I’m the OP, and for those who say grow up or seek therapy, I never mentioned that I’m actually a combination of the second and third option. I kind of appreciate from a nostalgia perspective running into people after all these years, even if we weren’t friends. So I would be friendly if they were somewhat friendly.

My sister on the other hand, who lives closer to our hometown, HATES running into people from HS and she’s 44. She actively avoids them and acts like they are all 16 again.

So I wondered who was more normal

I was on vacation years ago celebrating my birthday with my family. We were at a bar and I saw a guy from HS who I hadn’t seen in 8 years and who always used to tease me. I pretended I did t see him but he noticed me and came over to say hi. Ended up spending about a half hour chatting with my family and I, bought us a round of drinks from my birthday. He was a really nice guy and I enjoyed talking with him. It’s nice to see that people aren’t always their HS selves.

Probably ignore, but I'm the type of introvert that would ignore someone I liked enough but was not expecting to talk to that day.

If they started a conversation, I'd play nice, make small talk but generally probably wouldn't enjoy the situation.

I mean, the mean girls who paid me no mind in high school still pay me no mind 25 years later. It is actually comical. Last year we were at the 4th of July parade standing directly across the street for hours from 8 of my hs classmates who married each other. Not one of them even waved. I waved. They ignored me. I don’t live in town anymore, they all do. There’s no chance all 8 of them didn’t recognize me, we went to school together from preschool to 12th grade in a class of fewer than 200 students. Plus they all had my mother as an 8th grade teacher and she was standing next to me.

Ignore.

Hit them with your yearbook.

I would pretend not to recognize and if they pressed the issue, continue to feign that you don’t know them so they feel like an idiot.

I would 100% pretend not to recognize them but if they approached me I’d of course be like and cordial back to them.

Anonymous wrote:Are you friends with them on social media? If not, can ignore unless they approach you—and obviously be cordial in that case.

This is my answer.

I probably wouldn't remember them so it would be a non-issue but if they said hello, I'd say hi back, pretend to remember them, be cordial and brief and keep going.

Are you friends with them on social media? If not, can ignore unless they approach you—and obviously be cordial in that case.

I would hide/ get tf out of Dodge.

This is what I would do.

Polite smile while she is approaching.
If she slows down and stop near you make a small talk. Something like
You look familiar, are you Larla ftom Hometown High School? I am Betty, I think we were in the same class.

Add a polite reply taylored to Larla’s answer but nothing dramatic or personal. Time flies, you still look the same, it was nice to bump into you etc

I really need to go now but It was great seing you.
Smile politely again and go back to your life

I would say hello and see where it went from there. FWIW, there was a guy in high school who teased me fairly regularly, and was an overall jerk as a 16 year old. But apparently he changed when he grew up - he died on 9/11, and tons of people came out saying how he had gone out of his way to be kind and helpful to them as an adult.

I say hello, nice to see you, and then keep it moving.