Show and Tell Tuesdays | Who I Was In High School

Today I am linking up with Andrea at Momfessionals for her Show and Tell Tuesdays. Today's topic is: Tell (And Show) Us Who You Were In High School.

This is timely since last weekend I had to re-live (somewhat begrudgingly) high school memories at Mike's 15 year high school reunion.

My 15 year reunion will be next year, and if you are wondering, I won't be attending.

Why?

I really disliked high school. I cannot emphasize that enough.

I don't have many pictures from high school. Most of those pictures were pitched or buried in a bin in my basement, long forgotten. What I do have, I scrounged from Facebook and some old yearbooks.

10th Grade

10th Grade | Interesting Story. The powers that be in yearbook editing placed a picture of me making this face next to a picture of my high school crush holding a trophy. The people at my high school were a special kind of cruel. 

My senior year - my brother's Family Day at his base.

The baby picture in my senior yearbook.

My senior picture | My dad took my senior picture as well as my brother's. 

Too bad I didn't know what a straightener was back in high school. And yes, I am missing a tooth. I got braces my senior year and had my wisdom and eye teeth all pulled.

More triangle hair. The unfortunate remnants of a home perm gone extremely bad.

I was an unpopular and awkward student. I can count on hand the the true friends I had through high school, and I am still in touch with them today.

I was often lonely in high school. One vivid memory of this stands out during my senior year where my friends and I had planned an evening out. However they all canceled on me to go on dates with their boyfriends. Seems like a silly thing to still be sad about - to still remember. I think if I had been more outgoing and more confident, maybe I wouldn't have been so lonely.

I desperately wanted to be asked to Homecoming but it just never happened. For four years, I watched my friends get asked one by one to the dance during the week of the county fair. If you didn't have a date by that week's end, then you just weren't going to have a date. Finally my senior year, out of desperation, I asked a guy friend to go with me. He actually said yes (shocking) and we had a nice time.

Speaking of the fair, I remember being with my friends walking around the county fair with a group of boys a grade older - I think they were juniors maybe. I walked around with them for a little bit but I realized that while I was with the group, I was not truly part of it. I was not even acknowledged.  So I ended up just walking away and no one even noticed.  It's crazy but I believe my husband was in that group! I always give him a hard time about never dating me in high school ;)

I was never the object of affection but that didn't stop me from having "a crush on every boy." Just like The Ugly One from Teen Girl Squad. :)

It is not a coincidence that I truly identify with The Ugly One from Teen Girl Squad. 

Please tell me you have heard of Teen Girl Squad! Check it out here.

I did go on a couple of dates with one boy but that quickly fizzled out. Like it lasted two dates and then I was just done. I was so not ready to date anyone.

And then there was an issue of not having a driver's license. I failed my driver's license three times, I think. I can't remember. My dad and I would practice driving all the time - we went out to a friend's campground and set up makeshift cones for parallel parking. We would spend hours working on that! When I finally did pass it, I walked into the BMV and my dad could tell by my face that I passed. My usually stoic father whooped and hollered in congratulations! That is a pretty neat memory :)

I finally passed my test just a few days before I graduated high school. I had just turned 19! I was old for my class. I did have a very cute brand new Ford Focus as my car.

Our family Christmas card picture. Still a favorite!

My mom had ovarian cancer my senior year. I did whatever I could to help my family out, and I think it really solidified my relationship with my dad and my mom then. We had always been close but I think that was a huge turning point in our parents/daughter relationship.

I worked two hours a day during the week at a doctor's office across the street from the high school. All of the doctors in that practice have retired, so it is no longer in business. Every time I drive by though I am reminded of all the valuable work experience I gained there! I used that early start in the world of office work to propel me forward in finding solid office jobs throughout college and beyond. I have a lot of good memories of working at that office. One of the doctors was Korean, and he had the most beautiful singing voice! He would serenade the entire office, and it was wonderful. I worked there for just over two years and went full time as an office assistant the summer before I left for college.

I was actively involved in my church's youth group program. I was part of a leadership team of kids called Fishers of Men. I always loved everything about that.

Also my brother was in high school with me for two years. He was pretty friendly, and everyone liked him. I think it helped me in that transition. My first week of freshman year I was threatened in the bathroom by some senior girls, but they let me off the hook because they knew him.

Also I was voted in my class as the "shyest" and "most trusty-worthy."

So that was my high school experience. It was by no means the time of my life - the years I will always remember. That was just a blip on the radar really.

Despite how bad it was, I am thankful for those four years. They shaped me into the person I am today.

My husband on the other hand loved high school so much. They weren't his glory days by any stretch, but he did really enjoy it. I think it will be a good balance for our boys to have one parent who really hated high school and one parent who loved it ;)