Greetings Folks. It's that time of year again. Flowers are blooming, weather is warmer, and you just received an invitation to your Class Reunion. In 1977, I attended my 10th year class reunion. I'd moved to Santa Barbara in 1976 and loved the heck out of California. I arrived at the reunion wearing a low cut peach dress, a great tan, a gold snake on my upper arm and boobs. I received a spray painted beer can with the words Most Changed glued on it. I was elated!
I was perfectly comfortable standing up there and having a photograph taken by myself but in this small Southern town, someone felt that they would be charitable and volunteer their husband so I wouldn't look too lonely. (shhhh quit laughing).
My next reunion was ten years later in 1987. My husband bought me a Cadillac to go to the Reunion. Steely Dan was playing Deacon Blues, Santa Ana winds were blowing and the husband was feeling generous. My $500 Caddy, Dino, made it to and from Louisiana five times. It is now a part of a beer can being recyled in Japan. I took my mama as my date and this time won Came The Furtherest. This is the picture that appeared in the newspaper.
Here I am in the pink blouse at the party in the park the next day.
Next reunion was in 1992. This was my twenty-fifth. This time my husband came along. Here's a picture of my beloved Aunt, Angelica Flaherty fitting the dress on me. My aunt designed and sewed my clothes for 40 years. I can not tell you how much I miss her and the lovely clothes I once had. Every outfit that she made was unique and fit me perfectly. I can never thank her enough.
T
These are some of my high school friends and me in my red dress at the American Legion.
This is a picture of the entire class. Can you guess which one is me?
This year will be my 40th Class Reunion. I'm looking forward to it but so far haven't heard a word about it. This is my recent hairdo; however, it's subject to change at anytime.
If you have gone to a class reunion, I'd love to hear about it. If you're trying to decide whether you should attend one or not and want to ask me questions, please feel free. Thank you. Salud.
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Comments: 83
Next year will be our 30th year class reunion. Maybe I will go to see if anyone looks as old as I do these days. LOL
I just bought a box of 38 special hollow point shells. Do you need to borrow some??
Were you popular in high school?
I am going to go to bed now. Nice chatting with you. Have a wondeful night.
Well, I sure appreciate the comments Bob - you never know what kind of thangs I'll pull out of my hats - I have so many hundreds of pictures and who the hell else wants to look at them??? So, Gather is wonderful...
Hey De M...thanks for commenting again...Well, you probably didn't like your class - no big deal - I mean you'll have more fun smoking the green - Enjoy whatever you do - hold no hostile thoughts - all is good! Right on. Thanks yall. Salud.
I've never been to a class reunion -- but, I've never been to Spain either, lol....
The great news is that I have gotten to know you much better through this article and these photos. Soooooooooo nice to learn more about a friend. And you are absolutely gorgeous in all your photos. Be sure to post one along with the article we hope you write on whatever new hair style you choose.
Mariana, you are such an inspiration. You take such joy in everything you do and you are a lovely woman. Love the photos.
class reunion? no thanks. i didn't feel connected to very many people in my class. i couldn't wait to get to college.
For the 30th I went to casual dinner the night before. I wasn't going to go at all, but I contacted the reunion committee about a classmate they couldn't locate, and the cheerleader type who was on the committee actually remembered me. She also totally surprised me by saying that her second husband who was not from our area at all, knew who my husband was and said that my husband was the best off road tour guide around. I was flabbergasted. How did he know Roger? Well... turns out the guy was vice president or something like that of the California Off Road Vehicle Association and attended some events that Roger & I had been involved with in out at Jawbone Canyon. Small world, huh? So we went to the casual dinner instead of the big reunion because I wasn't going to pay big bucks for a banquet to see a bunch of people that didn't know I existed back in high school.
The dinner was great! The cheerleader lady that I had contacted was delightful. Unfortunately her husband was an off road meeting or something and couldn't be there. The few people that remembered me were quite impressed with Roger & I and even those that didn't enjoyed talking to us. I felt like I was getting the last laugh because I had an unusual life and was somebody compared to most of them. And while I've been on some pounds, I still looked better than most of the ladies and thank God for good genes and few wrinkles! If you ever saw the movie Romei & Michelle's High School Reunion - that's what I called that evening - my Romei & Michelle Evening! Even when we were just sitting at a table by ourselves not talking with anyone it was an interesting evening observing old classmates and listening in to their conversations. It wasn't like being alone and shy and uncomfortable as I would have been in high school. I was completely comfortable with myself and who and what I was.
Two years later, I was out in a remote backcountry ranger station doing my tours. When we drove up from the dirt road, there was the nice cheerleader lady that was on the reunion committee. She and her husband and friends were doing the same back country road. It was interesting seeing each other "not all dressed up" and with the pounds gained back that we had dieted for the reunion, and we found we had a lot in common in our old years. I never would have imagined her as the remote outdoors type.
