20-year high school reunion: a report.
In late May, 2022, I headed to Melbourne for the 20 year reunion of my final year high school class.
Our final year was composed of around 200 students, all boys of course. What could people have done in 20 years? What could change?
As I lifted my suitcase and took to the stairs leading to the top floor of the Racecourse Hotel, I swallowed the lump in my throat and dug deep to find some apprehensive enthusiasm.
Coming into the function room and adjusting my eyes, right away a few familiar faces appeared. About 40 people showed up, there were half a dozen people I knew right away. Some people looked totally different and others could’ve stepped out of year 12 into the reunion. Mind blown.
In 20 years I was sure everyone had changed completely so I went in aiming to make new friends with new people in a new context. That was a great decision, it led to amazing conversations about then and now.
Ultimately that was the real lesson: 20 years is many times longer than we were at school for; it’s more than half our lives. We are so different now that we almost may not have spent those years together, if not for the values and shared memories that bind us. Rounds of beers and chats with people you never thought you’d say two more words to is both thrilling and refreshing.
Some of the guys I chatted to I would’ve been solid mates with in school. Without fail everyone there was really nice.
Plenty of guys who rocked up have their own businesses & families now, I spoke to guys with businesses in photography, mining, real estate, and tech. Best of all was chatting to people about their young families. Everyone’s kids seem to be between 3 and 6 years old, going into school.
Fun facts: turns out the warehouse party when we were 16 showed great entrepreneurial spirit, was widely respected, and was enjoyed by all. Everyone remembered year 9 social, one guy I chatted to got a girl’s number. There was talk of the brawl at the 5 year reunion - but police were actually called because even before that, 2 other guys were elsewhere wrecking something in the bar 😳 only one person stayed in touch with any of those 4 guys.
As the night wore on people got more enthusiastic, culminating in a (very funny) fake re-enactment of the 5 year reunion brawl, 2 of the 25 or so guys from our year level at the bar fake-yelling at each other, pretending to want to throw a punch. It was that walk of the fine line between “lol” and “oh shit it’s about to go down” those guys always did - and that I haven’t seen since - basically, improv performance art. And while the yelling and laughter was going at the bar among our crew, a lone table 25m away hosted 6 or 7 folks from the 2001 year, standing calmly looking on, holding beer glasses at their hips, taking the odd sip, talking in low voices. Funny how unique our year level still is to this day.
Turns out, the people we “didn’t like” or “thought they didn’t like us” were just trying to make it through life, no one was ever anyone’s enemy. I recognise not everyone showed up so the group isn’t representative, but I really believe it. We’re all just people, trying to live life to the max.
If there’s another reunion I highly highly recommend going along, our year level is stacked with people who turned out to be legends. Overall a great happy evening a top vibe, A+ would reunion again.
There was a photographer; hopefully the school will send us the pictures!