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Do you ever run into people that you went to highschool with? How do you react?

I have to go to an event and I just know that some of the parents there will be my old classmates from highschool.
I haven't been around these people in a long time.
I feel like I should dress my best, cut my hair and then act like I'm so happy to see them, but we really haven't kept in touch.
I've seen them on Facebook, but we just aren't the same people anymore at all.
In reality, I'm not one to live in the past anymore and I'd rather just stare at my phone than sit around comparing who makes more money and talking about old parties.
I don't hate them, I'm just so ready to move on and it feels awkward to be in those situations now.
Do you ever run into old classmates and how do you react?
Do you miss highschool?

Posted - June 19, 2018
Tag : Awkward

Responses


  • "No" ... I don't think so.

    Through the years I've learned that "going back," to recapture old memories, is a bad idea. This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at June 20, 2018 7:54 AM MDT
      June 19, 2018 1:32 PM MDT
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  • 666
    I think so too, it can be very disappointing.
    Especially when I see women that I fooled around with at highschool parties.
    We both know it happened but what are we gonna do after all these years, talk about it? LoL!
    It's like the elephant in the room.
    So we just kind of say hi and it's weird.


      June 19, 2018 1:44 PM MDT
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  • I recently ran in to someone I hadn't seen since high school (i.e. eight years ago). First of all, I was surprised at how little he had aged, but more importantly I was impressed with how incredibly intelligent and fun to talk to he was. If more people from high school are like that, then I'll welcome running into them!
      June 19, 2018 1:53 PM MDT
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  • 666
    That's interesting.
    I think you're right.
    I had a friend who was into sports and hunting as a teen and he barely spoke a word all throughout school.
    Years later I talked to him online and he seemed to have matured a lot since high school.
    He seemed to have a different personality.
    On the flip side there was a girl that I got along with so well in school and when I talked to her online she seemed different too.
    Very standoffish and serious.
    I just remember her always smiling and having fun in class. Now I just feel sad because she seems so different.
    I guess life does that.

    This post was edited by Summer at June 20, 2018 9:53 PM MDT
      June 19, 2018 2:03 PM MDT
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  • 13277
    Nobody's going to age much in the eight years from 18 to 26. Wait until you're out 25-30 years and look again, lol.
      June 20, 2018 12:30 AM MDT
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  • 7795
    There's no one in high school I'm interested in running into. Although, running into with a car makes things interesting.
      June 19, 2018 1:58 PM MDT
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  • 666
    LoL!
    There are a few of the old school bullies still around too.
    I don't like seeing them now either.
    I would be tempted to lash out if they're still jerks.
      June 19, 2018 2:07 PM MDT
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  • 14795
    Yes ,I use to ,but as I've gotten older I tend to drive more carefully these day.....plus getting the whopping great big dents bashed out of my car seems to have gone up ten fold....:( 
      June 19, 2018 3:00 PM MDT
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  • 6023
    I didn't even hang out with classmates while in high school.  I was the typical bullied nerd. 
    I would have wound up killing them all if I spent much more time with them.  And they know that, now.  LOL

    The 10-year reunion ... I didn't even consider going.
    The 20-year ... eh, most people were still in "clique mode" - comparing how much they made against everyone else.
    The 30-year ... most people had grown up.  Probably because the drinkers, smokers, and drug users were either dying off or looked like ****.

    This year, (not a regular anniversary year) we are having an unofficial gathering to celebrate our 50th birthdays.  LOL
    I'll probably go, just to see who lives close enough to come.

    After the 30-year, I got a lot of friend requests for Facebook.
    Most of them "unfriended" me after getting a glimpse of my personality and beliefs.  LOL


