EITM: Class Reunions 5/29/24

College and high school!

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
When is your reunion that you justmentioned this weekend? Is it really?

(00:03):
Yeah, it's not just my reunion. If you were wait years out,
if you're fifteen years out, it'sjust the what you fall on when it
comes to fives and zero. Ohyou know what, Wait, so this
isn't just a group of your friendsthat are getting together. This is actually
a down This is sanc shit.Yeah, you know what. Didn't you

(00:24):
think leading up to this that itwas just like a bunch of his college
friends that were getting together. Yeah, so this is like a whole Georgetown
thing. Oh, there's quite theitinerary. Yeah, so wait a minute,
but it's not just one class.It is if you're five years,
ten years, fifteen years, twentyyears, twenty five, thirty, that's
probably it. Everybody else will bedead. But the uh not. Do

(00:45):
you think somebody's coming back for theirsixtieth high school or college? Absolutely?
People do that, do they really? Yeah? Oh good, move on
the you know what. In myhead, it was like you and Joe
and like two or three other peopleand that was it. So this is
a whole Georgetown thing. The oldestacknowledged class will be the class of nineteen

(01:08):
sixty four. Wow, Oh mygod, how many years is that?
How old would you have? Thirty? And that's that's fifty years of reunion.
Sixty years. So the people arelike pushing eighty. The Crosbie Stills
in Nash record still didn't come outfor five more years. Oh so wait

(01:30):
a minute. Yeah, will therebe heavy snacks? Yes? A lot
of the program says that, Well, I hope there's been heavy bread because
I'm eating it. Oh, they'redoing Cafe Milano the sixtieth reunion class.
Oh so they have Wait, you'vegot set the restaurant Cafe Milano? Is

(01:51):
that free? We all know,we all have different events in the evenings.
Everything else is share and you're doingthis. I'm not at the Cafe
Milano one. Well, no,that's not sixty anniversary. Where's fifty fifth
anniversary? That is going to be. I want to see what the drop

(02:12):
off is? A reception on campus. There you go, I have my
drink ticket. By the way,fiftieth is at the French Embassy. Wow,
are you serious? Yeah? Sowhy is fifty five getting the old
f It probably depends on who yourrepresentative was for your class, or like
preregistration. Maybe the amount I thinkit's who got people. Well, maybe

(02:38):
there is some yield, but likewho you had on your advisory panel and
the connections that five years, LikeDixie Liquors, they're going to be at
No, they're at the National Museumof American History. Oh my god.
The fifty and fifty is a receptionon campus. What a lame ass class?

(03:00):
Yes, ours is also on campus. Like I said, do you
wait? So do you know howmany people are coming? Are you dreading
it? I'm not dreading. I'mvery excited. Do I know they'll be
uncomfortable conversations? Yes, we've alreadydiscussed that would Why would it be uncomfortable?

(03:21):
It's been a long time, perfectbut you've given me all of the
icebreakers to you, so we've alreadysettled that. I cannot wait to see
all my close friends right that Ihaven't seen since maybe the last wedding we
were all at. Right goes backprobably ten years. So even though it's
twenty years, I did see themfor a good decade as we would constantly
be at events together, and nowit's fallen off, especially with family.

(03:44):
I want to say, like thelast the last thing that I remember reading
about like reunions and stuff. Isnow is like now a big reunion time?
Because there was it is now thatgraduations are done. Well, yeah,
but there was there was some writtenabout like a lot of people have
and I, yes, I don't. This doesn't compute to me. What
did they say? Though? Iwant to make sure I have their word

(04:05):
right? Hold on? Oh,people are terrified to go to reunions,
Like it really brings up like alot of anxiety for people. I could
see that. Why maybe if there'speople that there was like unsquashed beef with
and you're worried that they're going tobe there and it's going to be super

(04:27):
awkward, the prospect of a reunionelicits shame, dread, and regret.
More so people look at it thatway instead of going, oh my god,
this is going to be a chancefor me to reconnect, to learn
about people, to maybe have conversationwith people that I didn't have conversations with
back then, because like we werejust in two different worlds back then,
but now we're at least more similar. What about in your mind, you

