Some people have so many fears they end up not going - and then have regrets. This would be the wrong choice. After all, these occasions come along rarely, and with just a little preparation (physical and mental) they can be a triumph instead of a tragedy. Let's first take the case of the Romantic Love of Your Life Who Got Away or The One You Always Lusted After and Now You Will See Her/Him Again.
The first worry is natural; "How do I look?" "How will I come across?" Everyone wants to be thinner, less bald, more accomplished and infinitely charming. The good news is that most of us aren't. And most realize that after 10, 20, or 30 years or more, appropriate physical adjustments will have taken place. If you are an exceptionally fine specimen, you're in luck, and your reunion should be terror-free. But even if you are not as gorgeous as you once were, or as successful as you would like, the Romantic Icon you hope to see at the reunion may still be interested in you. After all, we're all older, wiser and have interesting tales to tell about our lives. Just make sure you aren't a total tale of woe (no one really wants to hear it and it will definitely be a turn-off) and concentrate on being relaxed and confident. A comfortable confidence is always an attractive trait that will easily overwhelm the importance of a few extra pounds.
But you must be mentally prepared. You will probably see someone who looks older (or younger!) than you imagined. You don't want to react to someone's unexpected appearance in an insulting or over enthusiastic way. Likewise, other people's assessments of how you look or how much they want to reconnect isn't predictable. You need to be ready for someone to be more interested in you than you expect - and also to be less interested in you than you hope.
We all carry around a lot of myths and impressions about how important we were to someone during those years. Sometimes these are happily confirmed, and we're the person they came to the reunion to see. But other times, we discover we were just a blip (if that) on their radar screen. We have to take it, accept it, and not be crushed. After all, a lot has happened since graduation. We are living in the present and can't let ourselves be haunted by old wounds, or a fantasy that a romance between seventeen year olds will bloom afresh 20 years later. It could happen, but you can't count on it.
Think of a reunion as an anthropological trip. Everything is interesting, but it may not be relevant to your daily life. The key is to go for the experience and not build up so much hope that you stand a good chance of being deflated. Even if there does seem to be some extra special warmth coming from that certain someone, don't go overboard. Use the reunion as an opening salvo. You can always email later and develop the relationship further online.
And what if you are dreading seeing someone? Is there an old lover you fear who still carries your picture? Did someone steal your high school sweetheart away? If you want to avoid someone, come with a partner, friend or date and give him or her instructions about who to look out for and how to act as your blocker. Your reunion buddy can distract any dreaded classmate while you make your getaway. If the person you fear brings up painful memories, use the reunion as a way to finally get over them, and move on. You don't have to be friendly, but this isn't the time for revenge either. Be cool. You don't want to give an old enemy the satisfaction of seeing you distressed. You're beyond all that!
Ok, so reunions aren't easy. But they can be wonderful, offering the possibility of reconnecting with important people from earlier in your life, rekindling a romance, or just helping you put certain experiences and people behind you.
Don't miss yours!
Taken from Classmates.com