Skip to main content

Pep Rally?

Everyone keeps asking me how I like working with high school students. The best way to describe it is that last Friday during 8th period, I asked the kids to be quiet. And they did. On the first request. In middle school that request would have been followed by several more requests, each louder than the previous one, and then the threats of phone calls home.

It's night and day, people. And now I tell everyone with a middle schooler that it really does get better.

I had no intentions of being a teacher, and I really don't believe I'll be doing this for the rest of my life. My passions lie in other areas, but I do believe that God placed me in this field for a reason. I spent 4 years working with 7th graders, and even though they were some of the toughest years, they were also healing for me. It was a place I needed to be to connect some dots and gain some perspective to heal some long-standing wounds I incurred during my own 7th grade year.

I firmly believe my high school experience will be the same.

My high school years were so difficult for me that they actually exist in my memory as one dark blind spot. That's really weird for me because I have such a freakish memory. I still remember the layout of my 3rd grade classroom and what I got for Christmas in 1981. I can even tell you what dress I wore for my 1st grade picture (which I only saw one time in a yearbook).

But high school? I tend to rely more on the memories of my friends. They've pieced together some of the gaps for me, but it's still a black hole. I do remember how much I despised the high school culture of pep rallys and dances and parties and football games. I never saw the value in them. I've never missed them.

We're having a pep rally tomorrow for our first football game, and you should see me walking down the hallways. Just this morning I said to someone, "a pep rally and a 3-day weekend...this is the best week ever."

I mean that.

I am so freakin' excited about this pep rally tomorrow. I'll be sitting in the crowd of students with my school colors and pin. I can't wait to cheer and learn the chants. We're the Indians, and they do the same battle cry song every school with this mascot does. I even want to go work the concession stand at the game, but I don't think my dear one will go for that on such short notice. Some other time.

High school isn't so bad after all.

Comments

Christy said…
Very cool.
I wasn't a pep rally girl either. That's probably why I like you so much :)
I think more people should take the time to connect the dots of their youth. I'm glad to hear you embraced the gift that was handed to you.

Popular posts from this blog

Welcome 2010

This has been an interesting beginning to the new year. The evening began with a beer and air hockey challenge, which I handily lost. This was followed with some extreme go cart racing and more beer, a dinner that consisted of leftovers from one of my favorite South Carolina restaurants and homemade fried zucchini. And more beer. I saw "The Hangover" for the fourth time and laughed like an idiot. After the ball dropped in Times Square, I saw pieces of "Public Enemy" and finally crawled into bed around 2:00 a.m. and stayed there until 11:00 this morning. I spent today playing with a dog, watching college football, and hanging out with one of my current favorite people. I don't do the whole new year resolution thing. However, I do believe in taking a look at the lessons I've learned and the experiences that have unfolded for me in the previous year. Anyone who reads this blog can already figure out that my divorce, running, and dating again have greatly influe...

Trying to Keep It All Together

The title of this post is a bit of a misnomer. Just this morning I said, "I'm having a hard time getting it together right now." I'm in one of those periods when showing up is the best I can offer, and I can't even guarantee that. That said, I just popped on here to share that I'm struggling. I'm dealing with a lot of loss right now. Some of it is easy to spot. Some of it I've tucked away because it's either terribly painful or terribly embarrassing--at least to me. Some of it was inevitable. Some of it was a surprise. All of it rises up into the center of my chest and begs me to stop for a moment to acknowledge it. It's doing that right now even as I type this. I'm having a hard time getting it together right now.

Pardon the Interruption

It's 10:00. My race clothes are laying across the top of the dog crate. I've already consumed my all-natural sleep aid. The alarm is set for 4:45 in the morning. I should be sleeping, but my mind is spinning at an unnatural rate. Remember this poem ? The subject of that poem married just a few weeks ago, and I just finished looking through his wedding photos. It's a strange feeling. Not one of loss. Or Regret. Or even wistfulness. I'm thoroughly happy for both of them in a way that will seriously not make sense to most of the people I know. I suppose there will always be an odd sense of knowing in a situation like this. I know the feel of those lips. I've seen that look in his eyes. What I felt for him was real and pure and drives the feeling of satisfaction that is currently overwhelming me. I love knowing that he's in love--even if it's not with me. I even saved my favorite photo to my computer because the image stirred something in me that needs to be sti...