(04:50):
haven't achieved what maybe everybody like youwere most likely to succeed, and maybe
you haven't been most likely to succeed, and everybody's gonna be like, oh,
what do you doing? It's somuch of that cares. A lot
of cares. You were twenty yearsold. A lot of people do,
and so you were voted. Youwere voted most likely to succeed when you
were twenty and you and by theway, define define success, I mean

(05:14):
it's yeah, you have a healthyyou have a healthy marriage and a healthy
kid. Congratulations, you succeeded,I think depending on No, No,
I'm being serious. I'm not throwingthat away. Some CEO of a company
is going to go, oh,isn't that cute? Would you rather be
a ceo is in the middle ofa nasty divorce and custody battle, or
just regular work in glob who hasgot a happy marriage and a happy kid.

(05:41):
I take option A. Yeah,I take option A. That's success,
baby. Yeah. It's like andmy friends I have some that are
so successful, but you can't.I don't know. That doesn't bother me.
No, but here's what I don'twant you to do. I don't
want you to stand in a cornerand only talk to Joe and the other
people. Oh, we have aboutseventeen from the group that are gonna be

(06:02):
there. Okay, how many isthe whole group? Oh? The actual
class itself. Yeah. I didn'tmake myself visible for the RC. Why
wouldn't you. Why wouldn't you?Oh, I don't want anything. Why
wouldn't you want somebody to Why wouldyou hide that? Why would Yeah?
It just felt like d shame,regret, flames. Thank god I didn't

(06:23):
date anyone in my class the No, why would you? Why would you
care? You're going to be there, thank you? Christen nor hook up
with them? Why would you care? It just it didn't seem on brand.
To make my brand you were incollege? To make myself visible?
Who cares? I'm gonna be awallflower anyway. See that's now I'm gonna

(06:45):
no. But there's a difference betweenbeing a wallflower to the group, and
there's a difference between being a wallflowerwith your group. No, I'm gonna
talk to everybody. I really havelike committed myself to not being me.
They said there are some people whenthey find out they're having reunion. I
was reading about these people. Thisperson's going to their twenty year college reunion.

(07:11):
I am terrified. I both reallywant to go and At the same
time, I really don't want togo to the point where they're so on
the fence about whether it's more scaryor exciting they won't even hit RSVP.
Yeah. I also over the weekof people texting and getting ready for it.

(07:33):
The one thing I regret is notsigning up for enough events. I
didn't know we were going to attendeverything, so I'm only, I think,
good to go for the main eventSaturday night on campus. Yes,
and the conquering the competition event withEd Cooley on a Friday afternoon. That's

(07:59):
all I did. But what areyour other friends doing? And they're doing
everything. Yes, they're fun Run, They're doing fun Run, they're doing
you should do that, you run, They're rowing Saturday morning. So they're
doing all of the walking tours.One of them you can laurel arrangements.
Okay, what, Yes, that'sone of the offens floral arrangements. Well,

(08:20):
then you're not gonna like the onethat I feel like I missed out
on by not signing up, whichis the pipe organ demonstration at Dohlgren.
I thought that would be neat,but I was worried that I couldn't get
there in time. Leaving here onFriday. Hey, let's not run late.
I'm going straight from pipe organ toskin flutes. Jess. You know

(08:43):
Jess, she's going to do theJewish Life open house. Oh yes,
I was going to ask if she'scoming, is she doing the bikini walk?
Well, now, who's going tohave an awkward conversation? But here's
the best party. He doesn't knowthis, my friend said, no spouse
is allowed. Oh good, he'snot coming out. But she went to
school with Dub and is a graduate. Yeah, so he'll be there.

