High School Mems

The cute little girls I teach on Wednesdays were talking the other day about how excited they were to be in "the" high school in a few short years. One of them asked me whether I liked my high school days or not. I, of course, responded that I LOVED my high school. She then asked me what I recommended to have a good high school experience. This is what I said, "Get really involved in the things you love, do things you aren't sure that you like, get to know your teachers, etc." This is what I actually thought, "Go to Rochester Adams from 2005-2008. Surround yourself with the exact same teachers and peers as I had and you are guaranteed to have the best possible high school experience." 

I honestly went to school with the top quality teachers and peers anyone could imagine. Seriously though. Let me illustrate some examples of why these incredible people really were/are some of the best I have ever known. 

I was flat out obnoxious in high school. I thought I was a crack up, but really, I took annoying to a whole new level. I used to throw grapes during lunchtime at random friends and just chortle at my hilarious antics. I mostly want to slap some sense into my teenage self for throwing those dang grapes. First off, now that I am an "adult" and have to buy my own produce, grapes are freggin expensive. Hello $1.28/pound. I would never waste such a priceless piece of goodness nowadays. Second off, it might have been mildly humorous the first time I threw grapes at my friends heads, but I can guarantee it was zero percent funny after 4 straight months of that crap. What was I expecting? They would just hee-haw everyday when little green rockets pelted their heads while they tried to enjoy their well deserved lunch. Ugh. 

The thing about it is, those friends still talked to me all the way through high school. They even talked to me like I wasn't two steps past crazy or the most obnoxious human being they unfortunately had the pleasure of knowing. Now those are some quality people. 

I have contemplated writing a letter to come of my teachers apologizing for how annoying I was in their classes. I actually started a letter to my old French teacher the first year I taught Anthro in college. I used to interrupt her well planned lessons like nobody's business. I thought myself a hero for distracting from the conjugation of verbs, but I am sure she wanted to strangle me. Despite how surely awful I was, she was still extremely kind to me. She, along with my other amazing teachers, treated me so well. In fact, I really do feel sad for my girls and their upcoming high school years. I can almost guarantee they will not have the caliber of instructors that I did. 

Moving on with further examples of how amazing my peers were/are. I was a thoughtless jerk face on one too many occasions. On one such occasion, I said a not so nice thing about one of the girls I admired (and have admired even more as the years have gone on). Do you know what she did? She came and talked to me about it with all the grace and class she had already surpassed the rest of our graduating class with. It made me feel like the tiny, petty little person I was being because she handled it so well. I could feel her pity for me. Forever props to her for that humbling lesson. 

I was never treated rudely at all. There were more than a few reasons to make fun of me. First off, I was  half good at everything I did. I hopped on the theater train my freshman year in hopes that my nonexistent vocal talent would suddenly appear when I stepped on that stage. False. It never did, BUT some of the best people I know were in theater and didn't laugh at me every time I painfully opened my mouth. They also didn't laugh when I pretended I was coordinated. I did, however, get a two meter dancing number with my partner in Grease. I'm not saying I was a huge deal in the Adams theater world..but I kind of was. (Joke times one hundred). These amazingly talented humans I surrounded myself with treated me soooo wonderfully and made high school such a great experience. Quite a handful of these talented few have made it over to New York and are taking that city by storm. Like I said, I went to high school with the very best. 

Also, I gained 15 pounds my senior year. It was awful. I had kept passing out while running throughout my senior year of cross country and opted out of track. I went from getting a full hit of healthy endorphins six times a week with a bunch of some of my favorite people on the planet to watching CSI re-runs and eating waaaaayyy too much ice-cream. It was a party and a half. Everyone I knew was still extraordinarily nice about my obvious change in habits. I can't count the number of depressingly sad times I have heard about kids making fun of other kids for their weight (or for being world's most obnoxious person). My classmates were not normal high school peers. They were all too busy plotting ways to take over the world in their respective fields. Just in case you were wondering, each of their master plans is going really well. If you don't believe me, hack my Facebook account and stalk all of their beautiful, successful selves. 

I have A LOT of pictures of me holding Alicia. We dressed up and took a picture together everyday during spirit week because we were/are just that legit. 

Oh, also quick little note in here about my classmates. I don't know what is flowing in the Michigan water, but all of those kids were good looking. I remember showing up my first day of my freshman year and wanting to crawl in a hole. All the girls had perfect hair, perfect skin, and were dressed to perfection. All the guys were intimidatingly handsome and manly. Seriously though. Pick up my yearbooks or keep stalking my Facebook account and see for yourself. You won't find a single homely person.

Everyone looking like a super model aannnnd there's me. Perfecting the duck face and ruining every picture that was ever taken in high school. Also, not sure why one of my favorite people in the world isn't in this picture..maybe KT was taking it?..

When I think about high school, I cannot think of one single person I don't adore in some way. Writing this post and going through old pictures pasted a permanent smile on my face. I don't know how or why I got so lucky to have those people in my life, but dang if I don't appreciate it now. I love scrolling my Fbook homepage and seeing all of the incredible things they are doing. 

SO what to tell my girls? Just cross your fingers you get super lucky by finding a time machine and going back to 2005-2008 with the exact same peers, teachers, and surroundings that I had? Obviously I don't see any other good response to give them. I guess we will be reconstructing the Delorean for next Wednesday's lesson. 

The tradition of the theater pineapple. I miss these people. 

You can tell how much more intelligent these two were due to the size of their medals. Another couple peeps who plotted and succeeded at taking over the world. (and yes, our colors were yellow and brown. And oh heck yes my high school made those colors look good. )

And the grapes make a grand appearance here. This girl was not going to let me chuck those grapes at peoples heads. 

A cluster of another group of amazing humans. 

Aw, I miss her. Another one of my fav beings to ever live. 

Not even sure what is happening in this picture, but one of my favorite people in the world is laughing in the back in his AIX sweatshirt. One of the smartest, classiest and most fun people I know. He went to John Hopkins AND had a line of his designs at the New York fashion show AND is superhuman. 

Here we have another favorite person. She is seriously one of the most hilarious people I EVER met. My only regret is that we didn't start being BFFS freshman year. Oh Naomi (I once couldn't remember her name and she said "you know me", which I heard Naomi…from then on, we joked about how her real name was Naomi). 

These two. Hands down some of my favorite people in the universe. Obviously the universe loves them back as you can't help looking at their faces and wanting to be as stone cold cool as they are. 

I said everyone in my high school was attractive right? well, minus that freak in the hat. I obviously excelled at being the best lookin person in the room.

In posting these pictures it made me miss these people SOOOO freaking much. Again, luckiest girl in the world to know these guys and gals.