Join Early Retirement Today
View Poll Results: Would You Go To Your Grade School Reunion?
What reunion? I Stay in touch with old classmates already. 4 3.33%
Yes. I want to go and relive old times 1 0.83%
Yes. I want to see what happened to my old classmates. 26 21.67%
Not now. But maybe another time. 2 1.67%
No. I am not interested. 78 65.00%
Other 9 7.50%
Voters: 120. You may not vote on this poll

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 08-30-2015, 03:43 PM   #21
Moderator
Walt34's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern WV Panhandle
Posts: 25,302
No, I wouldn't have any interest in it. Essentially it would be a bunch of strangers that the only thing we had in common was the same grade school. To me that's not much of a bond.

DW still gets together with a bunch of her friends from grade school a couple of times a year though. But she went to a Catholic grade school, and that was a far different and harsher experience than I had in public school. I would not have done well there and may well have been kicked out as a hopeless discipline problem.
__________________
When I was a kid I wanted to be older. This is not what I expected.
Walt34 is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 08-30-2015, 04:02 PM   #22
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
NW-Bound's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 35,712
I answered "Other", as going to a reunion is not an option to even ponder.

I went to 4 different grade schools. They no longer exist. And I do not remember any of my classmates. Not their names, not what they looked back then. And I certainly would not recognize any of the geezers they would be now.
__________________
"Old age is the most unexpected of all things that happen to a man" -- Leon Trotsky (1879-1940)

"Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities Can Make You Commit Atrocities" - Voltaire (1694-1778)
NW-Bound is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2015, 04:02 PM   #23
Moderator Emeritus
aja8888's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Conroe, Texas
Posts: 18,645
Our grade school was torn down for an office building construction so I guess we won't have a 50th reunion (or even earlier ones).

I do have my high school yearbook though.
__________________
*********Go Astros!*********
aja8888 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2015, 05:04 PM   #24
Moderator Emeritus
W2R's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,473
No, I don't go to reunions. Too INTJ for that sort of activity, I suppose.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.

Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
W2R is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2015, 05:12 PM   #25
Moderator Emeritus
aja8888's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Conroe, Texas
Posts: 18,645
Quote:
Originally Posted by W2R View Post
No, I don't go to reunions. Too INTJ for that sort of activity, I suppose.
I'd go to my 50th H.S. one, if there was one, but I would probably wear a disguise.
__________________
*********Go Astros!*********
aja8888 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2015, 05:18 PM   #26
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
REWahoo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,004
Quote:
Originally Posted by aja8888 View Post
I'd go to my 50th H.S. one, if there was one, but I would probably wear a disguise.
When I attended my 50th, everyone came disguised - as an old person...
__________________
Numbers is hard
REWahoo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2015, 05:39 PM   #27
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 2,509
I really don't know. There are a few people still in my life... I've been to a couple HS reunions over the years. Good catching up with a few people.... not sure what to think about the people that would not give me the time of day in HS acting like we were best friends.
I might go.... but likely not spend a lot of time.
bingybear is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2015, 05:43 PM   #28
Full time employment: Posting here.
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 845
Years ago, after my mom came back from attending her 50th high school reunion, she said, "the women didn't look great, but the men looked like hell".
anethum is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2015, 05:54 PM   #29
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: W Colorado
Posts: 476
The elementary and HS people were pretty much the same group. I recently received a notice about my 40th HS reunion next year. I don't know if it is worth my time to travel over 1000 miles to see a bunch of people who didn't care about me then, so why would they now. My goal in HS was to get as far and fast as I could from that place. I accomplished my goal.
pjm-7 is offline   Reply With Quote
grade school
Old 08-30-2015, 06:00 PM   #30
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 106
grade school

I went to a one room grade school (K-8)with a total of 26-30 students,of which a quarter of them were relatives.My only classmate was my cousin.Basically have a class reunion when we have a family reunion.
14thMed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2015, 06:07 PM   #31
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
bjorn2bwild's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Western US
Posts: 1,205
I left grade school on a high note - as class president. If I could borrow Trumps helicopter, I would definitely drop in.
bjorn2bwild is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2015, 06:50 PM   #32
Full time employment: Posting here.
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 903
Haven't kept in touch with anyone from grade school (and to be honest, I only remember maybe a couple of names and faces).

Close high school friends, I still keep in touch with via Facebook and we meet at malls or restaurants when I go on vacation to the Philippines. Alumni homecoming for our HS is at a pretty incovenient time though (storm season) so I don't think I'll be attending one of those.
hnzw_rui is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2015, 07:02 PM   #33
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Nodak's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Cavalier
Posts: 2,317
I grew up in a small town and most of the people I graduated with were people I started kindergarten with. We just had our 50th anniversary class reunion. I have never heard of a grade school reunion.
__________________
"Don't take life so serious, son. It ain't nohow permanent." Pogo Possum (Walt Kelly)
Nodak is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2015, 07:14 PM   #34
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,682
I went to 2 different grade schools, one for Kindergarten and grades 4-6, and the other for grades 1-3. The first school still exists but the second one was closed after I finished the third grade in 1972 and was soon torn down to build some houses on the land.


I have no interest in going to any reunions for grade school or high school. The kids treated me like crap because I was smart, skinny kid who was the teachers' pet. Other than a "Revenge of the Nerds" motive (which only very slightly tempts me), I have no interest in attending any kind of reunion. College reunion I would not attend, either, because I don't know anyone from my graduating class (NYU business school, a huge class). And, I don't want to pay $100+ and have to go into Manhattan for it.