(09:05):
Yeah, he's he'll be taking partin the shoved in the water. That's
the reunion row. Oh wait,so Jests is coming in? Does she
want to come up on the tobe on the show on Friday? Yes?
On Saturday at ten am. Hoyasand bloom floral arranging. What a
weird thing to have at a reunionplanting I thought that at first too,

(09:28):
and then when I saw the listof who was going, I was like,
what planting tulips? Join us fora fun introduction to arranging. Remove
the word fun. As you're introducedto the art of placing, cutting,
and arranging blooms, creating a beautifulbouquet for you to take home. What
about like, can we just playdice and drink? Well here's the thing
too, that you're not You're notconsidering this. There's a bar, a

(09:52):
cafe milanoll. Not really my speed. But at least those people are having
fun. A lot of these eventsare family friendly. They expect you to
bring your kids. Does just havekids? Yes, but but they're not.
The rule was no sense. Maybeher husband will watch no kids?
Yes, so, which is makesmy family look pathetic because we live a

(10:13):
half hour away. Well no,but it's the only one who doesn't have
to travel. Okay, Well that'stheir fault, not yours. It was
funny last night I'm telling is shedaughter? Is she still in San Diego?
Yes, talker now I wish I'mtelling my daughter all about there reunion
and the dinner. And she's like, so, why do you get to

(10:33):
go? And I said because Igraduated from the university. And she said,
oh, I thought you were meetingthe basketball players. No, George
said George school. She's like,oh, the basketball team. Wait,
so are any players from when youwere there coming back? I bet some
will be in that conquering the competitionsymposium on Friday. Right, but like

(10:58):
graduate, Yes, but they goingto the reception on campus. Oh,
I'm gonna get a picture with MikeSweetney. I expect them to. Why
not they have to go? Well, they kind of had their own rules
when they were in school, sothey maybe have their own rules this weekend.
But you you are supposed to goto your designated classes event. I
think every class is on campus Saturdaynight. We just get to be on

(11:20):
campus both Friday and Saturday night.Right, Because you guys are awesome.
But is reunions, our reunions thatfear inducing? I could see it for
some people, Like I don't havecollege reunions. I didn't go to college,

(11:41):
but like high school reunions. Otherthan if it was at an inconvenient
time, it was fun to goto. I bet high school is scarier?
Why than college? Why I've neverbeen to a high school reunion?
Cut ties with high school Friday wewent, didn't do as many like formal

(12:03):
events, but we were around campusfor the tenth so a decade ago.
Oh, Diane, you'd like thisAt five pm, Hoya is uncorked wine
and cheese pairings with the Antonelli's.You know, them from the Capitol One
commercials Oh okay, Johnny Kendall werein my class. I'm looking forward to

(12:28):
Sunday's activity of it's like hooking upwith Jess. Oh my god. They
are doing this pool side thing onSunday. Oh yeah, to peace to
peace. Weirdo. Now I can'tgo because it's my son's birthday. Oh
bring him. How to use thatphone. Here's how you mute it so

(12:52):
they don't know you're taking a picture. And here's how we texted telliot.
The only thing on Sunday is anall class reunion mass that the school is
doing. Right. Oh Jesus,she's Jewish. Got him hung over?

(13:15):
Wait, Christian, do you haveYou don't have reunions, like even for
college. Well that's kind of sad. At high school, you don't.
You graduated like three people. Ihaven't been back to Radford since like probably
like five years after. But Isaid, but would that make you nervous?
No, not at all, Butall of my friends I see it
regularly anyway, you know what Imean. But that's not the point of

(13:37):
a reunion. I know, butthat's not the point. Christian, Will
you do me a favor? Willyou find me a couple of people who
are who are getting ready to goto reunions or who have been recently.
I don't mean like this year,like maybe they had one last year or
the year after whatever. Just realquick eight six six to Elliott eight six
six What that was? That wasyour finger firmly in your nose. I
don't want just to think I havea like a fly way or something in

(14:00):
there, she's streaming, eight sixsix. I really don't eight six six
two three five five four six eight. But a couple of people who have
either been or are going would benice to a reunion. I don't care
if it's a high school or college. I really don't. Eight six six
to Elliott eight six six two threefive five four six eight. But I

(14:22):
want to go back to what Dianesaid. Diane's saying, like, oh,
I only went to my five,but I'm still friends with all those
friends. That's not the point ofa reunion. I know it's point.
It's it's going back and seeing peoplethat you don't have regular interactions with exactly.
Yeah, they would even argue.Some people will argue, I'm totally
fine with it, but some peoplewould argue that Tyler's group of seventeen.

