after leaving the kids at mitchell park with my mom, i headed over to san luis drive for a little run. i love san luis drive for so many reasons. its a great place to run in slo because its flat, there are no streetlights, and the houses are beautiful! i like to run by and choose which one i would live in, or let my mind wander to what the people who live in them are like. i had a quite a few friends in high school who were rich enough to live there, now i know no one... except of course phyllis madonna. i've been enjoying watching the progress on her brand new palace located directly across the street from her current mansion. of course i can only praise this new construction cause it was designed by the one and only bob richmond.
so anyway the other thing i love about this infamous neighborhood is that its just a heartbeat away from my ol stomping grounds. and since i'm in contact with so few people from high school (or so i think), i thought i'd take you back to some memories from my glory days.
high school for me was so many things. all in all, it was a successful 4 years--aside from a few common blunders..
as a 95 lb sophomore taking 9 shots of southern comfort before the homecoming dance to 'take the edge off' i somehow found myself in the principle's office shouting obscenities. needless to say i was extremely humbled and actually didn't drink for a whole year after the fiasco (can someone please get me a medal). somehow even after i took up the ol bottle again (strictly in a casual sense) i was able to secure my first real boyfriend. i quickly plunged into the existential emotional chaos of first love... as painful and wonderful as it was somehow i was able to overcome my reputation as a complete lush and rock the title of slo high class of 97 homecoming queen. i know what a turn-around!!! they don't call me the come back kid for nuthin!
in all seriousness, i truly believe high school is hard for all of us. despite my friends, and hangin with the "in" crowd, i totally struggled with the day to day. the drama of my friends, the clothes i wore, worrying bout my boyf cheating, playing good basketball... the list goes on and is different for all of us.
so when i was running by the high school and saw all the kids walking back from 7-11 and franks, i wasn't surprised when i saw an overweight girl walking by herself eating a sandwich. when i ran by her i saw headed in the other direction a group of guys. i desperately wanted to slow down and walk by with her to ensure the boys didn't say anything mean to her, but i just kept on. i couldn't get her out of my head as i ran on. i tried to reassure myself that she did have friends and she was happy and she loved high school.. and as i ran and tried to will friends to her, all of the sudden pumping out of my ipod came.. "SHOT THROUGH THE HEART AND YOUR TO LATE, DARLIN YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME!" and suddenly i felt this surge- like i could conquer the world and so could she!! she's probably wicked smart and gonna go to yale or somethin and be the most popular girl in the world!! not really, but what i realized is that even if you don't have the friends or the clothes, you probably have something- and maybe, just maybe its bon jovi that gets you through the day.
so i'm super curious to know---what got you through high school???
6 comments:
i love your stories holly.
honestly, youth group, and a
couple of good girlfriends. maybe like others, i was emotional, insecure and discontent in high school. our youth group provided stable friends, was fun, growing, had consistent faithful leaders, and did a ton of cool trips. Oh ya, and they taught me about God too. I really think God used the youth group, and great friends there to get me through.
see that's what i'm talkin bout!!! thats so cool lynn. i deeply desire that for my kids. i knew there were christians and really in all honesty they seemed really happy.
I got two words for you sis,
Heavy-metal and Maryjane...and a couple of buddies.
I only wish I'd been happy...I often felt miserable. I didn't even know how good I had it.
ah high school. wonderful and so tough at the same time. Even though i was the popular "Schlenker Twin" who made good grades, was in ASB, sports, was in youth group with great friends, I agree with Lynn it was often so miserable. I felt trapped in being popular a maintaining a good girl image- somehow there was a lot of protection in that- and at the same time there is a sick deep-rooted pride and self obession behind it all.... That takes some incredible healing.....it is like you are hungry to build your own little idol of who you want to be in high school........
my eyes filled with tears as you talked about the fat girl walking down the street. how she needs to know how vaulable she really is- that she is incredible precious and loved by God.
The thing that really sucks is that sometimes youth groups are not much better- sure there are crowds there too.... The real challange we have for the youth in our church is that they have REAL encounters with God at a young age and that they see a purpose of serving a loving people beyond their own image and popularity that the lily's of her generation will have a soft heart to love those in this world.
I hated high school. All my friends (from youth group) were at the rival high school and I felt too mature (or just wanted to be more mature) than the friends I did have at school. When I noticed my friends partying or hanging out with the jocks and the upperclassmen, I thought that would be a good time to distance myself from them. I realize now that I missed a great opportunity to live out what was being taught at the youth group I identified as the source of my maturity. Now I see them all on Facebook with their families and they are asking me to be their "friend" and I have no idea who they are, but what the heck right? Why not choose now to reconcile? And they turned out just like me, but probably had happier memories of puberty.
What got me through high school? Probably my girlfriend, but we broke up right before I graduated and then I realized that I missed out on 4 years. And I caused her to also.
Thanks for letting me lay down on your sofa Holls. Time's up.
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