Monday, April 18, 2011

High School Flashback

Today I started my new job, doing follow-up research at a local high school.  It was strange walking onto a high school campus, 17 years after I have graduated. WAIT - did I just write 17 years?!!  Excuse me a minute while I hyperventilate....
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Ahem.  Anyway.  It was a strange experience being back there.  Not that I went to this particular high school, because I didn't, but the memories still flashed before my eyes....

The memory of transferring from a private high school of 7 students to a public high school of 2500, in the middle of my Sophomore year.

The memory of lingering in the bathroom during lunch, because I didn't have any friends yet.

The memory of wondering why God was putting me through all of that turmoil, feeling so insecure and afraid.

The memory of the car accident that occurred right in front of the school only about two months later, killing four students (including a pregnant teenager) and a parent driving his kids to school.  The memory of our school shutting down for 3 days as students filled the streets to mourn.  The memory of God using me, a Sophomore in high school, to pray for others and even lead some to Christ.

The memory of making new friends, running for student council, getting involved, and then singing at our Baccalaureate service.


Memories of a time when I was insecure, but coming into my own.

Today on the job, my co-workers and I were reflecting on our experiences.  "I would never want to go back!" I said.  My boss said, "I wish I could just tell myself in high school, 'It will all be okay.'"  I replied, I'd love to say to myself (back in high school) "It will all be okay, and you will survive."

Those were some tough years, and I have to remember that as I work with the high school students now.

Today as we handed out surveys and silence fell upon the room, a student farted loudly right after we started. The room erupted into laughter.  Yep, I don't miss those days at all.

4 comments:

  1. I don't know if you remember, Linda Davis was my boss. Her husband, son, and neighbor were killed. I had dropped you off and driven home with Lauren on the same street about 15 minutes before it happened. Linda's son had just started going to youth group. What a way to start out in Temecula!

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  2. We were just talking about high school the other day. Brian had a great experience. Mine was awful. He wants our girls to go to public high school because of all the "opportunity." I reminded him he wasn't a Christian in high school and I don't want the girls to have the same "opportunity" he did. And did we really graduate 17 years ago?!!

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  3. Wow, most people feel the same but I actually LOVED high school! It was probably the best time of my life. It was after high school that things went south LOL. Oh to be in HS again - care free, enjoying life, actually excited about the future. It's weird looking back now wondering how things could have been "if only"...

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