and listening to the same pricks who made my life a misery for years pretending they give a hoot now is nauseating.

20-08-2022 5:39pm

Got on quite well in school,no bullying problem and had a few friends generally got on well with all in my year,still meet an odd person from my year in likes of Lidl,at matches etc and chat away to em

But personally speaking,I wouldn't be interested in going to a reunion,that part of my life is over,why reopen it?

EmmetSpiceland · 20-08-2022 5:48pm

I see the guys fairly regularly throughly the year and most of the rest at Christmas.

Have attended both the 10 and 20 year out “events” and will, certainly, be at the 30th if I’m still here. Always good to catch up with the old school gang.

Gusser09 · 20-08-2022 5:52pm

Id imagine most of the time they are a dick measuring event. "Oh im not drinking im in the merc tonight". All that shite.

20-08-2022 6:09pm

No desire to ever attend, had a pretty **** time in school and seeing people would bring **** crashing back tbh.

walterking · 20-08-2022 6:17pm

The big reunions are very much a part of the fee paying schools and are quite good fun. - I was president of one about 10 years ago and enjoyed being part of the "chain gang" and being invited to other schools dinners.

Very little of the "look what I have" and very much a slagging of the school days and a good laugh at what you got up to. It's a good networking opportunity too.

If it's a one off year reunion and 20 years gone, it will be a great night.

freshpopcorn · 20-08-2022 6:40pm

I got bullied at times during school and had good times as well.

I've bumped into people who I considered bullies at school and I find them grand now in general.

I often wonder did teenager me over think or over hype things and I didn't have the skills to deal with things I could now. Persoanlly I found moving on and not dwelling on things to better for me.

They'd be the odd person I mightn't like meeting and I'd deal with them a lot better now.

When I got my Covid vaccine I met a lot of my class. It was like our school reunion. Most of us chatted away. Talked about then and now. There was just one guy who stared as us blankly.

cezanne · 20-08-2022 7:20pm

A lot of the girls about 5 i went to school with are dead mostly from breast cancer & all died young. i wouldnt go to a reunion as i am sure i wouldnt recognize anyone with all the botox & fillers. Was at the horse show on thursday the plastic surgery on young women is just crazy anad as for the old ones OMG freak show so obvious. No dont want to meet any vacuous wind tunnel women i went to school with i am happy in my own little bubble in the sticks !!:)

HBC08 · 20-08-2022 7:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119498384#Comment_119498384

Jesus that's a terrible way to look at stuff.

I could understand it if someone was bullied or didn't have a good time in school.

pgj2015 · 20-08-2022 7:43pm

I find a lot of people cant help themselves but boast about "how great they are doing" not that great in my opinion. I have had people do it when I know im doing far better than them but I couldnt care less about talking about boring jobs or money, so pointless and cringy.

id run a mile from a reunion.

Hellrazer · 20-08-2022 7:52pm

I wouldnt go - I was bullied for 5 years in secondary school and honestly Id probably not be able to hold back letting a few of the fuckers know what I still think of them.

It would be probably best if I never saw a few of them again.

cuttingtimber22 · 20-08-2022 7:54pm

No urge to be honest aside from the expense. Best years of your life me hole. Will randomly meet some of the ok people in school but thankfully have managed not to meet up with many of the dicks.

Nigel Fairservice · 20-08-2022 8:07pm

I finished secondary school 20 years ago this year. l wouldn't be too interested in a secondary school reunion. I kept in touch with who I wanted to keep in touch with. I have some friendly words with others I bump into around the place. I ran into a guy in Istanbul airport this year who I hadn't seen since 2002. We both still recognised each other and grabbed a tea while waiting for our connecting flights. I went to my 10 year college reunion a few years ago. Most people just spoke to people they spoke to in college.

NiceFella · 20-08-2022 8:24pm

Had an ok schooling experience. Was'nt too popular but was'nt bullied either really.

I'd probably go to a primary school over a secondary reunion because the secondary ones were mostly fools that were very into themselves.

Aglomerado · 20-08-2022 8:53pm

I went to mine a few years ago. Had a great night catching up and reestablished contacts. No boasting that I could distinguish, just a lot of craic and reliving funny stories. I'd been bullied badly in school but in general my year were a decent group, bar one or two.

Many of our now retired teachers came to see us as well which was lovely.

neiphin · 20-08-2022 9:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119498476#Comment_119498476

That’s the image they choose to portray to the world (some of them were always full of it)

Hamachi · 20-08-2022 11:37pm

I’m 20 years out of school now and I wouldn’t be bothered with a reunion.

I wasn’t bullied, but was pretty anonymous. I come from a large, close family. I had friends from a sport outside school. Had no real motivation to make friends in school, so no relationships to revive really.

Sometimes feel a little saddened by this but c’est la vie.

DarkJager21 · 20-08-2022 11:42pm

What's to be gained from it? Are you going to be impressed by how people you haven't talked to in 20 years are doing now?

