Did Facebook Kill the Reunion?

I graduated with 856 people. Yes, EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY SIX PEOPLE! I didn’t know half of  my grade when I was in high school and I certainly  knew, 20 years later , I would not remember half of them now. After writing the blog 2 months ago about the upcoming 20 year reunion , I decided I wasn’t going. I am friends with many people on Facebook from High School and I know who had kids, who is married, who is divorced, who became a doctor, who became an architect and who is still working at the local McDonald’s. I have seen a million pictures of their spouses, their partners, their kids, their houses, their parents and I wasn’t sure why I would need to rehash old shit with people I haven’t seen in 20 years? (I didn’t go to my 10 year reunion because I was prego with Zach and there was not a chance I was walking into a room full of people from high school fat. I know I wasn’t “really” fat, I was pregnant but I never could decipher the two. So in my own fucked up head I was fat). After deciding I wasn’t going, I sort of just went with the flow and never read this book:

Four days before the reunion, Greg turned to me and said “Amy, I am not telling you what to do BUT I think you should go. I don’t want you to look back at this and think you should have gone. This way you can’t regret not going AND the reunion is only 10 minutes away from your parents house so you can leave at any time.” I thought about what he said..A LOT. I knew he was right but I never lost the 5 or so pounds I wanted to lose and to be quite honest I was nervous. Junior year of high school I started dating a guy, Kevin, who I wound up seeing for 2 years of my high school life. He was my “first love” and my first. I was young and I was the girl who dropped her friends for Kevin. I spent all my time with him and severed many of my relationships with my friends because I was lost in love (typical high school stuff). About four years ago I got a text message from a friend I went to high school with while I was driving. She asked me if I had heard about what happened to Kevin. I pulled over, texted her back and typed: “no, why?” She informed me he had been tragically killed in a car accident. I was devastated. I had recently connected with him on Facebook and I was in shock. The funeral was beyond sad and I still, four years later, can’t believe he is gone. I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel going to the reunion. I wasn’t sure if I was going as the girl who dated Kevin, the girl who still had 5 lbs to lose (in my head) or as Amy Selling, the girl who writes a blog about a town 99% of the people I graduated with have never been to. I thought and thought and thought until finally I said to Greg, “screw it, I am going.” He was like great, I am going with you.

So we went…

The reunion was at this place called “Maggio’s.” Growing up it was a pizza place so the whole time I couldn’t understand WHY they decided to have it at a pizza joint but, unbeknownst to me, the owners moved Maggio’s across the street from its prior location, expanded it and built a ballroom. There was a front bar, a restaurant and a huge ballroom. Apparently people have Bar/Bat Mitzvah’s in this room, who knew! I ran into one of my oldest friends, Polly, who actually lives in Chatham. She brought her  husband along as well. Greg now had a friend and I was off the to the races.

I forgot I was on cupcake wars and I did not realize how many people in my high school WATCHED that episode. So I was Amy, the girl who was on Cupcake Wars. Like I wonder if I died tomorrow if that will be on my gravestone.

Amy Bolden Selling 1975-2013. Daughter, Mother, Wife. Starred in one episode of Cupcake Wars and lost.

Although all of the people I wanted to see I am friends with on Facebook, it was really nice to catch up with them. I loved hearing about their jobs, their life, their kids. It is one thing to see and read about their daily life on Facebook but it was a whole other thing to actually HEAR about their lives. It was special to reconnect and actually have a conversation in person. It amazed me that people flew in from all parts of the country for this night. It was pretty crazy to hear about the couples who never hung out in high school and wound up finding each other later in life and marrying.  I got a kick out  of rehashing with friends about old stories, first kisses and high school drama. For example, I was really good friends with this guy Jason and apparently somewhere around 9th grade I was at his house and he thought it would be fun to hook up in his mom’s room. I couldn’t for the life of me remember why we were in her room but she walked in on us and caught us. He told me the REASON we were in her bed was because it was a “water-bed” and he thought it would be cool to kiss in there. I was hysterical (someone got a photo of the moment of us rehashing the story below). He told me I should be honored because he never brought another girl in there again (lol). By the way, do water bed’s still exist?? I never understood how people slept in them!

 (I guess the girl on the left sort of photo bombed this picture but it’s all good!)

 

I reconnected with lots of my girlfriends:

 

 

After lots of drinks the music started and people really started to let loose!

 

I left when the dancing started to get good but I am glad I went. Facebook did not kill the reunion. If anything I am more interested in their lives now because I actually got to spend some quality time and learn about my lost friends from high school. Also I was surprised to find out that MANY people are still not on Facebook! It was a fun night, I am glad Greg convinced me to go (even if I never lost the 5lbs) and I am looking forward to the 25th!

A big shout out to Jake Ertwine for throwing this great bash together and making it happen! I could not have survived without the name tags!

Go Indians!