Yes, it has been 2 decades since high school!
1) Background
The 10th year reunion back in 2009 had a great really turnout.https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2009/08/my-10-year-high-school-reunion.html
The 15th year reunion back in 2014 had a smaller turnout but we did have some people there that wasn't there for the 10th!
Since nobody wanted to take the lead for that one, I did most of the organizing, even though I had never organized a major event before. I think that year, many classmates had newborn kids so they were too pre-occupied for the reunion. I did have some assistance leading up towards that reunion, and we had a good time even with the smaller turnout!
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2014/08/my-15-year-high-school-reunion.html
Of course, any event could be improved on, but it was annoying when one person claimed it wasn't "well put together" even though she did nothing to help. But that's life, those who contribute the least complain the most!
Some did have legit concerns that they didn't find out of that reunion until it was too late for them to readjust their schedules.
So last year, I did ask for ideas of where & when to have the reunion. Some people wanted Las Vegas, but most wanted it here in Honolulu. We also agreed on having it in late June.
This time, someone else took the lead with organizing the reunion (less stress for me, yay), but I still participated in sharing ideas (even more yay!).
Someone mentioned having the reunion at the school and I contacted the school. We did exchange information and I shared it on facebook. However, I did recognize that there was a scheduling conflict being that the campus was being used by the Friends of the Library of Hawaii (I'm a proud member) that weekend that we wanted to have the reunion.
The main organizer of this reunion did contact the other venues and shared with us on Facebook about the different options. We decided on Dave & Buster's.
A few weeks before the reunion, I did meet with the main organizers and a few assistants on the logistics.
Being that the 10th reunion had a newsletter-style program (named The Pinion, which was the school's newsletter) where people shared their post-high school updates, plus ads & trivia, I felt we should do the same for the 20th! I also took the lead in compiling our classmate's data, solicit ads from classmates with businesses & making a page with graphics related to 1999 (ie who was in political office, who won the Super Bowl, popular musicians, etc).
Being that I did flyers & brochures before but not newsletters, there was a learning curve, but I loved the challenge of compiling data and organizing into something eye-catching for the readers.
As for the data I compiled about classmate's post-high school, it was in The Pinion, but I chose not to share it here on the blog post to protect the privacy of classmates who only wanted to share their info with other classmates.
2) The Reunion Night
Actually, the sun was still out when we arrived to set the area up for the reunion!
We were the organizers of the reunion
Because I was the tallest in that group, I was asked to help with putting the banner. Problem was that I'm not great at tying ropes! Luckily, a staff member helped!
Then people started walking in.
Some who I have seen from previous reunions, others for whom it was their 1st reunion!
We had about 7 who were Lanakila Elementary School classmates, so had our own photo together! It was wonderful to see those I knew as little kids now full-grown adults approaching middle age.
We were Lanakila Elementary classmates
One of those elementary school classmates is now there as a teacher. Her life came full-circle!
Another elementary classmate came with his wife and daughter. The daughter was the star of the night!
I was able to talk with most of the classmates who came as we shared information, mostly about the jobs we have and whatever common interests we shared.
Our classmate's jobs include teacher, law enforcement officer, nurse, National Guard, claims investigator, call center supervisor, accountant, salon owner, cafe manager, and chef.
There was also someone who said he was at the school for 2 years before he moved to California. I don't remember him at all. But I was glad to finally meet him.
I was trying to get my closest friends to show up.
The one classmate who I hung out most in our adult lives is currently ill with pinched nerve, vertigo & diabetes. He says he was in too much pain to come. As I told the news of his condition, many classmates felt sad about his situation. The news hit really hard to those who knew him from elementary.
But the one friend that I hung out with the most during our high schools did show up! We did become distanced during our adult years, we didn't talk for years, though I do send him emails every so often. He came for the 10th, didn't come for the 15th, and both times he didn't announce his decision ahead of time and he sure didn't announce it for this one either. But he did come for the 20th-year reunion, and I was so happy to see him there!
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As the night went on, there were prizes given out (I got a gift card for Dave & Buster's), a pair of high school sweethearts won the grand prize: tickets to the Backstreet Boys concert later this year.
There was the DJ playing music (mostly stuff from when we were in high school) throughout the event, but only until circa 8:30pm I went on the dance floor, then a few others joined in!
The event officially ended at 9pm. Some people left around that time, others stuck around. I was there until we had to clear the rooftop.
3) The Post-Event Incident
I DO NOT drink alcoholic beverages and I take that stance very seriously. However, not every classmate got the memo!
During the event, others did ask me to drink alcohol beverages. I pulled 2 individuals on the side and told in a serious tone DON'T ever ask me about drinking alcoholic beverages ever again. They apologized. Because they sincerely apologized, their names won't be mentioned.
However, Patsaya Mounthongdy is a different story.
Me & Patsaya do have some similarities in that were both eccentric personalities who are the "lifes of the party".
The difference is that Patsaya has not matured since high school. He is an extremely extroverted person who still thinks everything is a joke. He doesn't believe in personal boundaries. He still doesn't understand that sometimes, he needs to tone down his loud personality. He doesn't understand when to stop talking and when to leave the issue alone. He doesn't understand that as an adult, he needs to develop an introverted, reflective side too!
As the rooftop was being cleared, I met up with Patsaya and told him that he needs to stop asking me to drink alcoholic beverages and that I take that issue very seriously. He did apologize, but then a few minutes later, he said out loud that I was ruining the vibe of the night. I told him politely to drop the topic already. This continued while we were in the elevator. The Other Guy #1 also told Patsaya to drop the issue. Patsaya still wouldn't shut up. Then I yelled at him "SHUT THE ____ UP" and pointed a pepper spray at his face. I pointed it in a self-defense stance but luckily didn't have to spray it!
The Other Guy #1 continued to diffuse the situation.
Patsaya then said "this is the last time I'm ever going to a reunion"
Good! That's what I call "addition by subtraction". The great ambiance of a reunion is added when we subtract jerks (like Patsaya) who make other people nervous to come to the reunion!
After we left the elevator, and after Patsaya left the building, I talked to Other Guy #2, and said to him "I'm sorry you had to witness all of that". He expressed disapproval of the way Patsaya has been acting!
The person I hung out the most during high school (RS) did talk to Patsaya after we separated! My best guess is that RS was trying to diffuse the situation by helping Patsaya understand how I am as a person.
I did meet up with RS later that night. We did talk about the Patsaya situation, but after that, we did talk about how everything else about the reunion was positive. And we talked about our high school memories and the good times.
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Patsaya thinks the best way to have a good time is to get drunk, be loud & obnoxious. When people object to his obnoxiousness, he gaslights people by claiming that he's only joking and that you're ruining the vibe.
Whereas for me, I think the best way to have a good time is to avoid alcohol, avoid any other mind-altering drugs, respect people's boundaries, and still enjoy the music & the ambiance of the event!
Of all my classmates, I was the star of the dance floor! I did that without alcohol, without caffeine, and without any mind-altering drugs! All you need is the music!
People who use alcohol to be the "life of the party" is like Barry Bonds (and other athletes) using steroids. That is cheating, and those substances also have lifelong consequences that affect you long after the party or the game is over. Mature adults understand that!
People talk about putting an asterisk (*) around Barry Bond's homerun records. I say we put an asterisk (*) around mentions of Patsaya being a "life of the party".
I'm the life of the party without an asterisk (*).
Be more like me!
