So my 20 year high school reunion is this year.
By some miracle, I have been out of high school, and I still haven't killed anyone yet. Not bad for someone being voted "Most likely to be a serial killer".
I am just kidding about the serial killer part. I was voted most likely to not give a shit about any of the reunions.
High school was nothing more than an inconvenience for me. I was that one kid who sat in the back of all of your classes bored out of my mind. I wanted them to teach me life skills. People skills, coping skills, real life management skills.
Instead school taught me a bunch of crap I haven't used since.
No job interview has ever given me an algebraic equation and asked me to find X. No job has ever asked me to read an 800 page novel and then write a synopsis of the characters and their struggle with life and the world. No job has ever required me to run the 600 yard dash as a pre-employment screening. So, I feel like most of that 4 yrs was spent doing things that meant nothing.
Now that it is 2012, and we are in the technology age, I am wondering, is a reunion really even necessary?
Just about every human over the age of 12 has Facebook, email, and some presence online. Reunions are normally a time for people to meet and get caught up on what has happened. Well thanks to Facebook, I know.
I know who's married, who's divorced, who has kids, who works where, who lives here, who doesn't and all of the basic stuff.
So since Facebook has taken over, What are we going to talk about at the reunion? I already know your kids are at whatever elementary school and your cat and dog are great. Now what?
Maybe we should start the evening by saying, "Anyone who has any updates NOT on Facebook, we want to know those first".
I think the 20 year reunion will be just like any other day in high school.
A room full of people that I should have some sort of connection too, but none that I do. A room full of people that I am sure I will have lots in common with. I'm sure there are other divorced people, who are married now to someone in the military, who are in an interracial relationship, don't want kids, and live within 20 minutes of our old school.
Actually, No. I will probably be the only one in my exact situation. But I have learned that even when I have 200 things in common with someone, it doesn't mean anything. To really want someone in your life and to really have that bound with someone, it has to be a deeper connection.
I'm surrounded by people all the time that I have loads in common with, but I still am not interested in them.
So what do I do? Do I go to the reunion and put on my nice face? Pretend that I am amazed about everything that has happened for 20 yrs, or do I skip it and just read all of the updates on Facebook?