FunLover18 · 20-08-2022 11:58pm

Would definitely be in the "what's the point camp", I have my group of friends from secondary school that I still stay in touch with. A night of making "what are you doing now" small talk with people I haven't spoken to in years and won't speak to again for years isn't my cup of tea.

But OP if you want to go, go. Don't worry about what they've heard or what they'll think, give them an opportunity to meet who you are now if that's what you want. I doubt you're the only one who's made mistakes.

whisky_galore · 21-08-2022 8:09am

Naw, wouldn't care for them. Zero things in common with most of them back then, virtual strangers now. Why bother?

Donald Trump · 21-08-2022 8:11am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NC0IJQ_s7No

. .

Gusser09 · 21-08-2022 8:44am

I think the responses show why school reunions arent a thing in Ireland.

Alonzo Mosley · 21-08-2022 8:49am

Left school 30 years ago and see nobody from the class. Would love a reunion. Had a brilliant school experience and got on with most of the class. Never got bullied and never bullied anyone but always kept an eye out for the quieter lads who were proned to bullying. Would love to catch up and feel like a 15 year old again !!!!

corner of hells · 21-08-2022 9:03am

No interest in a reunion, I keep in touch with a few I went to school with but that's the limit.

On a side note, I recently got diesel in a garage near where I went to school , and the person who served me was one of the schools bullies , still working there pumping fuel after 35 years.

21-08-2022 9:05am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119500510#Comment_119500510

Same. Rarely get back to my home town and it would be great to catch up.

Sgt Hartman · 21-08-2022 9:17am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119498766#Comment_119498766

Same here. I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than see some of those horrible cnuts again.

Jequ0n · 21-08-2022 9:39am

You’d have to pay me to listen to the boring shite conversations on their little darlings and house designs.

21-08-2022 10:08am

I wonder if the typical boards.ie poster is atypical… were they less popular in school than the norm? Such negativity towards a party.

21-08-2022 10:16am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119500752#Comment_119500752

Thing is, not everyone had an amazing time in secondary school. I had a terrible time so wouldn't go near it. So a party with people who treated you particularly badly is shite. For myself, I'm in a much better place than I was back then but no desire to use it as an opportunity to highlight this.

I imagine others have drastically changed from what they were like back then so just want to move on from that period.

RobbieTheRobber · 21-08-2022 10:24am

I'd go my school reunion but then I'm happy and content in my life and have no regrets about what I have or haven't achieved. I also have no envy of my old classmates success if that have had any.

21-08-2022 10:27am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119500816#Comment_119500816

Be a great chance for some pick pocketing 😄

growleaves · 21-08-2022 10:46am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119500752#Comment_119500752

Cleaving to computers and the internet in general is a bad sign for a person and always has been.

Because looking at electronic screens is wasted time mostly. Its almost always better to go out and be with people or spend time with your family. Not always possible with people's work commitments and the long, heavy winters we have here.

JupiterKid · 21-08-2022 12:11pm

Maybe...I left school in 1993 so the 30th will be coming up next year. Yikes! 😳😁

But then again, I was badly bullied for two years in secondary school, didn’t like most of my fellow pupils that much, went to the 10 year reunion with two old school pals who insisted that I go - it was too early out of school TBH, a lot of comparing and the assholes were still assholes, but otherwise an okay night of catching up with some of the lads.

As I see it, school reunions are for those who were very popular in school and want to relive the old school days, those who come to show off/gloat at others for whatever reason and then a minority looking to network with the past pupils (the “old boys” and “old girls” networks) in order to use them to get ahead. That’s fine if that’s what people want out of a school reunion - but for many, school was aeons ago and they had very little in common with their classmates anyway, so why bother going?

College would be a different matter. Had a complete ball in uni and still very close mates with a few college friends. Only problem is we tend to meet less and less over time, often now at parents’ funerals. Growing children - many in their teenage years now - and family priorities generally puts the kybosh on meeting up often.

One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that those who were very popular in school often ended up quite lost and lonely in third level where they were a tiny fish in a big pond again. Conversely, many who were unpopular and bullied/excluded/ostracized in school (like me) ended up blossoming in college.

21-08-2022 12:17pm

I was lucky in school, was in the ‘popular’ crowd, good at sports, etc and generally had a great time. That said, no chance I would go to a reunion, my best friends now are still my friends from school, a group of 6/7 of us, I chose to keep them in my life and vice Versa.

I don’t have anything against anyone I went to school with, but I don’t overly care what they are doing with their lives now and I would hope they feel the same about me, (outside of my group obviously).

laoisgem · 21-08-2022 12:24pm

I would love a school reunion, I think there was one planned 2 years ago but covid took care of those plans. I left school after my junior cert in '98, got pregnant and had a daughter at 16 so pretty much didn't keep in contact with friends from school as our priorities didn't match. I've 2 that I would actively meet up with and I'd chat to anyone I went to school with if I met them out.

Would you go to a School Reunion?

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