Let the psychosis begin
All those ghosts of High School just keep coming back. Still recovering from running into the 9-year-old who managed the race yesterday, I finally met the wife of my son’s den leader who’s house he goes to for den meetings. Its Kim X from high school. We were friends, hung out in a church group, she dated a friend of mine, I have pictures of her in the old photo albums. WTF?
Just when you thought you could come home and there would be nobody left to remember what an idiot you were, you realize that all the people that were there when you did stupid things? Are still here.
High School was very awkward and it took me years to suppress the memories of it all. Without the aid of alcohol or other drugs. Sheer willpower. And now? I feel the castle walls shattering and the huns pounding at the gate. I probably should have to come to grips with it all at the time but that chance is long past. My only hope now is that all of them drank so heavily in college that they barely remember me. Although, Kim X? Knew me right away. I recognized her smile. I’m so dead.
Oh yeah, and today I didn’t bother to shower or shave. Fresh shirt and deodorant. Who the heck am I going to run into anyway? Heh.
October 22nd, 2006 17:16
oh lord, HS was awful. my theory is that the people who had a good time peaked early. who wants their best years to be HS? we’re better off.
but yeah, walking around my hometown is very weird/unfun too…
October 22nd, 2006 18:16
I can feel how badly that must suck. I really had a terrible time of it in high school and stayed bitter about it for a long long while. I’m so grateful that, in 20 years, I have yet to run into a single one of those tools I went to school with.
Welcome home.
October 22nd, 2006 21:42
I hated highschool and the people that went with it. I’ve managed not to go to any reunions since then (32 whole years) but have run into several “kids” I went to school with adn I LIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, 100 MILES FROM WHERE I WENT TO SCHOOL! You to will be found.
October 22nd, 2006 22:28
Jon, this just in, it was High School, get over it and get a bow tie in the school colors, hehe! Run Good!
October 22nd, 2006 22:54
I still have scars from Junior High… I think we all carry some kind of “entry into teenhood “scars of some sort.
Best healing is to “not run away from it”…. couldnt resist the pun, but true
Happy trails
GP in Montana
October 23rd, 2006 11:41
I wouldn’t mind never running into people from any school before college, that’s why i live hundreds of miles away.
October 23rd, 2006 11:54
I would hate to move anywhere near my home town because so much of my life there was steeped in humiliation. On the other hand, I’m a total rock star now so those people can just get over my dark years. I can get over it, too. And good news! So can you. The ‘popular’ people have had their down years, too - trust me. They get to college and all of a sudden they become a dime a dozen and they really aren’t used to that. So it all evens out and we all get to be adults living a productive life.
As for getting old - it beats the crap of dying. Celebrate your health!
October 23rd, 2006 19:56
You KNOW I feel your pain Jon.
this happens to me almost daily.
Did I tell you that Noah was recently invited to a hallowe’en party at my EX-BOYFRIEND”S house? And it happens to be on the night of our anniversary.
Hey honey? Wanna spend our anniversary with another guy that’s seen me naked?
October 24th, 2006 04:25
It’s funny - I’ve been thinking about my HS years and teenage agony lately as well. I highly recommend Curtis Sittenfeld’s “Prep”. The book is about awkwardness of a teenage girl growing up - made it little easier for me to deal with things in the past. I guess we all have stupid, embarrassing stuff hidden in the closet.
October 24th, 2006 15:59
did anyone enjoy high school? it was a wretched, humiliating time. except i enjoyed my teachers. which tells you a lot right there. i haven’t been to a single reunion. I’m sure if I went (i was in a class of 100) no one would even remember me.
there are some blessings in being totally invisible.
October 24th, 2006 16:00
…and we wonder why our children are rebellious??? Highschool is rough. Kids are cruel. We all know. WE all remember. Nice job on your 5K…scary that you keep running into your old hs acquaintances….
October 24th, 2006 19:10
I still live in the town I attended high school and I don’t recognize anyone or remember anyone’s name, isn’t that weird? They probably think I am stuck up, but I just don’t think about any of that. I do still keep in touch with people from hs though, some are still best friends. Does that make me lame?