Our high school has a website for each of the classes, by the way, where we can update our info and keep in touch. Occassionally I'll get an e-mail from some guy who wouldn't have even looked at me in high school, and he is interested in the histories and the tours. I just feel like I got the last laugh after all!
Abrazos,
Pedro
I love all these comments - it seems most folks could care less about attending a class reunion from High School. However, as Cecile reminded us, people do change and some of those very people could become good friends or actually have something in common with us.
Thank you Pedro - Abrazos de mi parte, Miz Sue, thank you. Miz Cecile, I love your comment - you always write such long and brilliant comments & may I add articles!
Trish - who is probably one of the best women photographer's I've ever met has commented - wow girl - I hope you saved that dress - I wonder if it would fit me?
stretch velvet Betsy Johnson and in purple - oh girl, I would have died for a dress like that! I bet you looked fine!! lol...
Jessie - bless your heart - ok more later. Salud. Thank yall.
Proud to know such a proud star. Wonderul Photos. Loved them.
We've never had reunions but in Pretoria there's a hotel and when you go there for a sundowner you'll meet everyone that you've ever known. It's like an ongoing reunion.
My husband was not part of any of the cliques or clubs or sports groups in high school so the first reunion we attended was too boring for me. By the end of that party, though, I knew more people than he did. I had more fun in succeeding reunions.
We are skipping the 45th reunion this year. Why?
You may have heard the story about the elderly woman who, when sitting in the waiting room for her first appointment with a new dentist, noticed his DDS diploma, which bore his full name.
Suddenly, she remembered that a tall, handsome, dark-haired boy with the same name had been in her high school class some 40-odd years ago. Could he be the same fellow that she had a secret crush on, way back then?
Upon seeing him, however, she quickly discarded any such thought. This balding, gray-haired man with the deeply lined face was way, way too old to have been her classmate.
After he examined her teeth, she asked him if he had attended Morgan Park High School.
"Yes. Yes. I did. I'm a Morgan Mustang," he gleamed with pride.
"When did you graduate?" she asked.
He answered, "In 1959. Why do you ask?"
"You were in my class!" she exclaimed.
He looked at her closely and then asked, "What did you teach?"
===
My husband looked in the mirror and knew we couldn't lose the extra pounds or afford a total makeover that included lifts and tucks in a month's time... that's why :-)
Since that event, I have not heard or really spoken with anyone from my class, especially since I have relocated. A 30 yr. reunion should be coming up soon. If I received an invitation today I doubt I would attend.
Robb - thanks for your neat comment.
I'll catch the rest of you in a bit - I'm off to GondWonderLand...lol... Salud.
I graduated with almost 1000 kids in my class. Getting to know anyone well was a challenge, especially if you were one of the oddballs, as I was. I went back for my 25th and found myself sitting with some of the more "popular" kids in class, only due to the fact that we grew up in the same neighborhood and didn't recognize many other people there. Everyone was amazed at how I had changed. I'll never go back to another.
These images rock! The first one is a classic, is this guy wearing white spatz?
Your Cadillac is awesome. Big Molly tells me it probably had a 479 cubic inch monster engine. That's a real Detroit dinosaur.
You still look great, the Belle of the Timeless Ball.
Cheers,
Colonel Possum
BTW, you looked gorgeous in all those pix!
The great news is that I have gotten to know you much better through this article and these photos. Soooooooooo nice to learn more about a friend. And you are absolutely gorgeous in all your photos. Be sure to post one along with the article we hope you write on whatever new hair style you choose.
Pamela - well, you probably had more fun moving around anyway. Some of these folks I knew from first grade - it was a nice quaint old fashioned town in its day so that was a nice sense of security. As far as hair - well, I just had this shaggy chic style cut the other day so I'll keep it until I tire of it - probably not until Fall. Thank you so much for commenting! Salud.
I did not go to my 10 year renunion, even though I was in the area when it was held. (It was Thanksgiving weekend). My 20th is coming up next year (where did the time go????) but I do not think I will attend it either. I went to a different high school in Jr and Sr year than I did all through. The old school, I knew everyone from kindergarten....
Miz Faith - I wasn't aware that you went to Santa Maria High - that's not far from SB. I'm glad you were able to rekindle some friendships.
To me, it's just an opportunity to meet new friends -just a social scene - most folks do change from the high school days.
Debbie H. You're funny - you should go to the reunion exactly as you feel like it!
ERic, Thank you.
Miz Ina - we were only 140 in our class and most of us grew up together since first grade so it was like a family get together and I see many of these folks around town anyway but the bands are always good - and the food is to die for. There's not much else going on in that little town.
Colonel: Not sure if they're spatz but they may be wing-tips!
