I’m probably just overthinking this, sorry, but our annual summer meetup felt like a total wake. Nobody had anything in common anymore. Then someone admitted the only reason we still do this is so our sweet 80-year-old debate mentor doesn't get depressed seeing us drift apart. Finding out my oldest friendships are basically charity theater hurts so bad. Is it awful of me to just walk away?

Ouch. Staging a reunion like a hostage negotiation just to keep an elderly mentor happy is quite the plot twist, but let’s be crystal clear: you are not overreacting, and you don’t need to apologize for being hurt. Sitting through forced small talk when the only glue left is guilt feels awful. The truth is, high school friendships are mostly forged by shared lockers and cafeteria trauma, not permanent destiny. When adulthood hits, people change flavors. Your group didn't keep meeting out of malice; they were trapped in polite cowardice because nobody wanted to be the 'bad guy' who broke the illusion. You don’t owe anyone a fake summer tradition. The next time the group chat pings, set everybody free with a simple: "I cherish what we had, but let's take the pressure off—I think it’s time we let these big reunions go." And if you genuinely care about your old mentor, visit them solo with some good tea. Drifting apart isn’t a failure; it’s just life making room for people who actually want to know who you are today.