My Imaginary High School Graduation

[jamesq]

This article on Fark and the responses to it got me to thinking about my high school graduation. You don't have to follow the links if you don't want to, this blog is only tangentially related to the link.

I didn't go. This caused considerable friction between my parents and myself. To my way of thinking, to go to the ceremony was to celebrate high school - to say that it was all worth it. Every hateful person, every useless bureaucratic hoop I jumped through, every humiliating example of social Darwinism I endured, it was all worth it for this one piece of paper saying that I was a High School Graduate. Utter horseshit. They could force me to go to high school, but there was no way in hell they were going to make me say I liked it.

I was cajoled, threatened and put through severe guilt-tripping in an effort to make me go. I stood firm.

Later, I was told that I would eventually regret this decision - that when I was an older man I would wish I had gone to my high school graduation. Not true. Some of the bitterness may have faded with time, but I do not regret my decision one iota. If I had gone, I would probably regret that I'd caved in to my parents demands. My 10th year anniversary came and went and I didn't go. Assuming there is a 20th year anniversary (and it would have to be soon as I graduated in 1986) I'll be avoiding it too. There are only a handful of people I knew in high school that I'd care to still see now. I stay in semi-regular contact with all of them and I certainly don't need the excuse of a reunion to do so.

My parents eventually forgave me for this when I graduated from University. My convocation was a ceremony that had a positive personal meaning and I was happy to take part in it.

People who tell me that high school was the best years of their lives deserve it to be true.

Comments

[wackynephews.livejournal.com]

I sometimes think that I may have been the only ones amongst my friends that enjoyed his high school years. It's not that I was cool or popular, it's just that I found my own stream and found enjoyment from the other fish in that stream. So, as it was, I went and consequently had a great time at my grad. But even at such a tender age I did appreciate the irony of "friends forever" statements handed out by the cool kids.

As to reunions, when you return as someone who works as a stripper in gay bars, it makes them far more interesting.

[jamesq]

Yet another reason why I'm insanely jealous of you.