High School: The Sequel
Posted by Lauren | Under Personal Neuroticisms with 734 views Sunday Jul 8, 2007People who ask me what high school I graduated from usually receive an ironic smile and a singsongy “Secret!” in response. I’ve been thinking about changing that policy because it’s a hassle to explain why I’m being so secretive. See, I was the token Weird Chick back in high school. The kid everybody picked on for the dumbest of reasons, the freak who couldn’t seem to fit in or be understood by anyone. I bet if you were in my place, you’d make a conscious effort to avoid being friends by association with anyone from your alma matter. Or maybe that’s just me.
A portrait of the freak as a young lady
I’m not completely unforgiving though. Lately I’ve been thinking about getting in touch with some people from high school–the few ones that are worth talking to anyway–mostly out of sheer curiosity but also because you can never have too many friends. Yesterday, I spoke to someone from my high school for the first time in years. And I don’t mean like we exchanged pleasantries over Friendster; we had an actual conversation about what we’ve been doing with our lives and where we are now. Then she dropped the bombshell and told me that there are certain individuals from our batch who still bitch about people from high school. Not too far down their shit list was Lauren Dado. According to them, may sarili akong mundo (I live in my own little world) at masyado akong show-off (and I am a big show-off). Overall, I am nothing but a loser. Yeah, I don’t get the logic either.
I was tempted to bring out the guns and wage an all-out bitch war, until I realized that there’s no glory in shooting down the spineless. Seriously, what kind of loser spends afternoons in Starbucks (without buying anything, mind you) bitching about people from high school? I’m not saying I haven’t done my share of people-bashing in a coffee shop, but not even in my lowest moments did I ever pick on old schoolmates I didn’t like. Talk about a preview of how the rest of their lives are going to turn out. I bet ten years from now, they still wouldn’t be able to afford a drink there because they chose to spend their twenties living in the glory days when their stupid little clique ruled the school, instead of getting off their sorry asses, getting a fucking job, and getting a life. Jesus. If I had to consort with characters like those to “fit in” and be “popular” for four stupid years, then by all fucking means I’m glad I was the biggest loser in high school. I’m glad I was the loneliest girl there.
I’d love to show off more pictures of me and my friends being happy
but there’s too many of those and not enough space
I don’t suppose I need to list down the reasons why I think they’re still picking on me after all these years, but I’ll do it anyway. I’m gorgeous, intelligent, and an excellent conversationalist. I have the sweetest, craziest groups of friends and a loving, stable family. I have a band that’s going to go places someday. My weekends are always packed and even when things are slow, I find ways to amuse myself and be happy. The love life doesn’t exist, but I’m perfectly fine with it. I don’t know about you, but being romantically unattached is far better than being the battered girlfriend of a guy whose face resembles watery dog turd. Seriously, I imagine people my age would make better life choices than that.
The last thing I want is to be a hypocrite and get stuck in the past like they are, so this will be the last time I’ll ever talk about high school (in my blog anyway). It’s sad and amusing to discover that after all these years, the same old people are still picking on me for reasons I don’t know. Well, whatever makes them happy. As for me, I see no point in being bitter about high school when I’ve got places to go, people to love, and a whole life ahead of me to live.
Well said!
Someday you will be successful in your career and those girls will end up as battered wives of babaero husbands. (Exaj!)
I wasn’t really an outcast in high school. I was actually one of those girls who pick on other students. I don’t torture them or make their lives miserable. My friends and I just talk about them and how weird they were and we’d avoid them during groupwork. I’m guilty with that. But that was high school and and all of us were stupid and immature then.
We move one, grow up and live our lives. Those girls are quite pitiful. Still living the glory days of high school! Lol!
Keep on doing whatever it is you do and just laugh at how boring their lives must be. 8)
people who are still gossiping and talking shit about someone they knew years ago are usually trying to compensate on something that it missing in their lives. i.e, your intelligence, beauty,hot-rockin personality and life’s blessings.
it must suck to be them….bwahahahaha :)
You achieved more as a ten year old then they will ever achieve in their lives. And you will keep achieving things as you live. You haven’t hit your peak yet. They reached theirs at graduation. It’s all downhill for them. They’re married, knocked up, and working in dead end jobs for the rest of their lives. No wonder they pick on you still. They would give anything to BE you. You are Lauren F-ing Dado… who the hell are they?
Holy crap! I feel the same FUCKING way. When I was in HS, I was the kid who was picked on for being “autistic” (they just keep misspelling ARTISTIC, dammit!) and until now, my highschool “friends” are still picking on me for reasons unknown and it really sucks. I used to get really bothere with it but now, I just shrug it off and give them a big fat whatever. I’m happy and I’m going to places someday and that is what matters!
yey! for knowing that I am not alone. :)
Yup. High school definitely was a world on it’s own (in it’s own space-time continuum)…sadly (not really), I’ve lost touch with everyone I went to hs with…oh well.
Much props to your success!…way to stick it to all those f*ckers!
Also, what is it with people here in the Phils. obsessed with what school or college one went to?? is that supposed to be important?…or a status thing? Almost every other person I’ve run into so far have asked me…WTF?!
@Cel – Yeah I could still forgive them for being megabitches back in high school. But it’s funny how they still carry that kind of behavior five years later. Well according to the rumor mill, one of them’s well on her way to becoming a battered wife of a babaero husband! Wahaha.
@Dexie – Oh definitely. I mean I can barely remember their names and they’re still talking about me. lolz
@Derek – Aww you’re too kind. But you’re right–guess they must have reached height of their glory was when they ruled high school.
@Icky – Wahaha autistic! Don’t you just hate it when people who pick on you can’t even insult you properly? Jesus, they could at least be a little bit clever about it or something.
@Marv – Well I wouldn’t exactly call myself a success, but I’d like to think that I’m well on my way there. ;) Ugh, I think one’s alma matter is an indicator of social status or something in the Philippines. When I make people guess what high school I came from, they usually say Assumption or Poveda. I really don’t know how I feel about that, haha. But for me, the school where a person comes from is not really that much of a big deal because it doesn’t really say a lot about someone. For instance, not all people who graduated from Ateneo are smart or conyo.
Great post, and so very true — only an absolute loser would still have their gears jammed in the high school mentality long after graduating.
I hated most of the over-indulged, cliquish jerks who shunned or bothered me in my last high school and I frankly don’t give a damn where they are now or what they are doing. This post is probably the first time I’ve even given them any thought in years.
I am relatively successful and happy now — not what any of them would have expected.
BTW, it’s beautiful to see your self-confidence, even your declaration (please tell me that you believe it 100 percent!) that you are gorgeous. True it is, and a beautiful thing to hear from your own mouth — well, your keyboard at least.
I wasn’t popular, nor was I unpopular. I was just, uh, plain. Hehehe. Messed up a bit in college. But hey, kiber! Hehehe. Just keep being happy. They’re just envious! So, where did you go to in HS? :p
I remember being a loner once just like you.
Yeah I also heard comments that I’m autistic. Lol.
I’m actually friendly but the other person has to make the effort first.
I actually forgot being a loner after I had a relationship.
But now I am trying to get used to it again. sniff.
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