Memories of high school days....

Nearly everyone has wonderful, pleasurable experiences from high school.

Not me.

I was looking through my old yearbooks the other day, when I realized that I have not maintained friendships with people from school. Usually school is where you make lifelong friends and determine your direction in life, and also your status in the social food chain. For example, if you were a nerd in school, chances are you’ll remain a nerd in the real world. That is unless you are among the self-loathing types that construct a reinvention of themselves, in order to fit within the confines of mainstream society.

I like to think that I haven’t reinvented myself, but evolved into the person I was destined to become.

In terms of direction in life, and status in the social pecking order, I learnt NOTHING from the school I attended. I don’t mean to degrade organized religion, but religion was forced down my throat. If I didn’t believe in that religion, I was made to feel guilty.

I never had that problem in primary school, which was also religion-based. We were treated as individuals, not only in the classroom, but as people. Needless to say, until High School, I was open minded in regards to religion.

I learnt direction by having none to begin with. I had never finished high school, was unable to work, and quite miserable. That is, until life gave me the kick up the arse I so desperately needed.

I can’t say that I wanted to be a teacher since I was a child, because when I was a child, I wanted to be either a journalist, or stoned. Possibly both. But in the end, I write for fun, and doing it as a career would be a chore.

Teaching came to me out of the blue. I don’t know why, but some members of my family thought I would be good at it, which planted a seed in my mind. So I went back to finish school, and failed.

My only hope was to aim for mature-age entry into university. Luckily, I did well enough on the test to be offered a place.

I hate it when people remind me of my school days. The other day, my sister told me that two people in the same year as me were getting married. I was polite, and acted interested, but I couldn’t really give a fuck. I don’t want to know what so-and-so is doing, and whether whats-her-name is pregnant. I really don’t care.

Those people have been married, had kids, and made lives for themselves. But it’s their life, and I don’t want any part of it. It’s not like they would have any part of mine, had they been given a choice.

As far as I’m concerned, everyone I went to high school with is dead.

These people had no effect on me at all. They didn’t play any part in who I became. I feel nothing for them. Sure, I don’t wish anyone harm, but I don’t wish them happiness either.

Here’s a warning to anyone I went to school with:

If you see me and say hello, I might say hello back, but don’t EVER expect me to be your friend. My friendship is not on offer.

I don’t need any more friends anyway. I have a few close friends, and that’s the way I want to keep it.

- Fridge.