I went to school because I had to but I didn't like it.
From a young age and the very first days of my school life I learned the hard way what human nature is all about and how disgusting humans can be to each other. It made me feel isolated and alone, somewhat afraid to go to school every day, caused me to hate my parents for sending me back and yet taught me valuable lessons. Hard lessons.
Eventually I left school about half way through the final year and moved in new directions.
It was that year I met the girl who would become my wife for decades to come, when I started working at jobs far more serious and important than the part time job at the supermarket I'd had since the age of thirteen and when my life started to become more my own - I was seventeen and a half and moved out of home to find my own way forward and forward I went.
It was also right then that I decided I'd leave what happened at school behind along with the people I'd known there and to this day I've held true to that vow.
If I see someone I went to school with on the street or at an event I don't interact; I've been known to cross the street in order not to bump into them and I have a way of looking through people giving them not even a glimmer of recognition or opportunity to engage. I have nothing to say, no positive things to reminisce upon and certainly zero care-factor on their life, what they're doing or where they've been. Neither do I wish to share my own. I left them behind a long time ago, assorted detritus and garbage, and that's where they'll stay.
School was a massive learning experience for me - no, not what the teachers taught me, dumbasses one and all - but what I learned about human nature, the way people act and react, how disgusting a person can be, and how to deal with less than ideal situations. I didn't like the lessons of course, as a young lad they were brutal, physically and emotionally hurtful and destructive, but later on I began to see how they'd shaped me and how I'd used those moments to my advantage.
School, primary to high school, was years of hard lessons and while at the time it was relentless and unforgiving it made me who I am and that's a person who has designed and created a very decent life through effort and hard work and the never-quit attitude I learned early in life.
I figured others have had their own experiences, good and bad, and thought I'd open up the topic to see who wanted to share something about their own school days, experiences good or bad, and how it has shaped them. If you'd like to comment then please do in the comments below.
Design and create your ideal life, tomorrow isn't promised - galenkp
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Image(s) in this post are my own
I know where you coming from regarding school. I for one, was partially raised in boarding schools, from sixth year of age onwards (because my parents had a highly mobile job and home, so I had to go to a boarding school, not one of those for the rich, but one of those for kids with similar moving parents and homes). Boarding school is very much the same as school. Fortunately, it made me becoming responsible very very quickly. So quickly that I lived on my own when I was just 15 years of age. Cooking, cleaning and taking care of my home while others at school were kids, far from being grownups.
Though I don't see many of my school mates anymore, I lost contact as well the moment I moved on to Uni, in another city in my country. Though I wasn't feeling at place at secondary school (and primary school for that matter). Though I was bullied to a certain extent. I still think we cannot hold a grudge against many of them, since we all know teenagers can be bad, very bad. All for biological reasons. The part of our brains that creates responsibility isn't developed until the early to mid 20s of our biological age. And teachers, well teachers have to follow whatever our laws and system tell them to do. Unlike you I dont hold a grudge, but see the positives of my childhood/teenager years at school as well as boarding schools, and my own home when in the middle of my secondary school time until end of it and the rest of my life.
It's interesting how difficulties can help a person grow and develop much faster. Of course, it's also the case that adversity and difficulties can wear a person down and eventually break them; I'm glad to be the person who doesn't easily break and I have thrived in the face of adversity.
Would you go to a school reunion if your high school held one?
That is great indeed, since this helps to deal with much we face in life, whether that be in our school days, or in our adult lives. Even delaing with AFI's around 😉
I did, not high school one, but the boarding school. But the last one is still like tons of years ago. I lost total contact by now. High school, I didnt stay in those circles anymore, none of them. Though I would like to see a few again. I was an outsider, but some other also and we kinda went through school together. And yes, I would like to re-connect. But also, I dont have the urge to do so, therefore I apply my time and energy to those I have around today.
More game that I am, I'd never go to a reunion. Not that I'm afraid of anything, I just have zero inclination to see any of those people.
Do you still see people from school? I never do.., and due to age likely would not recognise them enough to cross the road. There's one cunt who I would chin if I ever met him again.. 😀..
I don't see anyone I went to school with, on purpose.
If I see someone I went to school with on the street or at an event I don't interact; I've been known to cross the street in order not to bump into them and I have a way of looking through people giving them not even a glimmer of recognition or opportunity to engage. I have nothing to say, no positive things to reminisce upon and certainly zero care-factor on their life, what they're doing or where they've been.
Quite a few would probably get a decent thumping, they've earned it.
I'm wondering, you said you left school on the final year, so I suppose you didn't graduate, but you have an important job and role, here they wouldn't take you without a paper (most likely university), how did you do?
