(quoted from post at 23:09:29 07/31/15)
(quoted from post at 15:27:51 07/31/15) How DARE you call others whiners and such. You got a lot of nerve passing that kind of judgment on others when you don't even know the rest of the circumstances.
I'll start out with this: After being bullied all through junior and senior high school, I have NO DESIRE to see any of the bullies ever again. Holding a grudge? Maybe. They cheated me out of what could have been some of my most cherished memories. Like the junior prom, the senior prom, and even graduation week. I spent graduation week in detention because I finally had enough of one of the bullies, and I cold-cocked him in the hallway after he kept trying to egg me into a fight. He threw the opening 3 strikes. I finally had enough and mopped the floor with him.
I have been reading this forum for several years, and it is really not in my nature to flame other posters, but....
You have proven to me that you are a RUDE, opinionated grouch. If you don't know what the "rest of the story" is, BUTT OUT!!!!!!
Dont pay any attention to him, if people like you didnt go to reunions, people like him wouldnt have anybody to brag to and blather on about how smart they are. He [b:3eb4775c1e][i:3eb4775c1e]needs[/i:3eb4775c1e][/b:3eb4775c1e] people like you to stroke his ego and if you dont go, he has nothing. Why do you think every time reunions come up on the boards, he tries SOOOOOO hard to get people to go? Because people get sick of him and he craves an audience. Heck, look at this website, membership must be over 10,000, maybe many more than that and I cant count on one hand how many friends he has here. [b:3eb4775c1e][i:3eb4775c1e]Nobody[/i:3eb4775c1e][/b:3eb4775c1e] likes him and few can tolerate him. If he didnt have some wanted info about JDs, he would always be talking to himself. Dont believe me? Just ask an electrial question, nobody listens to him because there are quite a few people that can explain it and nobody wants to pay the tax of having to put up with him... but yet he still answers to himself. Its strange.... but funny and even more sad. But I always gotta remember, he brings it on himself.
Nobody in their right mind would hold it against you for not wanting to go to a reunion. No sane person would ever think you are trying to hurt others by witholding your presence at a reunion (and for the record, that could be the stupidist thing I have ever heard). For the most part, nobody cares if you go or not because going to a reunion is a personal decision.
FWIW, I dont go to reunions because I just dont care. I just dont care what my junior high locker partner did since we graduated. I didnt much care what he did when we hit high school and everybody got single lockers, why would I care now?
I really dont care to go to a reunion just to get a chance to talk to some people that may have snubbed me so many years ago... or maybe I snubbed them. Point is, I wouldnt get anything out of talking to those strangers at this point in my life just because we shared a school or class in our youth. I have sat next to people at the bar, out to dinner, people I meet through work or even just on the street that I have talked with and thought they were fascinating, people I could have talked to for hours. People whos life, I would have paid to read their life story but not one of them graduated with me. And dispite having a great meal and conversations with these strangers, some that I will remember for the rest of my days, I would never try to rekindle that moment in time. It was great but its over and Im on to the next great moment, not trying to relive a memory.
If you were so close to these people from school, why have you waited 20, 30 or eve 50 years to see them again? Thats crazy. The people I liked and hung around with, I still see and talk to. Some moved away (I stayed pretty close) but they come home to see family, of which they consider me, so we see each other then. In that respect, its no different than back in high school, we meet back at their parents house and we hang out. We dont have to sneek beer in the basement though, we sit at the kitchen table. And in my friends absence, I stop by and help the parents with some of the heavy lifting and other things they cant do. I hope my friends appreciate the help so they dont have to drive home but I know the parents are grateful.
I really have no interest in going to see people that were not nice to me and brag about my life just to "get even". I got a great life, no doubt about it. If it could get any better, I would work to get it there, I really dont have any work to do though. But I dont see any need to flaunt it to anybody I knew years ago in school. Nor do I want to hear anybody else that I went to school with and really dont care about, try to convince me that they got the cat by the tail. If they are happy, thats great but I really dont need to hear about it because... well I really dont care that much.
Whats more, I would rather remember some people in the prime of their lives. Face it, some peaked at 15 but didnt know it till they were 30. Some people lived their life as a lie but the town knew the truth. I would rather remember them at their best. I have no interest in hearing about the 4 divorces, 8 kids (of which only 3 talk to them), no job lasting more than 2 years (and thats not because they were good and moved up if you know what I mean). I really dont want to hear how Bayside Manor is a nicer mobile home park that Parkwood Estates and how the owner of Bayside owes you money for whatever. I just dont want to hear it, its sad. And no, when I get up to get a refreshment, you dont need to save my seat next to you so we can "finish catching up", Im not comming back to talk to you.... ever. I will chew my arm off before I let you latch on to me like your latest BadgerCare head shrink, go call Dr Phil and leave me alone.
Am I suppose to feel bad because I don't want to go to a reunion? To me, its no different than a movie. Both cost about the same money and fairly close to the same time commitment. Is it worth it? Not to me, its like Snakes on a Plane to me, Im just not interested.
John T, like he does so often, hit the nail on the head. After the "remember whens" are over, I just don't have anything in common with these people. Why would I want to go spend time with any of them?