Letter to My High School Self

Recently I was having a conversation with my son Zach, who just graduated from High School, and we were talking about how you spend so much time in High School worrying about what everyone thinks about you & trying to fit in, then when you graduate you may never really see those people again. And he said but Mom, with Facebook it's kind of changing that now. It's a lot easier for people to stay in touch with each other. And I realized how true that is. The world really is getting smaller!

People I knew in High School and haven't really seen since then, or at least since our 10 year reunion (I lived out of state for our 20th, and didn't go) have started to find each other on Facebook. And someone had the brilliant idea of inviting everyone to meet for lunch. So last week I went & met some people from High School for lunch. How much fun is that?! Some of these people lived in the same neighborhood as I did, and we went to Elementary School, Jr. High and High School together.

It's so funny, some people you see & even though it's been a lot of years, (28 years to be exact, but who's counting?) you know exactly who they are. They haven't changed at all. Others, look familiar, but you can't quite place them, until you get their name. Then it clicks in your brain. And some even after looking them up in the yearbook, look so different it's hard to believe they are the same person! And I wonder which of those scenarios I am for other people.

Most people told me I look just the same as I did in High School. (I think they were just being polite! I certainly don't feel like I look the same! Wish I did. I hate this aging thing, for myself as well as my kids!) Here's some of my High School pictures, you can judge for yourself. Please be kind. I do have the power to delete any of your comments. :)

Me in High School:

My Jr. Year of High School, 1981


My Senior Portrait
Maryvale High School class of 1982

As I was sitting there having lunch, I said to the girls at my table (and yes, I still consider us girls!) that I don't really know how people would remember me from High School. I was just kind of there, in the background. Believe it or not, I was actually kind of shy (I know hard to believe for those of you who know me now). And I said I wish I had the self confidence that I have now, back then. And that got me thinking.

I wish I could write a letter to myself and send it back to the High School me! I would tell myself to go for it! I mean what was I so afraid of anyway? I wanted to try out for the Pom line, but couldn't do the splits, so I never even tried. And why was I so afraid to talk to the boy I had a crush on? Look at me now, I've sustained a good marriage for almost 23 years now! Who cares if that one boy from High School didn't like me? And maybe he would have if I'd given him a chance! The me now would have done school plays, and joined different groups! I've found I have a love for writing by doing this Blog! I should have been writing for the school paper! But, instead I was just there. Got average grades. I didn't party! (not that the me now does either, I'm just saying!) I was a goody two shoes! I believed I was the last American virgin! (That is one thing I wouldn't change no matter how much I was teased!) I was in Dance in High School & I just loved it! Dance class that is, Ballet, Jazz, Modern, etc. (I didn't really go to school dances, but I should have!) We did Dance concerts, and those were some of my best High School memories I have. I did ditch class occasionally, some friends & I would go to the mall or just take a long lunch! I do still like to do those things! :) On Senior Ditch Day I went to Big Surf, a water park right here in the Arizona desert! High School was a lot of fun! I just think how much better it could have been if I had been braver?! If I had been the me I am now?!

So, as a Mother, I try to encourage my kids to get involved in school activities. Sports, Band, clubs, anything they might be interested in. It's worth it to try! I mean why not? Go for it! I do now! And I kind of like this person I've become, does it really matter if someone else might not? And I think you will find, that if you like you, others will to! (How cliche was that? I think I am getting old!)

Maryvale High School, class of 82 Lunch:

At lunch: (lft. side of table) Larry, me, Maria,
(rt. side of table) Laurie, Reine

Me with Judy, Katie across the table

Maryann & Me

Some of the Highschoolers, 28 years latter! :)
It really was a lot of fun, seeing them again.

So, if you could write a letter to yourself
back in High School,
what would you say?
And hopefully we'd only have to pay postage for back then, not today's!