Saying Yes to High School Reunions Brings Life-changing
Opportunities
(ARA) - Like clockwork - about every five, 10 or even 20 years - an
innocent looking piece of paper or e-mail uncorks a surprising amount of
emotion. Whether that invite fills you with great anticipation,
inexplicable butterflies or curiosity, reunions can be a time of second
chances, wonderful new memories and renewed friendships.
About 8 million people attend their high school reunion each year in the
United States alone, according to Classmates.com, a top Web site for
reconnecting, planning reunions and preparing to attend one.
According to the site's recent poll, about 80 percent of respondents
plan to attend their next reunion. A reunion can be life changing.
Friendships can be refreshed and romances can sometimes be rekindled.
While not everyone will reconnect with their former best friend or the
love of their life, 50 percent of reunion poll respondents said they
would like to be
contacted by an old flame. Thanks to the Internet, it can be easy to
find friends from your school days. Connecting with a few people from
your past can make attending that upcoming reunion an easy decision.
Consider the following tips to help make the most out of your reunion:
Before the Big Day
* Get your RSVP and any requested materials in on time. If you can't
attend, post your information online, or ensure that the organizers have
it, so friends can contact you and you get an invitation to your next
reunion. While you're at it - volunteer. It's a great way to ease any "I
won't know anyone there" jitters.
* If you'll be traveling solo, try to connect with at least one friend
who'll be attending too. Then, check out online communities, such as
Classmates.com, where you can look up friends among its 40 million
members. By learning about their current interests, you can ask
questions they are eager to answer at the reunion. You can also join a
message board and post your own information to start enjoying new
connections and conversations. Basic memberships are free and
invaluable for finding out who's doing what and where..
* Spend some time before the reunion looking at old yearbooks. If you're
bringing a guest, let them have a peek too.
* Send an e-mail to people you care the most about so you can make plans
to enjoy quality time together catching up over pre- or post-reunion
drinks or a meal, without the competing chaos of hurried conversations
at reunion events.
* Ditch the crash diet plan. If you want to lose 5 pounds or so do it,
but don't stress out over getting back to your old cheerleading days
size.
* Decide in advance what you'll wear (most invitations specify attire,
but if you're not sure, ask, or look at any online reunion information
to confirm).
* Treat yourself to a new shirt, shoes, manicure or haircut, but
remember, this isn't the time to test out a completely new look. Get
something in a color or style you already know flatters you, so you can
feel confident and in style.
After the Reunion
If you missed seeing someone, see if you can track them down via an
online service such as Classmates.com which offers a search function as
well as a way for members to forward information they might have about
someone. E-mail those you connected with to stay in touch in those five
year spans between get-togethers, and be sure to send a thank you to the
hard-working reunion committee.
Tips for Planners
* Create an online reunion page at a site such as Classmates.com. It's a one-stop shop for finding school friends, forwarding information
and posting
get-together details.
* Be sure to suggest invitees check out the site before arriving to fill
in any missing information about lost friends, etc. Starting a thread on
a message center for your class year is a great way to spread the word
and find the "missing."
* Create and share a post-reunion photo album or Web site with
easy-to-use online services such as PhotoSite.com and MySite.com. This
is a fun way to
show those no-shows what a fabulous time was had and encourage others to
attend the next reunion.
For more ideas on how to get the most out of your reunion, visit
www.classmates.com. courtesy of ARA Content
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