Miz Wilma - it takes all kinds to make up the reunions - some things never change lol
Thank you Miz Kyra - I appreciate that!
Miz Roxanne - oh you may as well go if it's convenient! I'm always down there and there's not much else to do so why not enjoy the party! Thank yall. Salud.
I love your new icon - delightful,innocent and happy moment captured. Thanks for sharing you reunion pictures. I have lived in too many places to make it to reunions.
Sadder still is how you walk into the reunion and think "Gosh, isn't it great that Donna's mother showed up --- Oh my God, it's Donna!!"
Don't think anyone even thought of a reunion until I decided to organize one for our "coming of age" 21st. I had moved to another state about 8 hours away. With the help of a couple classmates who still lived in the old home town, I got in touch with everyone. First with a letter of inquiry as to what they would like to do. My mother still lived there & I went home to research places to have it. Cost was a big factor, to me , at least. I found a hotel dining room that would do a buffet in a private room at a reasonable cost. Our class sponsor was a terrific pianist and she played some songs from our era. We had prizes for different things...such as the most grandchildren, the baldest man, the farthest distance traveled to get there. This was all on Saturday night in a bigger neighboring town 30 miles from home. Not everyone came but, as best I can remember, there were about 20 including spouses. I was disappointed that 3 or 4 who still lived there did not come.
Next afternoon we had a family picnic in a state park south of town. I reserved the picnic pavilion in this grove of pine trees. Got a local cafe' to fix fried chicken. I made potato salad for 60, opened large cans of pork & beans, had potato chips & lemonade. I bought several kinds of cakes from the grocery store. After we ate we went down to the river and swam. I felt that it was a successful reunion and we decided to have another in four years, which would be our 25th anniversary.
When time came to plan it, I was half-way across the country. With the help of a couple buddies at home to do the leg work, I did the mailouts. But circumstances prevented me from going to that reunion. My plan had been to have them every 5 years after that but they voted to do it again in 4 years.
Others planned the next one and they decided to join with the classes from a year before us and several years after us. They had it at a hotel private dining room in a town about 22 miles from home. I was back in the neighboring state by then and I went. Really enjoyed it as many of my closest friend were in the class ahead of me. There was a very good turnout. I won the prize for coming the farthest. It was a door with autographs on it. "Door Prize", get it? I had no way of getting it home so left it with a classmate.
After that, the powers that be decided to just have a "whole school" reunion every few years. I didn't like that as well. They had a program the first time and dinner in the school cafeteria. They would open the cafetoriam during the day so people could meet and visit. But you never knew who was coming or what time they would be there. It was hard to get to see the people you were interested in seeing.
I don't know if they are still doing that or not. There is another community activity that happened every year in the fall that is like a homecoming. People come from all over. And, again, it is hard to find those you would like to see. It got to where some classes would plan a dinner for just their class during this week-end of festivities. One of my classmates retired and moved back there and he and his wife usually have our class out for a gathering at their house. Some of those that live there get snacks together for everyone and we just visit. But on our 50th anniversary, we had our own reunion. After everyone ate, there were special things done, like everyone got up and told what had happened to them in the 50 years since graduation. Research had been done and different ones took part in refreshing our memory about life back then. One lady had crocheted little hats in our school colors with the name of the school on them. Another fixed goodie bags. I wrote a poem and read it aloud. All in all, I think it was the most successful of all the reunions. I enjoyed it.
Several of our class have died. The first happened within a week of graduation. Those same few that live there and never come are missing out. Guess they had no use for the rest of us. Too bad.
Some of us had put on weight over the years but some still looked real good. A few I hardly recognized after 20 some years. Others seemed to never change.
I didn't go to the last one last fall. Don't feel like driving 8 hours by myself at my age. I did it 3 1/2 years ago and my car acted up on me. I have a fear of breaking down. Even though I carry a cell phone, not sure who I would call if I was 200 miles or more from either end of my trip.
I'm glad that you are enjoying your reunions. Keep going. Hope I haven't bored you too much with my memories. But you asked for it!
and everyone thought they knew me!!!!
nope i went to a different school
it was funny
I've never been to a class reunion & doubt I ever will.
I have only attended my ten year class reunion because for my 20th, I was in the hospital. Ugh! I was missed as I was pretty popular and that with a senior class of over 1000! Our high school was the only one in my town (military town) at the time so it was a huge school. I doubt that I will ever go to any other reunions as my ten year was enough to keep me from ever wanting to return.
I went to my 10th reunion and now that I skipped my 20th, I'm sorry I didn't go but I was really sick at the time. Several friends went out of their way to look me up and reconnected right before the holidays. It's been like one big reunion this past 4 months and we're trying to plan a gathering for the summer - everyone is all over the country now but me thinks they'll all come back to New York...
Thanks so much for sharing this, so much fun to read!