It's official high school never ends. I've been away from the institution of twenty years and still I am haunted by it with my upcoming school reunion. I look back at those five years and realize it left me with a few important things my best friend in the world and my love of art and literature. Apart from that high school was basically pure hell for me.
I had a very limited friend base because I chose to like what I liked and didn't care what others thought of me for it. I wasn't a kid that studied hard,infact I didn't study at all, I didn't ditch classes because where else was there to go in a small town.
I hated maths with a passion and I still do. I worked after school to earn money to buy all the things I loved, CD's, stereo equipment,books and the odd bottle of booze for a party.
I was nice to most the people at school I didn't have my first boyfriend until I was 15 and Facebook made me glad he was my then boyfriend and not my now one.He used to be a rebel and now I can't see what got me so excited about him.
My best friend hated me for a full 12 months in high school. Thank God she got over whatever was up her ass,because to be honest I can't remember what it was all about,but I do remember that it got nasty. We are still friends I think because we know each others embarrassing secrets and the word blackmail gets tossed around a lot.
I remember the popular group that were all really just people who's parents gave them the easy life, which involved cash and freedom to do basically whatever they wanted as long as they didn't get caught.I actually had a few of these people as friends outside of school but at school I was persona non-grate.
I'm thinking back to the not so distant past,not only because of my 20 year reunion, I also had to walk through my old high school with my daughter at my side. I never planned for the latter to happen I had plans to be far from this place by the time the kids were old enough to be attending high school. That plan worked for a bit but then after my divorce I headed for familiar ground, so here I am.
The place still smells the same, eucalyptus trees and something I've never been able to place. I even spotted a few teachers that I tortured when all they did was try and educate me. I hope I've made amends to these educators by sending them my non rebellious, eager to learn spawn and not her hellion twin sister who not only would fight them every step of the way,but is to smart for her own good.
My reunion will be interesting and instead of running in the opposite direction screaming,I have decided to go and see what hand fate has seen fit to deal all of these people I spent my teen years observing. Sure there are a few that I hope have gained 40kg and have been effected by gravity in a bad way,but I hope some of them made it in the world.
I also have realized that high school never ends because as a parent I have to listen to all the complaints of bitchiness, be informed of who's doing who and be thankful that my girls think that the first years of high school is not the time to be sleeping with boys. Sometime my daughters even come home with stories that make me wish I was back there because it may never end but high school has changed for the better in so many ways.
I never had a teacher notice if I was having a rough time but now they are all over it socially and academically. I looked at all the high tech toys they have in classrooms and the fact the system now recognizes that some kids learn better practically not theoretically. Improvements have been made.
Now I must get back to finding the perfect dress for the reunion, yes I'm still not afraid to be different and I know I will be judged. At this time in my life that judgement will be like water off a ducks back. I'm tall, I'm blonde,my ass doesn't need a wide load sign (yet) and I have a kick ass attitude, so even if someone does call me by that nickname that used to make me cringe, I can turn around, smile and say "Mattel are still making Barbie Dolls because we are classic".