(14:43):
It's that's too big of a groupto break up, to go run around
and see people that you're having yourown reunion within that your group of seventeen
are just using this as an excusefor your group to get together and that.
No, but that's not what it'ssupposed to be. I mean,
this is one of those things.It is a chance to see it.

(15:03):
Yes, I understand people, especiallyin college, people moved, They're all
over the place, they got familiesnow and stuff. But it's supposed to
be the interact with everybody. Yeah, the first couple of high school ones
were really fun, you know,especially like I don't know, God,
I don't think I went to thefive, but like the ten was maybe
people were like some A lot ofpeople didn't have kids, a lot of

(15:24):
people weren't even married yet, butthere were still some ten everybody's as faced
and hooking up. It wasn't eventhat, it was just fun to like
reconnect with people that you had notseen literally like since graduation day. Right.
Well, I told you, Ithink at my ten that may be
the only one I went to.The But they are great. There was
one dude. Everybody saw him walkingaround, nobody could figure out who he

(15:46):
was, and when they were like, that's I can't remember the kid's name
whatever, and could call him Doug, that's Doug. Every was like,
no, wait, Doug was Jack. Doug was a big fat pig in
school. But at the reunion,dude, he looked like the rock.
There were a lot of like physicaltransformations where you're like, oh my god,
oh I put some one on.She was the difference of high school.

(16:07):
Like my high school was smaller,so I knew everybody I graduated with.
That's not the case with college exactly, So I don't I never met
some of these people. But I'mnot going to talk to them. Why
not because this is a limited opportunityfor three hours or oh we're a four
hour are you four hour? We'rea four hour event Saturday night to say

(16:30):
hi to people that I actually knewtwenty years ago. Right? No,
But what I'm saying is you go, is there is there gonna be a
bar? No pastor, durors,whatever, fire pit? Wow, Jesus
Christ, never mind? Why isit too late to cancel as a DJ?
Remember the attires camp casual. Idon't even know what that means I
never went to camp Joggers. Joggersand slides. The late night Whise's delivery.

(16:56):
That's pretty cool. People at CafeMilano at four hours will just be
getting into the the Oh, we'regoing to gather under a tent, which
is the best option for stargazing withdelicious on them food. I'm gonna make
a tent and wines from classmates.Oh so there is vineyards, so there
is drinking. So yeah, no, But what I was gonna say is,

(17:17):
you're in line to get a wine, somebody else is in line to
get a wine. You're like,oh, hey, I'm my name's Tyler,
and they'll go, my name's Mary. And you're like, oh my
god. Sorry. We never haveany classes, So tell me about you
now. People do that at reunions. Talk to people, Yes, talk
to total strangers. Why wouldn't youbecause you have one weekend. Yeah,

(17:40):
it's limited. You want to likeget to the all the people that you
care about, not to some randomyou know, how do you know you
don't care about that person? Youhaven't seen them in twenty years? How
know them? I can't say itperfect. I didn't see them twenty years
ago. I never saw them twentyyears ago. I think of the person
who eats pizza for the first timeat the age of twenty. Oh my
god, has this been my wholelife? What if Mary turns out to

(18:02):
be awesome? She lives here,she has she she I don't I don't
know what you need. But whatevershe's doing, stuff goes right to the
pizza comparison. Yet kind of likecocked his head at a late night chicken
madness. I don't think so you'dbe all about Oh I would eat the
chicken madness a sandwich. But I'myou know what, I'm not rowing and

(18:25):
making poppies and uh and going ona walking tour of Georgetown Line one.
Hi, Elliot in the morning,four five six, here's Sephorah. Yes,
I'm sorry. Who is this?And this is Scott? What's going
on? Ellie? Are you?Are you going or did you just go

(18:47):
to a reunion? I'm going Juneeighth. Is it high school or college?
It's high school up in Boston.How many years? Thirty five?
Jesus? Are you have you beento any previous lead of the thirty fifth?

