Over ten years ago I wrote my first blog on Feb 11, 2015, with the title ‘Sad memories can have a silver lining’. I was approaching my 40th year school reunion and was nervous about going as I had many sad memories of my high school years. I ended up going.

Fast forward to now where I am faced with the choice of going to the 50th reunion at the end of year.

I assumed everyone I knew would be going so I paid for accommodation as it is 3 hrs away in the evening.

A friend decided we could support each other. I was surprised that other people were not going as they stayed connected with a small group and so chose not to attend a function with people they have not seen in ten years.

After the trauma of the fires, I am not very confident in groups larger than 6 and this reunion will maybe be anything from 50 to 100 women!! I get nervous and feel lost in a big group and I find the noise and many conversations quite difficult.

I have made a big decision to go to the reunion and so I wonder why people who feel very confident do not go. I find it hard to meet up with people, so a reunion is a chance to reconnect.

I know many people do not like reunions, and some have issues with how the event is organised, or their school experience or a recent reunion was quite difficult.

I wondered if many people feel like some people I know and do not want to go to the 50th school reunion despite having attended previous reunions. I checked an article that estimated only 10 to 20 percent of people attend high school reunions. I find that very low and frankly if only a few want to attend, it probably would mean many reunions would be cancelled or would be a lunch in someone’s backyard.

Leah 

A Moodscope member