The Hometown Return

[AgronAlum]

This started as a discussion between my wife and I today. For those that ended up leaving, do you look forward to returning to your home town?

My wife likes going back for the town festival every year and reminiscing with old friends and running into people she hasn’t seen in forever.

I have zero interest in seeing anyone that I don’t still talk to, zero interest in school reunions, etc. I legitimately do not give a **** how anyone is doing 20 years after high school graduation.

 

[IcSyU]

The few I want to be in touch with I'm still in touch with. I don't need to return to stay in touch.

The rest of 'em....meh. I'll still donate if someone has a health crisis or severe weather causes housing issues or whatever thing comes up but other than that I really don't give a ****.

My folks and a set of grandparents are still there. That's about the only reason for me to go back. If they weren't there I wouldn't have reason to return.

 

[JM4CY]

This started as a discussion between my wife and I today. For those that ended up leaving, do you look forward to returning to your home town?

My wife likes going back for the town festival every year and reminiscing with old friends and running into people she hasn’t seen in forever.

I have zero interest in seeing anyone that I don’t still talk to, zero interest in school reunions, etc. I legitimately do not give a **** how anyone is doing 20 years after high school graduation.

Women are weird.

 

[Tailg8er]

I have about 3 friends I'm close with that still live there, so I go to see them/events with them once or twice a year. Otherwise, no, Council Bluffs isn't some great destination that I enjoy - didn't really consider returning after graduating from ISU.

 

[madguy30]

I go back often to the farm I grew up on to help with yard work, etc. and try to soak up every second there as there will be a time when we have to decide what to do with it.

Socially I occasionally see people, and in those short spurts it's really great as in my experience, seeing the people you grow up with is just really comforting since you have so much history and you don't have to explain yourself and vice versa.

However, if I'm back for more than 3 days and socialize too much, the walls close in quickly and the 'euphoria' of reminiscing fades into hearing about the petty weirdness between the people that still live there.

 

[pourcyne]

Going back home is like watching a movie again that you haven't seen since childhood.

You will notice things you never thought of when you were a kid and be pleasantly surprised by the parts you still enjoy.

If you learn that the whole experience was a total waste of time, you can feel smug that you got out while the getting was good. If, somehow, you enjoy the walk down memory lane, so much the better.

BTW, your wife sounds like one of those people who values other people, no matter who they are. They are rare. Good on you for marrying her.

 

[CapnCy]

Going back home is like watching a movie again that you haven't seen since childhood.

You will notice things you never thought of when you were a kid and be pleasantly surprised by the parts you still enjoy.

If you learn that the whole experience was a total waste of time, you can feel smug that you got out while the getting was good. If, somehow, you enjoy the walk down memory lane, so much the better.

BTW, your wife sounds like one of those people who values other people, no matter who they are. They are rare. Good on you for marrying her.

Great way of describing it!

 

[Turn2]

How many times can a guy explain how he wasn’t killed when he visited Chicago? God, no, It’s just too tiresome.

 

[Cyclonepride]

Haven't been back there since my 20 year reunion 16 years ago. Most of my HS friends have moved elsewhere (not that I've seen them either, just keep in touch on Facebook).

 

[coolerifyoudid]

M parents stopped farming and moved to town a year after I graduated from ISU. I feel like I never got the proper amount of time to reminisce. Without the best memories from my childhood, the town itself doesn't hold a special place in my heart.

Even though I get a sense of peace as I approach my hometown while driving in, I have enough memories that I'd like to leave there. Right now, my parents are the only reason I ever go back. I've gone back for an Oktoberfest or two and to show my daughter where I grew up (farm, school, church, etc) but I don't need to go back anymore.

 

[ISUCyclones2015]

Done it a few times but the nostalgia quickly wears off for me. City has changed too much, most people left and the people that I ran into that stuck around weren't really in my friend group.

My favorite part actually is whenever I do go, I do speak at the high school and talk to sophomores who are potentially interested in going to the vocational/trades program our high school is involved with. I went through the program and they like students coming back and telling their stories.