(19:08):
Yes, the twentieth, So it'sbeen so you you waited twenty years
and now another fifteen. Are younervous? No, No, I'm I
think we had two hundred and fiftygraduates and only about only right now,
there's like forty five to fifty guysgoing right now. When you say guys,

(19:30):
is it like just a big helmetparty or is this like everybody's going?
I also hadn't heard that term sinceI stood No. I went.
I went to all boys Catholic schoolup in h up in Boston and actually
I went to Uh. Jordan Knightfrom New Kids on the Block was in

(19:52):
my class. Oh is he going? He ain't going? I don't.
I don't know, I haven't.We haven't heard from Jordan. And by
the way, i've bet in highschool not voted most likely to succeed,
and no offense, he's more successfulthan everybody, even well not now.
I mean that was kind of wayfamous before eighteen years old. No,

(20:15):
no, but I'm just saying likehe's you would have been voted most likely
to succeed and now he's I mean, I guess he's still successful. I
mean they're going on tour whenever.Yeah, Gene on Facebook just went to
the fiftieth high school. Oh atCafe Milano. No. Fiftieth is they're
drinking out of paper cups? Werethey nervous? Did it bring up?

(20:37):
Was it stress inducing? Fear andinducing? Shameful? We had a terrific
turnout. Lots stayed to the end, which was eleven pm. It was
at a ballroom, there was DJDJ, there was dancing. There were
a few walkers and wheelchairs. Thinkabout it, so that would put you
at near seventy. Yeah, no, I get it. I get it.

(21:02):
Is the shame part, not thatlike you were voted most likely to
succeed, But would somebody go inthere and like you expect to hear how
perfect everybody's home life is, andyou're like, oh, you know what,
like I'm divorced, my kids hateme or something. I don't.
I don't know. I would expectthat there's tons of divorces. If you've
gotten several hundred people in a room, that's what I mean. But but

(21:22):
you don't, You don't think aboutthat. When you're going to think about
your own people are going to thinkabout you and everybody everybody else is going
to come in and want to showme pictures of their happy life and their
their their beach house and all that, and you know what I got.
I got. I got stuck raisingtwo kids on my own boom alimony.
No, but people only see itthrough their eyes. But not that everybody.

(21:45):
And by the way, who's judgingyou for that? I'm not.
It is weird, Like none ofmy friends have gotten divorced, so I've
always found that to be odd.That is, twenty years now, removed
from school, none of them havegotten divorced. No, wow, yeah
is it showing photos of No?No, Diane, do you do you
take out the phone? I don'tthink that's that big of a photos and

(22:10):
people people are going to be like, oh, show me a picture of
your kids. That's why is thata no? No? Because Lindsay always
takes them. Oh, well,don't do it with the person you've never
met before. Oh that's the whatI'm supposed to spend my whole night wasting
time. I have two kids,You have two kids. We should we
should hook up. Not like that. I know your eight states away,
but let's spend a week on together. Yeah no, but I don't want

(22:30):
to see their kids. Well thatsounds horrible. No, but that's just
like talking and like getting caught upmaybe I should heart some photos just so
they're easily accessed, because right now, if I pulled up my phone,
you're getting Joe, Nolan and Kinand that dog from yesterday. Sorry Lie

(22:55):
too, Hi Ellie in the morninghim. I have been to my twentieth
and my thirtieth and my fortieth highschool reunion. Wow, you really like
a reunion, don't you. Youcould think that's a ten year span.
Yeah, we're all ten years apart. We're all spread out apart. Facebook

