Recently, I received an invitation on Facebook that my grade was going to hold a belated five year reunion. I thought school reunions occurred a decade after we finished school. I was wrong.
It got me thinking, did I enjoy high school? I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel when I step back through the doors of my high school years in two weeks time. However, I do remember a few things.
I remember that when I was at high school, I didn't have Facebook to distract me. I had Tickle. iPod's were still black and white and I had a huge crush on Adam Brody from The OC.
I remember I was embarrassed that I attended this high school. My school stuck out like a sore thumb compared to other schools in my area. The boys’ uniform resembled an outfit Steve Irwin would be proud of – khaki shirt and shorts with black school shoes.
Unlike other schools in my area, my school had a farm. While most girls my age were too busy stuffing their bras with oranges to make their breasts look bigger, I was milking cows and growing cabbages. While most students came home looking relatively clean, I came home looking like I spent three days down a mine shaft. I had gesso, clay and blue pen marks on my school uniform. My mum threw sticks at me after I committed this offence the twentieth time. As a result of this, I’ve been washing my clothes since.
I remember how I hated looking at myself in the mirror before I went to school each morning. I hated how I had a broad face and almond eyes, and wondered why I wasn’t a tall girl with long blonde hair, with sky blue eyes and a smile so bright, that
could save New York City a huge electricity bill.
My skin had more craters than the Earth's moon. I used any old thing at the local pharmacy to try and scrub it into submission. I would also go to a supermarket and buy foundation to hide my crater face. But as I was hopeless in applying foundation, I didn’t even use it at the end.
School wise? I was an average student - who did enough work to scrape by. My favourite subjects were recess and lunch. I couldn't wait to finish year twelve. I want to escape from all the stupid rules, chemistry and I didn't need sin, cos and tan to navigate my way through life.
Now? I wish someone told me the HSC had the same value as toilet paper. Or that 'real life' doesn't mean you need to be an accountant or a pharmacist to have a steady income and pay the mortgage.
After recalling all these memories from high school, I still want to go to the reunion. Seeing what people are up to these days. Who's married? Who's already got kids? All the important questions in life.
How was your high school days like? Would you go to your high school reunion? For those of you who have, what was the reunion like?
Happy reading!
5ft0
8 comments:
My high school life wasn't a pleasant one either. I never came to any class gatherings / reunions now but I wont suggest you to do the same. If there are still people you can get along with, then go. :D
You were surprised by a 5 year reunion, well try having a 1 year reunion! It was the weirdest thing, like we didn't see pretty much everyone still already! But I sound like I was the opposite to you - I really loved school, the socialising aspect was a plus, but looking back now from Uni I really appreciate how much I enjoyed my classes and teachers. Bit of a nerd? Maybe Maybe! Love the blog, keep it up!
Emma
High School Reunions! Eeep! If you go I hope you have a brilliant time, but for myself I'd would have to be dragged over hot coals to go to mine. I hated high school, I was part of a 'nerdy girl' group and constantly bored in my lessons. I think I hated it so much mainly because I was incredibly self-conscious,really tall, painfully skinny and like yourself i had dreadful skin everywhere and to complete the set glasses and a horrendous brace.
For me i'm in touch with the people from high school I want to speak to, the rest..meh.
i didnt go to my 5 year reunion bc i was overseas but i didnt want to. maybe the 10year.
i didnt really enjoy school. i wasnt picked on or anything, i just felt like i never really fit in and no one really understood me. year 12 was ok, since i had my car and freedom so i could skip classes so much easier haha.
Did you go to James Ruse High? :P
I only finished school in 2008, so there's been no reunions for me.
I didn't mind school.. I didn't *love* it, but it was alright I suppose. The HSC was such a waste of my life though.
Two things, I am distraught, as an older Aussie, white guy, that you felt bad about your 'broad face and almond eyes' . It's sad to hear how this off-shoot of discrimination affected a young girl. 'Broad face and almond eyes' sounds most attractive to me... at the time of being worried about it, you were already presenting yourself as a beautiful and inspiring young person. Recognise your strengths.
As for the HSC having the same value as toilet paper, what a great analogy! Most highly successful people today have little or no tertiary education. I value, and appreciate, education. I have gone back to uni, as they say, in my later years, and while education is purported to be the prerequisite to a successful life, it can only ever be a precursor to actual achievement.
I absolutely loved my high school experience and the idea of going to a reunion? Incredible - it would be so great to catch up with everyone and hear their stories.
However, when I went to my primary school reunion... I left feeling a little down as not many people had done all the exciting things that I had envisaged.
I ended up missing the last couple of HS reunions because of exam commitments. The next one? Most definitely.
Alex: James Ruse? Not the school I went to, but you're really close.
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