I graduated from High School last tuesday (the seventh). I’ve been meaning to write a little about it, but I just haven’t been able to – I really don’t feel different at all nor do I have much to write.
It’s odd how everyone is so congratulatory. I’m not one to celebrate much of anything, when holidays roll around or a milestone is reached, I don’t leap out of my skin. So apart from being way too busy last week, with graduation parties, a soccer tournament out of state, and a vacation celebrating my Moms birthday, graduation really hasn’t changed me.
But I don’t know what it is, there’s something out there. Some of my friends seem like they’ve changed, they aren’t just kids anymore. To be honest, most of my friends look different. It could be confidence, or maybe graduation provided them with some great sense of achievement (it hasn’t for me yet), but they just seem more poised, ready to go out into the world, and able to do more.
Graduation is a big deal, I’ve kept telling myself – I finished 12 years of school! Two thirds of my life up to this point I’ve spent worrying in some capacity about school, education, my grades. And I’ve worried les then almost anyone else I know. The addition of college might take a little from the high school graduation, fifty years ago everyone didn’t need to hang in for the next diploma. And maybe it’s that the last four years I haven’t really done anything. That sure would take a bit out of the reward for finishing it all up.
The thing is that I accomplished as much as most kids. Highest honors, advanced courses, I’ve even finished an entire year of college already! Not to mention all the stuff I’ve found time for outside of school, in sports and computers and socially.
I think that my accomplishments outside of school outmeasure my academic ones. High School wasn’t hard for me, even though for the last two years I’ve replaced my HS courses with ones from the University. Cake. Ever since sixth grade, when my alternative philosophy school started switching teachers and classes throughout the day, and more importantly giving me letter grades, school has just been a game for me – see how well I can do with the littlest effort possible. And that might have caused me to lose alot of my interest in school, leaving my efforts for other activites, extra-cirrucular activites, and ultimately activities I took much more pride in and am much more proud of.
Graduation is peanuts compared to what I’ve done and hope to do. But for friends, kids who put everything into school so far and just can’t wait for college, I guess it must have been an incredible night…
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