In a candid column that will resonate with many, award-winning Australian journalist Garry Linnell has issued a blunt request: stop inviting him to your reunions. Published on January 9, 2026, Linnell's piece for ACM and The Echidna articulates a growing sentiment against the often-dreaded ritual of reconnecting with distant past acquaintances.
The Unwelcome Subpoena in Your Inbox
Linnell describes reunion invitations, no matter how warmly worded, as feeling like a subpoena disguised as a friendly note. His immediate reaction is an urge to hit delete, not due to aloofness or resentment, but because for him, the past simply isn't a place worth revisiting. He acknowledges this stance might seem contrary to the booming reunion industry among his generation, where nostalgia has become a prime emotional currency as futures appear shorter.
The columnist argues that memory is a deeply flawed editor, softening old cruelties and editing out long stretches of adolescent awkwardness and insecurity. This process creates a misleading highlight reel, which is why the so-called good old days are never labelled as such while we live through them. Reunions, he suggests, thrive on this collective agreement to swap fact for false sentiment.
The Unspoken Audit of Adult Show and Tell
Beneath the surface of polite reunion chatter, Linnell identifies a silent, often uncomfortable evaluation. He posits that these events become a form of adult show and tell, where unspoken questions hang in the air like an audit. Attendees subtly assess who succeeded, who struggled, who changed physically, and who managed to cling to their youth.
He notes that many of his friends share a sense of dread about these events, exhausting themselves with mental gymnastics about whether to attend. Those who do go often regret it, disliking the performative nature and insincere exchanges with people they effectively drifted away from for good reason decades prior. What's the point, he asks, of comparing notes on ageing with those who last saw you when your body didn't ache?
Acknowledging Value for Others, But a Firm 'No Thanks'
Linnell is careful to state that he doesn't dismiss reunions entirely. He recognises they serve a valuable purpose for many, offering comfort in familiar settings or genuine joy in reconnecting with significant figures from one's personal history.
However, his position remains firm. The people who have truly mattered in his life—from school days or workplaces—remain woven permanently into his story without needing a scheduled event to find him. Everyone else, he concludes, belongs to an earlier draft of his life that he has no desire to edit or revisit. His final message is clear: count him out.
The column concludes by inviting reader response on the topic, asking whether they refuse reunions, have had particular experiences, or find themselves dwelling more on the past as they age.
