Walking into my old high school was like taking a bad trip. Or a good trip, however you want to look at it.
My brother’s grad went beautifully. I was so proud of him in his sharp suit – he looked completely at ease with his classmates. He even delivered a toast to the teachers, and later was handed an Administrator’s Choice award. Totally unexpected, I even got all teary-eyed when it happened.
Bro-ski and I
Anyway, I watched a lot of the ceremony from the door like a leper because I wasn’t invited to supper (yet everyone else in the community seemed to be…). I haven’t been back to that school in six years, and teachers still recognize me. My grade 12 homeroom teacher darted past me then stopped abruptly, turned on his heel and said, “CANDICE! How are you?!” Then gave me a hug. Totally surreal.
Same thing happened when I ran into my principal. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me when I can tell them I’m a writer, just like I always said I’d be. If there’s anything I love about my hometown, it’s the fact I can disappear for years, then return and people still care about me. Some of those teachers were amazing.
I graduated with an incredibly small class of 19 people. We were a super close, tight-knit group. There were the obvious “popular” kids, jocks, etc., but mostly those social structures didn’t exist. We all partied together, worked together, hung out in our spare time. Everybody got along so fantastic, teachers actually used us as examples when lecturing younger classes. I’m sure we annoyed the shit out of them.
Grade 9, I think
We were also competitive and defiant. We tried to win every school competition, and our graduation ceremony was completely unconventional. No balloons, streamers, and other frills. We painted our own sunset mural and set up a tropical paradise.
Me and one of my charming friends.
The summer between grade 11 and grade 12, one of our classmates, Josh, was killed in a car accident. It was a shocking revelation about the delicacy of life and the obvious truth that despite our age, we’re not invincible. We dedicated the whole year to him.
I love these boys.
But mostly, we did a lot of laughing. There were some incredible personalities in that group, and we fed off each others energy. A lot of those memories have faded, but I do remember always having a blast. I spent 12 years with those people, after all. Some of the guys I became friends with while we were still in diapers. 18 years later, we were drinking at house parties and trashing my parents’ house.
The day of Bro’s grad, knowing that I only still talk to a handful of those people, the school felt a little sad. There’s little reminders that we were there, like the poem I wrote for Josh hanging in the main entrance, and a big mural in the cafeteria where we all signed our names (and none of the later graduating classes did, for whatever reason). But that’s it. Nothing left behind as a testament to some of the most intense years of our lives.
Also, is it just me, or are 18 year olds these days looking like babies? Even looking at my old pictures, I feel we looked somewhat mature. Maybe that’s just me.
Would you relive your high school years?
Also, how did you enjoy the awkward feature image of my boobs?
I would definitely relive SOME of the highschool moments. Most I wouldn’t. But still.. the moments that make me happy make me really happy, so I’m glad I have them. Glad you had a great time back reliving those moments!
i really miss my school days, i am making plane to search all school friends and make a party
19 students! That is incredible. My graduating class had more like 450 and I only knew about 100 of them, maybe 20 of them closely. Your high school flashback makes me reminscent of my high school days. I defintely wouldn’t go back to high school for more than a day, but I would love to go back to undergrad. Time of my life.
School memories are best left in the past in my opinion! I’ve been invited to a 10 year reunion next year though, 10 years since I was at school makes me feel mega old.
It must have been satisfying to let old teachers know you’re a writer though
Maybe not… I don’t think I’d relive high school for the most part. Except the one time the band I was in did a concert for the school (embarrassing secret time… yes I fronted a high punk rock cover band LOL)… have to say though your black/pink dress is to die for!!
High school wasn’t terrible for me…and some of it was great…but I wish I could go back and tell certain bitches, to their FACE, that they will get fat and boring in 5 years.
Sigh. That would be wonderful…
I echo Cammy … 19 PEOPLE?!?! My graduating class had somewhere around 450 as well and it was easy to get lost in the crowd. I didn’t know most of the people who walked across the stage at graduation.
I would never in a million years go back to high school. You couldn’t pay me to do it, though it was better than middle school.
I love your hair in those ringlets! FAB!!!!!
Wait until you have kids, then you get to relive it all over again….
Ok that made me cry :-\
Small schools rock.
Great post! Always strange going back to the hometown after being away so long. I was just looking at pics from the graduation parties back at home and brought back a lot of memories. I always have a problem with keeping in touch with friends, but its still get to see them after so long. Thanks for sharing these memories.
@carissa: I think I’d relive just grade 12, that year was great!
@Hassan: I’d like to do the same, early reunion party
@Cammy & JoAnna: yeah, most of the graduating classes these days are that small! my brother’s class had just 21 people. kinda crazy. i miss those people.
@rob: TOTALLY satisfying! damn. i’m not sure if we do the whole reunion thing at my school, but i’d love to.
@Emily: Lol, LOVE it! and thanks! it was a great bargain find
@J: hahahaha, fat and boring. so true, so true
@LiLu: THANKS! i miss those ringlets! my hair used to be super, super curly.
@SFL: now THAT’S a terrifying thought
@PoMA: awww! didn’t mean to make anyone cry! hehe
@linlah: totally, as long as you’re not the outcast
@JR: thanks for stopping by! and yeah, i broke out my graduation slideshow when i got home from my bro’s grad, kinda surreal to see all those old pics again.
Sometimes when I look over my yearbooks I miss certain aspects of high school… but there’s a lot about those years I don’t miss at ALLL. not all of the things have to do with my school, though ;P
I remember going to my brother’s convocation… but it wasn’t at the school at all, which was weird. (my church ceremony obviously was at a church, but the presenting of diplomas and awards was in the school gym. my brother’s was at some auditorium somewhere else). But a lot of the teachers I knew/liked were there. And the funny part was siblings of my brother’s classmates who had been in my class or a year ahead of me and I had NEVER been really friends with them, but they were all “HEY! HUGS!” etc ;P
And judging by the school website there’s a lot of unfamiliar teachers.. and the uniform has changed a fair bit..but I think the mural I painted in the drama room is still there.
Anyhow, haven’t been back to the school since. Some of my favourite teachers have passed on