Like Friends. But instead of being in a coffee shop and our respective apartments, in the DHS Theatre Department and our respective houses. Let me also take this moment to reiterate the fact that this is a department that I was NEVER a part of.
I guess that makes me...Monica? Isn't she the only one that never worked at Central Perk? Even though I've always seen myself as a less whiny and annoying Rachel, and clearly Tina's OCD fits Monica better.
But whatever. That's not the point.
The point is that high school isn't real life. High school is the set of an overly dramatic TV show. Luckily, none of my friends had babies, and none of them got married, and none of them were Joey, but it's still the same basic concept.
Rather than just being us, we spent all of our time playing the parts of the people that we thought we were supposed to be. We moved and molded ourselves to fit into the niche that we were assigned, and we convinced ourselves that we were comfortable there.
And then we graduated.
Graduation brought the realization that we didn't have to be those people, and that we didn't really want to be them. We quit pretending and started telling people what we thought and felt, and guess what?
We grew up.
And it was wonderful. I don't have to shave off pieces of my personality because it might make people mad. Yeah sure, I can't say everything that comes to mind (be grateful for that, people) because that would be dumb, but I don't have to deal with people that I don't want to deal with any way.
Don't get me wrong, I loved all of my friends in high school. But it's over now. And I'm not sad.
I had fun. I didn't take anything to seriously. I enjoyed my life. And now I can move on. Yeah, sometimes I'll miss the football games, or the parties at Ariel's, or driving around in the country with Anna just because when the two of us get together we can't stop talking. I'll miss waiting for Maggie at random times of the day because we walk to class together every chance we get. I'll miss seeing Jackson in a dress. I'll miss having class with Tina (even though we both decided that that was a mistake), and I'll miss Will bringing me biscuits. Oh, and I'll miss Melbs trying to convince me that she doesn't love me. And Jena being Jena.
But I have those memories (and lots and lots of pictures), and every one of those people made a lasting impression.
The only remotely sad part is that all of the people that I know I won't miss, won't miss me either.
But then I remember that I don't really care all that much.
Because high school isn't real life. It's a bubble. A fantastic bubble of fake tans and lipgloss. Full of teachers whose opinions don't matter (and a handful that change your life), grades that should matter (but very rarely do) and friends. Friends that get you through the worst times of your life, and who help you figure out who you are. Friends that push you to be the best person that you can be, and then tell you that you have to go be that person.
I am grateful for every person that I met in high school. Even the ones that I really didn't like. Each of you has helped make me who I am (so if you don't like me, you can blame yourself).
I am grateful for every life that bumped up against mine, and every shared experience. Even the ones that I was forced into (like going to prom. Thanks, jerks.)
I am grateful for every piece of advice that I heard. Even if I decided it was stupid and I wasn't going to listen.
I appreciate every opinion, even if I don't agree.
Thank you all, for making me who I am. It is my pleasure to have been a part of this fabulously fake world, and I hope to see at least some of you in the real one.
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