Wow...can you believe I graduated High School 20 years ago??? I know I can't!! Time sure does have a way of sneaking up on you...
Saturday night, I had the pleasure of revisiting my past...the good, the bad and the ugly. Of course, most of it was all in my brain all week prior... You see, I didn't really enjoy high school and my perspective of who I was at that point in my life is not a good one. I remember being shy and awkward. I had a small group of friends but mostly floated through every group there was. I was a band geek, honor geek, cheerleader, class representative, school musicals, dance, newspaper and yearbook person, spanish club, fashionably awkward (yeah, I never wore the 'cool' clothes), worked a part-time job, drove a mini-van to school...etc. Yup...kinda dorky all around. I also had the distinct pleasure of dealing with Mean Boys. Yes, I said 'boys'.. The girls were ok and I did get some weird looks from them (I told you, I was fashionably awkward, right??)...but...they never actually made nasty comments to me...like those boys did. It's too bad I truly didn't give a shit back then like I do now:) lol...
With that being said...I think it's safe to say that I am not the same person I was 20 years ago. I'd like to think we've all grown up and into our selves by now, wouldn't you?? I definitely have more confidence and I definitely don't take things as personally I used to. I still have my low self esteem days...but I just try to avoid people on those days;) Seeing all these people from High School gave me a bit of anxiety last week...but it also put some things into perspective for me (things I had already learned but felt good hearing them from others). And here they are:
- Just because you think you are a loser 'ish' person in HS, doesn't mean everyone else did. I made a comment about that on saturday night and the response I got made me feel so much better. Someone told me that they didn't think I was a 'loser' per say..but a free spirit who beat to the rhythm of her own drum. I was a floater... a dorky floater.. but I guess what they saw and I didn't is who I am today
- Just because the boy you asked to Prom said 'NO', doesn't mean he didn't like you (as a friend..and I did ask a boy to prom but not because I liked him liked him...but b/c he was one of the nice ones..you know??). It could just mean that he had his heart set on going with someone else.. And it doesn't help to learn that said boy had a miserable time at prom with said girl:)
- Just because you weren't friends with these people in HS, doesn't mean you can't be friends with them now. I am even friends with one of those girls who gave me dirty looks in HS...
- Just because you were a fashion disaster in HS, doesn't mean you have to be one now. OK...so I still am..sometimes.. ok.. most of the time.. I mean, where can you actually learn what undergarment crap goes with what clothes?? Seriously, you could see that stupid bra of mine in every picture... yeah, you can still try to dress me up but I'm not making any promises:)
- Who cares what others think of you as long as you are Happy...with your self, your body and who you've become!! No one can take that away from you:)
- Some people change for the better..some for the worse..and some not at all..
- Every experience in HS helped make you who you are today. What you do with your experiences are up to you!!
It really was a great time catching up with everyone and seeing how everyone has changed!! It's probably not as fun as reunions used to be pre-facebook because we can see what everyone's up to already... but it was great to actually see people in the flesh and have a conversation!!
With that, I will leave you with a few 'dorky' pics from the past:)