Beech Tree News Network

On August 22, I attended my high school class reunion. I graduated from Hughes-Kirk High School in Muhlenberg County (closed now) and had not seen many of my classmates since graduation. After 45 years, I didn’t know whether I would recognize these people or not. After all, time changes us.

GroupTravel.org (http://grouptravel.org/class-reunion/class-reunion-statistics/#ixzz3kbsW...) reported that the most popular months to hold a class reunion are July and then August. On average, 80% to 90% of classmates bring a guest to their reunion. When trying to locate former classmates, on average more than 60% will reside in their home state. Although about 20% to 30% of a graduating class will attend their class reunion, a small graduating class may see a 50% turnout. Generally, 50th reunions are extremely popular, followed by 10th and the 25th reunions.

Another article, High School Reunion Jitters (http://www.reunionannouncements.com/articles/4/High-School-Reunion-Jitte...), suggested that a person focus on the positive aspects of attending a reunion, remembering that this is an opportunity to renew old friendships, to catch up with each other's lives, and to reminisce. The article advised that we be ourselves and dress comfortably. The author pointed out that although we’ve all changed and chosen different paths in life, classmates still share a common bond.

So, how did the reunion go? Although I did not buy new clothes, diet or tan, I did give myself plenty of time to get ready and made sure I arrived a few minutes early. Several were outside when I arrived, so I had to start guessing who they were immediately. Inside, we were given name tags that included our senior pictures: very helpful! Although some of my friends were unable to attend, I very much enjoyed seeing everyone who did. The conversations were natural, and the food was good. It was a good night.

In retrospect, I’m glad that I attended my high school class reunion. Although Megyn Price said, “…everyone goes to their high school reunion wanting to see who they 'beat' (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/reunion_2.html#8hkzpgXhSkLZyg...), I did not see any of that (The 45 years may have reduced the competitive spirit.). My favorite part was hearing about people’s families and careers. Time has certainly changed us all, but amazingly not beyond recognition.