    This post was edited by my2cents at June 20, 2018 9:54 PM MDT
      June 19, 2018 3:23 PM MDT
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  • 666
    Wow, thanks for sharing your experiences.
    I did go to our 10 year reunion so far.
    I was a new father at the time and I had brought my wife and child with me. A lot of my old classmates were still in "Party mode" and I felt old compared to some of them if that makes any sense.
    We visited for a bit, then we ended up leaving early.
    It's actually been 20 years now, but I haven't heard anything about a reunion.
    Thanks for giving me a heads up of what to expect for the future reunions.
      June 19, 2018 5:12 PM MDT
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  • 10662
    Most people I went to school with have changed so much I don't recognize them (although they all say I haven't changed one bit).  I worked with a lady for 3 years before we figured we'd graduated HS together (she really put on weight).  Another one was old scruffy homeless man (who I took him to be many years older than me).  Turns out he too was from my graduating class.  
    I hated HS and the people who went there (major issues), so I really don't care about them or what they think of me.
      June 19, 2018 3:28 PM MDT
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  • 666
    Wow, you worked with a woman for three years before you figured that out.
    That's amazing.
    You must've had a large graduating class.
    I'm sorry to hear that school wasn't a great experience for you.
    It's really a pretty short period of time in our overall lives and I hope the rest of your life is wonderful to make up for those bad times.
      June 19, 2018 5:17 PM MDT
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  • 7939
    Life tends to toss people back at me at random intervals, but I suppose it's to be expected. I've been in the same house for 16 years now and it's a block away from my high school and within a mile or two of most jobs I've held. How I react depends on the person. Sometimes it's a really nice reunion and other times we sit in awkward silence or make platitudes. The "Oh, it's so nice to see you. We should do lunch," crap, but we both know we're never doing lunch. 
      June 19, 2018 4:25 PM MDT
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  • 666
    Yeah, I know what you mean.
    I live too close to where I went to school and to where I've worked in the past as well.
    I can't really move on, you know?
    I will always run into people from my past so part of me craves anonymity.
    I guess that's why I get frustrated.
    I work in a building and the manager is the first girl I ever kissed when I was a teen. LoL!
    There's a whole bunch of awkward examples like that in my everyday life.
    I guess I'm just a bit tied to this place because of my responsibilities, but the problem is that it was also my old stomping grounds.
    So awkward!!!


    This post was edited by Summer at June 20, 2018 7:16 AM MDT
      June 19, 2018 5:31 PM MDT
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  • 1713
    Most of the time I can't even recognize them, but they can recognize me. I guess because I was a loner so I never really talked much to anyone else, but for some reason they remember me.
      June 19, 2018 5:47 PM MDT
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  • 666
    You must be pretty surprised or puzzled when your old classmates approach you and you don't recognize them. : )


      June 19, 2018 6:03 PM MDT
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  • 34435
    I do on occasion when visiting my parents. I just say Hi and go about my business. As most are just acquaintances anyway. I only had a small group of friends and I have not ran into them at all. 
    I did not bother with High School reunions.
      June 19, 2018 5:52 PM MDT
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  • 666
    That seems like a nice way to do it.
    Just see them when you're in the area instead of at random times like me when I'm not ready.
    I feel like it's a competition and I need to go buy brand new clothes and look as good as I can to present myself to them.
    It's ridiculous.
    Maybe you're lucky that you didn't go to your reunions.
    If there was a twenty year one I'm not sure if I would go.


      June 19, 2018 6:16 PM MDT
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  • 53524

    ( . . . and I have not run into them . . . )
      June 20, 2018 9:56 PM MDT
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  • 5835

    I met a fellow that I used to be in the same club with. I didn't say anything because it's been fifty years; I have grown into somebody else, he has grown into somebody else, and we had no particular relationship back then.

     

    Later he called because he was organizing the fifty year class reunion. I told him I didn't care to participate because there was nothing in that period that I wanted to remember. He was sort of blown away.

      June 19, 2018 11:14 PM MDT
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  • 666
    I can relate.
    School wasn't really for me either. I was kind of dyslexic and I didn't take direction well and
    I was easily distracted too.
    The only thing that I enjoyed was flirting with girls and a lot of them are different people now. They're married with children.
    Going to reunions and hoping to find love while talking about old times in front of their husbands isn't ideal.
    So awkward.
    I can't relive the past.
    I probably shouldn't bother with the reunions.



      June 20, 2018 5:18 AM MDT
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  • 13277
    There are about 30 people that were my classmates in both high school (graduated 6/23/78) and college (5/30/82). With the exception of one guy with whom I've kept in touch and for whom I've done some bookkeeping and tax work, I see about 10 of them only at high school (years ending in 3 and 8) and college (years ending in 2 and 7) reunions every 4-5 years. We chat and share a few pleasant moments, but that's as far as it goes.

    There is one guy with whom I've remained friends since we lived on the same dorm corridor as college freshmen 40 years ago this fall, and we text all the time and see each other about once a year.
      June 20, 2018 12:23 AM MDT
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  • 666
    That's awesome!!
    I'm glad that you are able to handle those events better.
    Maybe going to college gives a different perspective.
    Education was obviously a bigger part of your life than it was for me.
      June 20, 2018 5:25 AM MDT
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  • 6098
    Yes I keep up with some of them. And we have had reunions. For us it was private school.  They are into their own lives and their own activities  and our common ground was many years ago.  In most cases they turned out a lot different than I would have imagined at the time.  Which they may think about me as well.  At one gathering several years ago this one girl who back then had been very smart told me I should get a makeover. 
      June 20, 2018 5:06 AM MDT
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