1. Do: Go. Unfortunately, there’s no getting out of it. Even if your flight got canceled because of a tornado or you kid suddenly came down with the flu, your absence will be met with much disdain.
2. Don’t: Get drunk. Tipsy is okay. Everyone will be tipsy, even Ivy Holmes who is the pastor’s daughter and used to preach about the evils of alcohol. If you don’t drink, however, everyone will think either 1). you’re pregnant, 2). you don’t drink any more, or 3). you’re secretly judging them for their alcohol consumption. So, drink enough to allow them to see you’re drinking, but not too much that you’re dancing on tables to non-existent music.
3. Do: bring someone. Whether it be a significant other, child, or friend; you don’t want to show up alone. There’s bound to be that one lonely person who has never married or moved out of town. You don’t want it to be you.
4. Don’t: bring up sad memories. The high school reunion is time to remember the winning Homecoming touchdown, Prom night, and the times the teachers didn’t want to go back to school after a competition, so they let you wander around the mall. Don’t bring up the kid who drowned in the river Freshman year or the kids that killed themselves.
5. Do: pretend you remember everyone. Even with only a hundred kids in your class, you only remember maybe half of their names. The ones you don’t remember just act happy to see and wait until someone else calls their name.
Alisan Keesee 