 

[BCClone]

I live near it but changing high schools my senior year really makes me feel that home is ISU. I don’t do class reunions, to me glory days are today and tomorrow. I didn’t peak in high school in my opinion. Friends change because I change. My kids don’t know a lot about my youth/extended family/every day happenings because the wife’s family basically will suffocate anything not them out. Much to their dismay, my kids like my family better than them.

Don’t live in the past.

 

[nrg4isu]

I'm from Marshalltown and left in 2008. I don't go back often, but when I do the words that come to mind are mostly negative: sad, tired, old. The derecho and tornado definitely hit hard. My parents are pretty much the only reason to go back.

 

[Dopey]

I like getting together with my parents & siblings, wherever that may be.

My kids' love my hometown. They love how small and quiet it is. I don't disagree.

If I run into old friends, it's good. And I usually have fun. But if I don't, that's fine too.

I don't dread or look forward to visits due to friends or even the location of being "home." I do look forward to getting together with my family.

 

[KnappShack]

This started as a discussion between my wife and I today. For those that ended up leaving, do you look forward to returning to your home town?

My wife likes going back for the town festival every year and reminiscing with old friends and running into people she hasn’t seen in forever.

I have zero interest in seeing anyone that I don’t still talk to, zero interest in school reunions, etc. I legitimately do not give a **** how anyone is doing 20 years after high school graduation.

Jesus-God-Lord in heaven...

**** no. Place is goddam dangerous

Edit: also Mrs KnappShack doesn't want our kids to ever visit the homeland. Of course she was accused of stealing a car, but that's small **** in a river town

 

[CYdTracked]

I live about 45 minutes from where I graduated HS where my class was only 50. We had our 25 year reunion last summer and it was just me and 1 other gal that now works for the school that showed up. 5 years ago we did a float in the annual town festival for our 20 year and we maybe had 13 show up to that and just 7 to a dinner we did later that night. If I had to guess maybe a dozen or so still live in the area and maybe 20ish still in Iowa? We weren't a close class by any means a lot of smaller groups of friends that may still keep in touch and do things together but as a whole feels like no one really cares to get together when we have tried to organize something. Have had a few die over the years too and some we just have no idea where and what they are up to now.

It's kinda weird, they do an annual alumni dinner that I've gone to maybe 3 or 4 times and they always recognize the 25 and 50 year classes. Most years those 2 classes celebrating milestones seem to have around 20ish people but our class, we had just 2 and the 2 of us wondered if that would be the case at 50 if we're still around then. I wasn't really part of the "in crowd" back in school but over the years have mended things with classmates still in the area that maybe were not the kindest to me as a teenager but now as an adult have moved past stupid things and have good conversations when we run into each other randomly somewhere.

 

[madguy30]

Re: class reunions: I know someone from up north and their town just does a reunion for anyone from there every 5 years or so.

I wish my community did similar. I didn't go to the last class reunion but there's plenty of people within 4-5 years or more that would be good to catch up with.

The annual town celebrations are basically the local bar open in the street and the 'big event' for locals to venture outside of their two town blocks to 'downtown' in a town of roughly 800.

 

[Cyhig]

Women are weird.

 

[ScottyP]

My 20 year reunion is supposed to be this summer. We were supposed to have a bigger event here in Des Moines, but the response was so low that they had to cancel. I did appreciate that some classmates were trying to make an effort to come together. We didn't even have a 15 year reunion because nobody was interested.

Most of my classmates moved away and don't come back at all. I have stayed in contact with a few friends over the years. I used to count on Facebook to keep in touch with how some of them were doing and what they were up to. Sadly the stupid algorithms cause most of the posts/pictures of classmates to not show up in my feed. Instead I only see clickbait posts from boomers (share this post if you agree crap).

 

[Amac12]

I grew up in a small town in SW Iowa and drive through occasionally when going to Omaha to visit family. Sad how nearly all the businesses are gone and main street is nearly a ghost town and nearly everone is old. Not sure my class of 32 have ever had a reunion. My wife is from Newton and they have a reunion every 5 years and we always go and have a great time as she remains close with several classmates.