Waste of time.
__________________
Retired in late 2008 at age 45. Cashed in company stock, bought a lot of shares in a big bond fund and am living nicely off its dividends. IRA, SS, and a pension await me at age 60 and later. No kids, no debts.

"I want my money working for me instead of me working for my money!"
scrabbler1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2015, 08:09 PM   #35
Full time employment: Posting here.
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 903
Quote:
Originally Posted by scrabbler1 View Post
I have no interest in going to any reunions for grade school or high school. The kids treated me like crap because I was smart, skinny kid who was the teachers' pet. Other than a "Revenge of the Nerds" motive (which only very slightly tempts me), I have no interest in attending any kind of reunion.
That's one thing I really enjoyed about my high school. I went somewhere similar to a magnet school in the US and everyone was on academic scholarship so we were pretty much all nerds.
hnzw_rui is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2015, 08:49 PM   #36
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Western Canada
Posts: 393
My grade 8 class had 7 students. Three are dead and I run into the others every 4 or 5 years. Reunion? GMAFB.
__________________
I'm not crazy. Honest, the judge had me tested.
Rick_Head is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-31-2015, 04:35 AM   #37
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Badger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,395
Since I grew up in a military family I went to at least 6 grade schools (and 4 Jr and Sr High Schools). Most probably don't exist anymore especially the quonset hut from 3rd grade. I don't remember any of my grade school classmates that I only knew for less than a year. I never even heard of a grade school reunion until these postings.

I went to the 20th and 40th high school reunions and had a great time. I even worked on the last one pushing the class officers to have one and locating classmates but there was just not enough interest from them to have a 50th next year.

Never been to my college or grad school reunions but stay in touch with a few friends and would like to see a few others. College was small and reunions are mainly for all graduating classes with only a handful of folks from my class attending. Unfortunately everyone is spread out over the country. I would think by now most would have a better opportunity to attend since they would be retired but I doubt there will be any more in the future.

Cheers!
Badger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-31-2015, 06:03 AM   #38
Moderator
braumeister's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Flyover country
Posts: 25,199
My grade school closed many years ago, so that would be a nonstarter for me.

But reunions seem to be all over the map. Some schools have great ones, others not so much.

I was contacted by a couple of college friends about a year before our 40 year college reunion, and we got a group of about 8-10 of us who all agreed to attend. We hadn't seen each other in all those years.

The guy who lived closest to the college contacted them and asked about special tables for a 40 year group. He was stunned when they said they had no interest in anything but the 25 and 50 year classes, so we would be on our own. We were all put off by that, enough that we cancelled any plans to attend, and have no intention of going to the 50 year reunion either. But some of us have visited each other privately, which is better IMHO.

OTOH, DW's college makes a big deal about every 5 year group, and a huge deal about every 10 year group. We both enjoy going to those every five years. I'm sure it's a big help to their fundraising, too.
braumeister is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-31-2015, 07:04 AM   #39
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
athena53's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,326
I went to one grade school through 5th grade, skipped around for 6th (Dad changed jobs, didn't like new job, we relocated again), then the same grade school for 7th and 8th. Most of us then went to the same HS.

Most people form the first grade school wouldn't remember me, but I have good memories of the place.

I went to the 5th HS reunion. Boring. Before the 40th they started a FB page and i got comfortable enough with where I was and where they were that I went. I had a great time. It was like meeting new friends with whom I strangely had a lot in common. I was on the fringe in HS- introverted, bookish, awkward. Many of the women in the "popular" clique have turned out to be really nice. Some who were on the fringe have blossomed.

This year they decided to have a picnic celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the school. When they announced they were bringing back some of the nuns who had taught us (they must not have been that much older than us), I bought plane tickets THEN told DH. Another great trip. The flights even ran on time! One woman who showed up was someone I barely remembered from HS- she'd been though bad choices with men, had come back from drug addiction and was a real character. My favorite picture from the reunion was of her and another classmate standing in front of the school building, each with a glass of wine in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

I'll probably go back to the 45th next year if DH and I aren't traveling. I can't explain why but making those trips nourishes me. Maybe it's that my weirdnesses led me to a great place in life- I was terrible at team sports and HATED gym class but my extensive bicycling keeps me in great shape. My geekiness resulted in a wonderful career and a well-funded retirement.
athena53 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-31-2015, 08:05 AM   #40
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Arlington Heights
Posts: 271
Quote:
Originally Posted by anethum View Post
The day after my 20th high school reunion, my elementary school classmates got together for a reunion. Virtually everyone enjoyed the elementary school reunion more than the high school one. Our high school was huge and I didn't know the majority of my classmates while I was in high school. However, I knew all of my elementary school classmates, and like most of them. We have continued to have periodic elementary school reunions, and few of us bother going to our high school reunions anymore.
+1 on this.

My HS class was 1200, grade school was 80. The grade school reunion is much more intimate and fun. In fact we are getting together again this Oct for a college football game then pizza afterward.
SoReady is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Mnemonics you learned in grade school David1961 Other topics 50 05-09-2013 12:40 PM
40th High School Reunion Coach Life after FIRE 35 10-19-2009 08:14 AM
Going to grad school - would you adjust your portfolio? soupcxan Young Dreamers 3 04-05-2007 01:17 PM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:42 PM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.