I guess I don’t get the point of Reunions

Reunions

Reunions

So since I went to two high schools, I get invites from two separate reunion committees. It’s gotten to the point where it’s kind of starting to bug me. Not the invites themselves, but the reasons I am given for going.

They send an invite, I say “I’m not interested”. They reply, “But you can catch up with all your old friends in high school.” I went last time and I left after 45 minutes because I was bored out of my mind. I knew one person. I see that person outside of the reunions all the time. Why do I need to go to a reunion then?

Just a few minutes ago I had someone tell me (with LOL marks for some reason that is beyond me) that one of my high school’s reunions was open bar. That’s supposed to make a difference? What can be said about a person that will go to an event only because there is an open bar? I think we call that person an alcoholic. I have no interest in getting drunk with a bunch of people I have nothing in common with. Not just because I’m not a heavy drinker, but because hanging out with strangers I have nothing in common with is kind of a bummer.

I have also been “challenged” with “Well I guess you don’t know how to be the life of the party.” Hmmm? Let’s think about his. The person who thinks they are the life of the party is also probably the same person who would go to a reunion simply because it has an open bar. That annoying drunk who is telling everyone he (or she) loves them…no, they really mean it. This is the person who when you are trying to have a conversation with someone, they are trying to get you on the dance floor. Since you are in the middle of a conversation, hate dancing, and find this drunk annoying, you are labeled a “party pooper”. Wow, that sounds like fun!

I have also been told that I can make new friends. With who? People I have nothing in common with? Why would I want to do that when I have tons of friends I actually want to hang out with? Seriously think about this. If you were one of those “popular kids” in one of the two high schools I went to, want to go to the Slayer show coming up? You could meet new friends? Oh, you don’t like Slayer and have nothing in common with Slayer fans? You would be bored eh? Welcome to my world. How about you come to this tech conference called Gnomedex with me? It’s a bunch of geeks and nerds talking about social networking. You’re on Facebook so you must care about social networking, right? No on that on too eh? Interesting that you are thinking of the same reasons that I have no interest in my high school reunion. Just because you are on a social network doesn’t mean you are passionate about social networking. Just because I went to that high school, doesn’t mean I am passionate about your high school reunion. Get it? Hell, at least you don’t look back at your time on Facebook as pure hell. At least your time with social networking isn’t something you are forced to do. That’s how people who don’t want to go to their high school reunions look back at high school. You are asking us to return to hell that we probably are just now getting over.

I’m trying to be nice about this. So please understand that I’m not going because I have zero interest. It’s not because I am afraid, can’t make friends, or some other lame reason. I just don’t care. Just because we have nothing in common doesn’t mean I have a negative attitude. Do you have a negative attitude about the events I mentioned above? It’s just not my thing. I have plenty of friends that I have things in common with. I don’t have time for people that offer me nothing. If we have nothing in common we have nothing to talk about and we are a waste of each others time.

Now I want to make it clear that I am not rejecting the reunion without giving it some thought. I went last time and left due to boredom. I went the time before that and spent many hours being bored and looking at my watch. The third time is not a charm. Not everyone needs to go to the reunion. Reunions are for the popular kids. I wasn’t popular. So you are wanting to stick me in a room with a bunch of people I never wanted to hang out with, avoided like the plague, made fun of many times (yes, we made fun of you. Sorry about that.) in those four years, and still have nothing in common with. Good luck with that. If I hung out with you in high school, please by all means get a hold of me. Let’s go have a beer. I’ll buy the first round. If I didn’t hang out with you, please go away. Not trying to be rude, but I have shit to do.