(23:19):
did a lot for reunion, rightbecause we all we all stay together now
kind of. You know, thosethat want to stay together stay together.
Hey where where where did you growup? Where did you grow up a
little north of Philly in Allentown?Oh? Sure, I know Allentown the

(23:41):
and now, so everybody's going backthere for the reunion. Are a lot
of people still in Allentown? Oris everybody pretty spread out? There's a
small group that are still in Allentown, but a lot of us have gone
our separate way. I got youaI got you, well you know what,
good for you? Good for you? And so it wasn't it wasn't

(24:03):
a fear inducing or anything like that. Uh No, not really. And
you know, since then I havebecome a paraplegic. And that first one,
when I first showed up in awheelchair, I hope you got most
changed? Oh my god, stuffthere you got it, he got it,

(24:30):
you got most changed? Yeah.Oh, like it's like a little
fun. They'll do it the reunion. They'll go do that. They'll say,
oh, who traveled the furthest whohas the most kids in the wheelchair?
Got most change? Changed the most? At high school ones or reunions
in general. Yeah, it seemslike a Pandora's box. Why could get
weird in what way? The guy'sin a wheelchair, he knows he changed

(24:55):
from when he was in high school. Well, Jeane pointed it out.
I was dancing but he couldn't.Yeah, that's okay, And you weren't
bothered by that, not at all. Don't they They do an award fort
don't Don't they do an award forlike most kids? Yeah? Most wides
Like they don't know if they do. Spouses. I think they do.

(25:15):
I think they do to make life, to have fun, that's what we're
there to do. There's that shame. Why is that shame a deal?
You're divorced big deal. All right, very good, very good, Thank
you sir, Yes time from Ronaldo. Never felt the need to go back,
never felt like I wanted to impressanyone, nor did I leave anything
I wanted to go back and seeI get that. But that's both sides

(25:40):
of okay, but that, butbut those are those are people, and
Lava says, because people helped formwho you are. But isn't Facebook enough
I'm not on Facebook. It's Aleiant. It's gotta be on the committee because
he's not on Facebook. No,no, But but again it's a fair
point though, because it's like yougo from like like pre social media,
you didn't know anything about. So, by the way, I'll tell you

(26:00):
this, I bet, I betbecause of social media. That's why a
lot of people don't go back.Because people people, people are like on
because they look at the highlight railand they're like, oh, their life's
so perfect and mine sucks. Noopposite. I've been posting these pictures on
Instagram of here's me doing everything,and here's me doing everything, and here's
me doing everything, and that isnot really my life. My life is.

(26:22):
You know, I'm miserable, youknow whatever, I got fired.
I haven't told anybody, but I'mtaking all these selfies and stuff, or
I'm usn't having people take pictures ofme in the street and whatever it is.
And I'm doing all these things andthen you show up and they realize
that you ain't the person you areon Instagram. I would bet it goes
the other way, that you can'tlive up to what you're trying to portray
yourself as I bet in some casesyou're right. But to go back to

(26:45):
I don't know if it was Kennyor whoever it was said the Kenny said
that he had never moved. Oh, well, whoever it was three hours
ago. Okay, I remember onename the no no that that you you
don't need to see anybody. Butthose people, whether you whether you were
friendly with them or not, theywere part of the community that helped make

(27:07):
you what you were at that point. There's something nice about that that,
again, you may not have beenfriends with them, but they were part
of that community that helped you developat that point in your life. Yeah,
and I do get the added bonusthank them of me not being on
social media, even though there isa group of you know, fifteen sixteen

(27:29):
seventeen of us that were really closein college and then remain close for about
ten years out and then have sincekind of gone our separate ways. I
don't see any of them, soI'm sure some of them to me will
look so different because I Am notseeing their families. Oh, just send
me a thumbs up or a thumb'sdown emoji. That's all I'm waiting for.
What night is that Friday? I'llbe glued to my phone. I'll

(27:51):
walk out of a goddamn youth hockeygame for that