High School and Beyond...

   I was having a conversation the other day (via facebook comments) with a couple of old classmates, one of whom had been somewhat tormented by other kids in school, all those many years ago. I remarked how great it is that now that we're all grown up, none of that matters. Who was Miss HHS, Most Likely to Succeed, or Class Favorite? Who gives a flying monkey's butt?! When it's all said and done, popularity and cliques don't matter in the adult world. It's what's inside a person's heart that makes them a valuable human being. Of course, we see this many years after the fact. It's really too bad that kids can't realize it sooner and stop the bullying.  
   I started thinking about where I fit in, in high school. I was certainly not "in" with the girl-jock crowd or the popular crowd. I had a few friends in each of those groups though. I had my own set of friends and we kept to ourselves most of the time. I went to a small school (68 in my graduating class I believe) and was Salutatorian of my class. Was I in the "nerd" group?! If so, I guess I never realized it back then. Though nowadays I'm quite proud to be called a science geek, if only because my 8 yr old thinks it's cool and my husband calls me it with loving pride!
   Recently I was talking to an old friend and told her that I loved to go camping. Her response, "Camping?! You?! I can't imagine you camping!"  Wow. Really? Have I changed that much since high school? I never asked her why, but I guess it sort of shook my perception about who people think I am. I was never a super-girly-girl, so why would she think that? Hmmmm...maybe it's my hair? I do have this naturally curly hair that I used to dry straight and set on hot rollers and "feather" (remember that style? how very 80's!)
   Isn't it funny how you can remember every negative comment ABOUT you that has ever been made TO you? I can't remember why I just walked into this room, but I can tell you every comment that has ever been made about my weight, a certain boy teasing me and calling me "curly-hair Christa" in grade school, and a mean girl in high school making fun of my make-up in home economics class. Your perception of you, is made up of all these little images that other people gave you. So try and be nice out there, and hug a dork today :)