School reunions – heaven or hell?

Published by Emma Lee-Potter in on Saturday 3rd November 2012

“You must be mad,” said my husband when I told him I was going to a reunion at my old school. “I can’t think of anything worse.”

He had a point, of course. The idea of meeting up with pals from your youth more than a quarter of a century later is weird – but curiosity got the better of me. That, and a flurry of emails from friends saying they’d go if I did. One put it in a nutshell. “It’s so not my sort of thing and I keep looking in the mirror and wondering if I can have some Botox or liposuction or just a designer brown paper bag to wear,” she said. “But if I don’t go to this one I probably never will, so it’s now or never – and at least I don’t need to bring a Zimmer frame yet.”

My sentiments exactly, so I summoned up the courage and agreed to go. My husband refused point-blank to come with me. “I hated school so why on earth should I want to go to your school reunion?” he said crushingly.

As I trundled up the tree-lined drive in the rain I felt like a nervous 16-year-old arriving at the place for the first time.

I was worried I wouldn’t recognise anyone but actually, apart from a few grey hairs and the odd bald patch (only the men!), no one had changed much. It was a bit disconcerting to find that the new school head looked younger than the rest of us put together, and that loads of the tough-guy rugby players we all worshipped had turned into besotted dads, with toddlers trailing round their ankles. But apart from that, and despite my husband’s doubts, I’m glad I went.


5 comments so far

  • I did the same recently and was strangely impressed. The yard where we had elevenses of a fruit bun and not nearly cold enough milk was at least three times smaller than when I was there. Good experience, but won’t go again. But, as a result am having a girlie get together in the road in which three of us lived, with another girl who has moved there recently. Ah, nostalgia, the prerogative of the ageing – me, not you, of course!

  • Sounds like my experiences. And my husband went to the last one w/ me, altho I doubt he’ll go ever again. He’s in the same camp as your husband.

    I found you from BlogHer’s NaBloPoMo links… will be coming back!
    Noel

  • Thanks so much for your comment, Jackie. How lovely to meet up with old friends and get on so well that you have organised another get together. Have a lovely time!

  • Hi Noel. Thank you so much for stopping by at House With No Name. I’ll look at for you via Blogher. NaBloPoMo is a great idea and I’m thrilled to take part!

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