The Reunion Project – False Start (8/3)
By Scott Ryan
My main goal of this project is to see that everyone who graduated with us gets invited. That's why I started finding classmates one year in advance. I know a lot of people will rattle off reasons why they won't be able to attend, but I'd like to think that enough people will appreciate the advance notice and make the effort to be there.
When I started, I noticed that only about half our class had gotten an invitation to our 20-year reunion, when social media was just starting to pick up steam. I knew, with enough time and effort, we could do better, given all the new Internet tools at hand. And we have.
As I write this, I'm glad to tell my classmates that I've found almost 300 of us. But now it appears that I might have committed a 'false start'--as in starting too early. Several people have moved or are planning to before the reunion. So now I'm having to find the rest of our class while keeping an eye out for people who have rented moving vans, or else I'll have to find them again. I don't want our efforts dismissed with a "Return to Sender" stamp on an invitation.
I have encountered a few classmates who said they left during their senior year, or maybe didn't arrive until then. Honestly, I can't remember who did what. Some want to join the party, but a few have said they'd rather not make the effort. Maybe we'll invite them anyway, in hopes they've changed their minds. I think it's intellectual curiosity--I'm betting that most people want to see how everyone turned out, even if it's just to help themselves feel normal.
*About this blog: Scott is a 1988 graduate of Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach, Va. and is blogging about his experience ahead of his 25th high school reunion in 2013. You can contact Scott at 248-945-9950 or via email at sryan@cbs.com. Please put "The Reunion Project" in the subject line.
