Why I didn't go to my high school reunion (and have zero regrets)
Last weekend was my ten-year high school reunion. From the moment it was announced last year, I knew I wouldn’t be going. In fact, when my cousin asked if I’d be attending, I responded with a “HELL NO,” to which she laughed — because really, what else would she expect?
High school was a good time for me, all things considered. I don’t harbor any ill will, and I often feel a twinge of nostalgia when I think back. I was quiet, smart, and nerdy — your classic Honors Kid™ — but I had great friends, good teachers, and got involved in things like tennis, yearbook, and National Honor Society. I left with a solid education and solid memories. And yet… I had zero interest in showing up for our reunion.
Instead, I started planning an “un-reunion” — half-jokingly, half-seriously — with three high school friends and one cousin who all actually matter to me now. (And yes, that super-exclusive gala will absolutely be happening.
And that right there is why I didn’t attend: those four people are the only ones I still talk to from high school. Sure, I’m “Facebook friends” with dozens of others, but Facebook friend ≠ real friend.
Here’s how I see it:
If we haven’t talked or met up in the last ten years, we probably don’t care much about each other. And if that’s the case, why would I spend my Saturday night catching up with strangers I used to sort of know?
Also — let’s be real — reunions don’t hit the same in the age of social media. I already know who’s married, who had kids, who moved across the country, and who still lives down the street. I know who’s running marathons, who’s deep into MLMs, and who’s somehow still posting blurry bar selfies from a Motorola Razr. The mystery is gone.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m a devoted Facebook stalker. I absolutely enjoy a little snooping now and then, and sometimes I do miss certain people. But then I remember: we’ve had basically zero contact in a decade. That probably means our friendship was surface-level. And that’s okay.
Would I go back to high school for a day if I could? Maybe. It was a weird little bubble in time, and I’d love to walk those halls again just once. But a reunion — especially one at a bar with a fraction of my graduating class — just wasn’t doing it for me.
I was never a bar person. I only had a handful of real friends in high school. And those people? Still in my life today. We text. We hang out. We already had our reunion… it’s called Tuesday.
And honestly? I doubt anyone missed me. I was always the quiet girl. That’s okay too. The people who mattered then still matter now. That’s enough for me.
If I had one thing to say to my fellow Class of 2007 Spartans, it would be this:
Thank you. For the memories, the chaos, the weird lunches and inside jokes. For the shared experiences that shaped us, even if we haven’t spoken since. Sometimes I replay those years in my head, thinking of what I’d do differently. I probably would’ve tried to be a little braver. A little louder. A little more myself.
We may have gone our separate ways, but we’ll always share that one weird little four-year chapter. And I’ll always miss it — just a little.
Wishing you all the best.
(Except a few of you. You can suck it.)
Kidding.
Mostly.
Here’s to you, Class of 2007.
Maybe I’ll catch you at the next one…
But probably not.
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