…and that wasn’t just my Prom.

So everywhere I look lately people seem to be talking about High School and how God awful it was. On the Samhain Cafe loop there was a big discussion about it. My brother just brought it up last night; he’d just had his twenty year reunion and had no desire to go.

My ten year was a couple years back and let me tell you how relieved I was to be going to Deb Dixon’s GMC workshop the day of the reunion (couldn’t have even planned that one!) But I know not everyone had an experience that left a bad taste in their mouth. And when I really think about it, did I? I have to say…no, I don’t think so.

You see I was totally oblivious to fashion and trends–and I didn’t care. Seriously, me in high school…picture this: hair like Krusty the Clown and an outfit with an Indian head t-shirt over stretch pants. I was not a pretty picture. In fact with make up on I kind of looked like Mrs. Doubtfire (Swear to God and I’m not sharing pics) Now this could have caused me all kinds of emotional angst and drama. But it didn’t. I was totally content being an awkward looking choir/drama geek. I had a lot of friends in my circle, and I was happy.

I’ve look at how I’ve evolved since then and I sometimes shake my head at the girl I used to be. I gradually gained fashion sense by college friends who took pity on me. I stopped hacking off my hair into the Krusty cut. And I just became more…aware. But you know, I think I also lost some of the innocence I had back then (in more than one way!) I started to care what people thought of me. Which is exactly what I avoided back then.

My thoughts turn to my daughter. I think about how she’s going to go to high school some day (a looong way off) and I’m curious. What will her experience be like? Will she be popular and trendy? Possibly since I’ve created a little fashionista to counteract my God awful clothing choices back then. Or would she be better off being the biggest, happiest, oblivious dork around?

So what are your thoughts on high school? Did you love it? Hate it? And if you have kids who are in it now or have gone through it, are/were they following the same path you took (popular/geek/other).