I don't know how many of you have heard about the awful ongoings in South Hadley, MA. and the poor girl who was "bullied to death", but it was recently chronicled in Time Magazine. Google "South Hadley Mean Girls" for the full story or click here.
Anyway, the point of this posting is not to rehash the story. What I want to know is how you all felt about High School. I remember it being mostly OK, but I went through terrible rumors, shitty friends, worse boyfriends, stress of homework and a job, and occasionally feeling like I wanted to set the whole building on fire. I also had some great friends, went to legendary parties, did the prom thing, and had the "OMG! He Likes ME?!" moments.
That being said, there is nothing in the world that could get me to go back and do High School over again. Ever.
Am I the only one?
Did you like HS or was it horrid? Were you bullied or a bully? Did you have a teacher that made your life miserable? Did a shockingly bad rumors ever circulate about you?
I will get the ball rolling and share a story. I shall call it "Super Shitty Friend Steals Boyfriend & Defamation Ensues".
Short Version: Senior year, I was dating "The Boy Next Door." You know the kind and I was head over heels. I introduced him to my best friend, lets call her "ShAMY." ShAMY and BND decide they are better together and start dating secretly. Well, not secretly. Secret in the sense that everyone knew but me. I found out on Christmas (Thanks, Santa) and was understandably ruined.
To start, I was given tons of support and sympathy. But then the snickers and whispers started. I could not walk down the hallway without the torture. WTF, Right? After weeks of paranoia, gossip and heart break, I found out what the deal was. ShAMY and BND had told the whole school that we had had a 3-some and that BND had decided that ShAMY had a hotter body and was way better in bed.
I wanted to die. Clearly it was a lie, but how do you get people to believe you? How do you do damage control on something like that. And attacking my body image? It's been **cough10cough** years and thinking back to it still brings on waves of depression and anxiety. I begged to be home schooled.
Life went on though. I went to college, got new friends and rebuilt my self esteem. However, I never forgot it. They tainted my senior year and created an insecurity in me that I vowed never to lower myself to again.
Anyway, that is my story. I'm feeling a little naked and exposed out here, so share yours.
9 comments:
I would never do high school again, not that it was that bad (def. not like yours...what douches!) I had the few mean girls and couple dick boyfriends and shady friends but overall it was ok. Now middle was a fucking nightmare. I used to run home from the bus stop because of this girl and her friends picking on me on the bus. Do not ever cut a curly haired child's hair short. I was taunted with "1,2,3,Fro!" and bullied beyond belief.
Oh hell. Here you go: At the tender age of 14 I suffered horrific heavy periods. We were off on a school trip all day and knew there was a chance of 'accidents' so packed spare undies. Rozy, my personal bully nicked my bag on the bus and found my spare undies. She stood in the aisle swinging them round her head and jeering while I banged my head repeatedly on the seat in front of me. Great times.
I hated school. I was shy, geeky and a bumpkin who knew nothing about dating, flirting and how to be cool. I moved over from a mountain in rural Ireland where kids were kids to England where kids were crazy pretentious mini adults with short skirts and lip gloss. I blushed at the drop of a hat and provided a perfect target for girls like Rozy.
No, I wouldn't do it again.
I thankfully got through high school by staying below the radar, but above the hard deck. I had enough popular acquaintances to avoid being bullied, but wasn't so popular that anyone would give a damn to start rumors about me. Except that they thought I was a sex-obsessed lesbian. But I did work for a sex clinic. And hated men. Fair enough, really.
My ten year reunion is coming up this year, so I have been entertaining this very idea. I definitely wouldn't do it over again, but I also felt like I got off pretty easy. Who knows, though? I could go back and find out there was all kinds of garbage circulating about me. I was apparently too busy boning to notice. Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.
You could not PAY me to redo highschool. I wasn't bullied extensively but I was picked on. I was nerdy and quiet and had small boobs. I can't think of any specific devastating moments because I've blocked them from my memory. Yours is horrible, though! I would like to kick them in the shins.
may seem kind of stupid, but is chatham for chatham, MA? im originally from North Reading but used to spend a fair amount of time down the cape
Girl, I could never go back to high school. The terrible bullying that I remember (not necessarily directed at me) went on in middle school. Freshman and sophomore years of high school were fairly uneventful, but by my jr and sr years I wanted nothing but to be done with high school. I was way too mature for my age, and the majority of my classmates were outrageously immature. I don't have one particularly terrible story to tell, but all in all, I could not WAIT for high school to be over. Sorry you had such a shitty experience though...
Wow, that's a horrible story. Wasn't it enough for them to just be together and have dated behind your back? What the heck!
I might do high school over again. I had pretty good friends and a good boyfriend, but I wasn't popular. I was lucky because my school had a great communications program and I was highly involved. All in all it was okay. I think I would do it over again because of the whole, if I knew then what I knew now idea. So I guess that means I would ONLY do it again if I was able to maintain the knowledge I have now, almost ten years later.
People were calling me a slut before I had ever even saw a penis. It was ridiculous and made high school a nightmare when I did actually start having sex. I wish I had waited longer but I thought the guy was the right person. Clearly I was wrong. He was scummmm.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/30/massachusetts.bullying.suicide/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn
They're finally prosecuting the bullies.
I'm not sure if you've already heard or not, but I was glad to see it and wanted to share.
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