I just put on a sweatshirt from my high school's boys' basketball team. It has their schedule on it and I got it from my Chemistry teacher--an assistant on the team. I looked at the back, where the schedule is, and realized that it is from the 1995-96 season, which means I've had the sweatshirt for 15 years...half of my life.
It's so hard for me to understand that high school was half a lifetime away. I felt like everything that happened while in school was incredibly significant. I remember who friends dated, when we had first kisses, teachers, subjects, even specific tests. Many people told me that college would be the best years of my life...but I remember high school as the happiest time of my life.
College brought...complicated times. Independence (and not necessarily in a good way). A severe drop in self-esteem (not that it was great in high school...that *was* when I was not eating, after all).
It's just so hard for me to believe that high school, the time I was the most popular, when I had great, lifelong friends, when I felt like I BELONGED was almost half a lifetime ago.
And, honestly, it makes me really sad. It makes me sad to realize that I've lived as much time away from those friends as I did with them. It makes me sad to realize that I've spent half a lifetime not feeling like I belong, like I fit in, like I'm liked.
All this is really brought on by a picture I saw from college. I was FAT. Hideously huge. And I was part of a group that had structure built in, but I still didn't belong with my smaller part of the group. I just didn't. And I hate that. I spent all of my 5 years trying to fit in and never did. And it makes me so sad to think about. College was a time of failure for me. Failing to get decent grades. Failing to maintain a reasonable weight. Failing to make people like me. Sure, I had friends. College is where I met The Hubby and some of our best friends. But the masses didn't like me like they used to. I used to be the "it" girl in my circle in high school. Not college. Not by a long shot.
This is another one of those posts that I'm just going to publish because it's late and I need to do some stuff and just get this off my chest. I have a lot more to say about it all...high school...college...belonging...FAT. But not right now. Nope, I need to get my shit together and get out of here so I can see my girl.
We’re not going anywhere.
2 days ago
1 comment:
I know exactly what you mean. High school was when I really had fun and really felt that I belonged. I commuted to college and had a generally positive experience since I quickly found a niche within my major, but high school? That was when all the really fun stuff happened. I can't believe it's been 10 years since I graduated.
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