When my 20th reunion came around a few years ago, I heard about it quite indirectly- from my mother, who happened to run into somebody else's mother at Local Grocery.
When I looked at the 20th anniversary website, I was listed among the missing- students who, in spite of the best attempts of my classmates, couldn't be found (and this was well into the internet age).
I found this amazing, for many reasons:
1. I haven't changed my name.
2. My parents still live in the same house and have the same phone number as when I went to high school
3. My neurology practice is less than 5 miles from the high school I went to.
4. I am listed in the yellow pages under my own name.
5. If you type my real name into Google, one of the top hits is for my practice's web page.
So I personally felt the fact that none of them were able to find me was a comment on THEM more than ME.
And nothing further need be said.
24 comments:
I just went to my 30th HS reunion this year. I thought it was highly overrated. Won't go to another one.
CardioNP
Guess none of them have gotten on that new fangeled interwebs and looked at The Google.
Maybe they are trying to tell you something!!I blew off all of my HS reunions...nobody I wanted to see anyway. I was one of those invisible people..
I'm sorry, whose blog is this again?
Or that they didn't REALLY want to find you... I'm just saying, neurologists are supposed to be . . . what's the word? STRANGE?
I mean, I sorta remember a post about "why neurologists are so strange." But I really have no freakin' idea if it's true or not.
I'm inclined to agree with you. I found out about my 20th reunion second hand and I too was listed among the missing with my last known location as a state that I've never lived in.
I've never left the state I attended H.S. in, and before getting married wrote freelance for some websites that would net a hit (with an e-mail address) for my maiden name.
However, unlike you, I skipped the event in question. You're a braver man than me Ibee ;)
The sort of people who organise these meetings are often failed politicians, in my experience. Given the mess, successful politicians make of things, your experience is hardly surprising.
And what about medical school reunions? The older you get the more they seem to be excercises in persuading you to add a codicil to your will in favour of your alma mater....
I can one up you on that! Someone called my parents house to find out if my address had changed, but I still didn't get an invitation. Now, learn from my mistake, and never point out their error. I was put in charge of the next reunion. :-/
I just experienced the same thing for my 20 year reunion...it's funny that the alumni association at my school can find me when they mail all the letters to my home (using my real name) asking for money!
Wait, you grew up in the town where you practice? If you knew your town was full of "special" folks, why did you set up practice there?
So you weren't really among the "missing," you were among the "purposefully forgotten." Kind of like the government disavowing themselves of captured spies.
CK...
This post will self destruct in 10 seconds.
Now...what was that mission you accepted?
>:p
I ran across my graduating class' web page last year. There was a spreadsheet covering the whole bunch of us including physical address and phone numbers.
I was amazed to learn that I am living in Kentucky. Was tempted to call myself and see just who the hell I was...
Ibee, that is the same thing that has happened to me.
My father still lives in the family house. You google my name, my address pops up. I live about 20 miles away from my father's home.
I am posted under the Reunion's MIA section.
Hahahahah... Also listed as living in Toronto.
I live in the States, and never lived in Canada.
I should call my Toronto phone number. I have a fairly uncommon last name, so it would be interesting to see who would pick up.
LD50 Rat
LD50- Yeah, but what if you call that number, and YOU answer at the other end, and suddenly you realize Rod Serling is standing behind you...
Re: Rod Serling...
And since he's a dead guy, that would be REALLY creepy.
>:p
I also have a 30 yr reunion coming up and have been wrestling whether to go or not.
I really don't get the whole reunion thing. For me the people I would want to see are the ones I keep in touch with and remain in my life.
Better yet I'll save myself some money use it for a more worthy cause
The HS class got around to notifying me 'bout the reunion for the 30th; didn't hear anything for the first 30 years. No problem. I left 1,000s of miles away, and hadn't been back. My best chums didn't attend either.
What I think is amazing is the fraternity I joined in 1978 (before quitting Pharmacy School for 5 years, and had never rejoined) contacted me a couple years ago (married--changed name, changed address 8 times, worked in 3 different states) announcing the 100th year anniversary fraternity reunion. My guess is they followed me from Pharmacy School. (I had forgotten I'd once joined the fraternity!)
I think I'm gonna cancel going to the reunion and take out a restraining order on them instead.
A better alternative to going to the reunion? Facebook. Allows you to connect with those whom you care about, mock the ones you don't
Guess you weren't the quarterback on the football team...
Sorry, just ribbin' ya.
Hahahaha.
Nope. I wasn't even close.
Come to think of it, maybe the purple jersey is why I didn't make the team...
Ah yes, the reunion committee is usually comprised of the same idiots that ran the yearbook committee in high school: selective memory, in their own little clique, and amazingly holier than thou.
When my 20th reunion committee sent out notices and asked for "any info on classmates", I gave them names of a couple people I knew of along with their city of residence and place of employment - reasonable enough, I thought. Oh no, they have to publicly announce on follow-up correspondence some contrite whining to the tune of "Well, it would be really helpful if people could give us *real* information and not just some vague data like 'So-and-so is in WhateverCity'"..?? Amazing... you guys are the same dipshits you were 20 years ago.
As for finding people, I have to toot my own horn here: At her request, I found a friend's former boyfriend from 16+ years ago with a little effort, all via searching the 'net and following leads from one simple engagement notice published in another city. Huh, maybe I should be on the reunion committee!
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