You mention not bringing a spouse....well, I've never gone to any of my own high school reunions (and there have been many opportunities now), but I attended my wife's 25th. She went to high school over 1000 miles from me and I never knew anyone in the room as a teenager.

Yet, I had a fairly good time.

As for the smaller party with the close circle of friends and the big family picnic -- those were genuine snoozers.

Having been to a 30th.....

Half of the cheerleaders are still hot, half are showing their age (in my day all cheerleaders were female).

A male having a full head of dark hair makes everyone suspicious.

The number of divorces is mounting fast.

You will learn about the deaths of some of your classmates.

The girl you had a crush on in study hall may still makes your head spin.

Your dear wife will watch you like a hawk, just like she did at the prom.

And at the 30th, it is now pictures of grandchildren.

I went to my wife's 20th (or 25th). The first people we saw was my ex-boss and her husband. I worked for her for over a year. I spent hours walking along the canal with her (exercise). We still do lunch once or twice a year. We invented her and her husband to have dinner at our place. I ran into her husband (after I was no longer working for her) at random on a plane-trip from Washington DC.

But I had never know she was my wife's classmate.

I never knew my wife was one of only 3 (out of 400, which might explain the lack of recognition) students who graduated with high honors.

There was dancing and plenty of interesting conversation, including items about past peccadillos (I got to sit next to a a girl who had played footsie with my wife's boyfriend way back when).

Worth it.

Also, don't be surprised at how much conversation you strike up with a person or two whom you barely spoke to during all of high school.

My husband went to his 20th last year with his best friend's wife, since the best friend was in the class after theirs and I was in no class at that school at all. The best friend (whom I've known for almost half our lives now) and I got stuck with five sleeping kids, a couple of bottles of wine, and Sideways. My husband and his date videotaped everyone, including people neither of them remembered, and called us from the event about as drunk as you can be and still dial numbers. A good time was had by all!

Years ago I went to my 10th. It was a pretty good party until I discovered that by far the most attractive woman there was married with two kids, and to a minister at that. For some reason that was an incredible downer. Also disconcerting was the number of high school musicians with whom I seemed to have little in common in a setting with no instruments or sheet music.

But Alan Henderson's observation is true, especially if like me you went to a large high school.

....until I discovered that by far the most attractive woman there was married with two kids, and to a minister at that. For some reason that was an incredible downer.

I know that reason. Some dreams die hard. ;-)

This is probably even more universal. My 5 year college reunion was this spring, and everything but the numbers of kids was as you describe.