Here the primary was good, still little kids, so real bullying was absent, the next grade was more annoying as older kids would come annoy you every time... High-school has been pretty good, no one would annoy me really, everyone else was bad and only I could explain them lessons and things, without me they would be screwed, for final tests too, having some form of power is the only thing people understand
Nope, half way through the final year is when I left so I did not graduate.
I went straight into a role and worked my way through from the bottom upwards and studied as needed so yes, I have papers, qualifications, which has helped me advance into higher positions and to where I am now. There's a lot to be said for real-world experience and the right people will rise based on their natural skills and talent I think, as I have. Sure, I'll never be a rocket scientist but have had many high-ranking (and paying) positions as I do currently as well.
It's good that you had a reasonable school experience, I wish I had the same so I had those good memories but what happened to me shaped me for the better so I can't complain.
Self made career, that's a great accomplishment anyways
You might not be a rocket science but your work is better and pays off probably than the majority of the people who completed a study
I'm pretty content with my professional career; I've made a difference for the better to many people and have definitely improved my own life exponentially. It's not been easy, not been hard (all the time), I've just been consistent.
School being mandatory back then seemed not to be the gift it turned out to be.
Bouncing around with a bunch of mentally deficient halfwits fumbling their way through discovery and grappling for dominance in a ridiculous imaginary hierarchy. How the hell can that be good?
What I didn’t notice is I was learning how to learn. Learning how to cope with adversity, apply myself to succeed in something that didn’t entertain or gratify me. Figuring out how to do so despite my differences in learning ability, awkward social skills, financial position and whatever challenges you need to deal with all your life.
Time in the gym for me is for the results as far as strength, stability, mindfulness, cosmetics and health. I like to look at school the same way. While so many people today are paying attention to their mental health more than our generation did, identifying issues and leaning into them like permanent crutches and excuses, I choose to relish the fact I am on this side of the journey and my trauma is my superpower.
Yep, exactly! 👆
I like your last paragraph also, there's not much more to add. People want to sanitise their lives, live some sort of perfect Instagram life which is delusional. It's best to live a "real" life and with that comes bumps and bruises, cuts and scars.
The week I turned 18 I signed myself out of school. I was 2 months into 10th grade. Starting school a year (10 months) late due to where my birthday fell and also being held back in 7th for a repeat because I refused to go to school that year missing 80+ days. I just could not imagine being 20 years old when finishing school. I left and have worked all my life since then. Not a "quitter"
I just refused to follow the mindless pack. I have always walked my own path...
That gif always makes me laugh but also cringe...it's people through and through.
You've made a life despite leaving school early as did I and I don't think had I stayed at school I'd have done any better in life. It's not like I was ever going to be a surgeon or some such thing. I'm content with my decisions.
I always chuckle to myself when the entitlement kids talk about how they went on to the "higher learning" thru colleges.
Only thing "high" was them with that 3-4 year educational party.
Yeah, so many think they're better than the rest of us; wankers.
I started my working life early in a supermarket as well. I think I learnt more there than I ever did at school. School was not my favorite place, more just something that needed to be done. I tried to get an apprenticeship in year 10 but had to wait until I finished year 11. I remember thinking I was finally free but Tafe once a week for a 4-year apprenticeship was pretty boring and painful too. At least during the apprentice training, I was getting paid!
Not finishing school has not impeded my progress through life one bit and I think it helped by getting out there and making my own way. Sure, I'll never be a surgeon or lawyer or some such thing, but I have a pretty nice life nonetheless and I don't have to thank school for it, I thank myself. Sounds much like your own situation I think.
Higher schools never promised a successful career.
The one who has talent, managed even if he didn't finish school.
What matters is who is what kind of person.
I am sincerely sorry that in your school there were jerks around you who bullied you because you were not in their group (white people, rich people, or whatever).
I had several quality and good friends at school, some of them became more successful, some less so, but they became good people. I still hang out with four of them today.
I also had brats, bullies and stinkers who lived to humiliate or hurt others, but today there is no place for them in our chosen society.
When we go to a gathering, the 5 of us sit together, as well as when we go alone to a bar, and even today we don't notice those who were bad people when they were young.
To some degree I envy those who had a really nice school experience, good friends and all. I had that outside of school and to some degree within it (high school mainly) but I'd certainly not say it was enough to make me feel like my school days were good.
There's always some asshole who wants to fuck with others and that's the same all the way through life I guess, what matters is that we (I) learned to deal with it as soon as possible and focus on creating the life we want. I'm pretty confident in saying that most of those assholes from school would onsidee me to have created a very good and comfortable life...although what that garbage thinks is of no consequence to me.
it stopped being important to me long ago, what anyone around me thinks about me (and especially some "low-quality" people) - I value only the opinion and comments of the closest circle of people.
Some of my schoolmates have sought me out... I don't know for what purpose and I don't care. They hurt me a lot, I got ahead, I learned, but like you I'm not interested in their lives or in establishing a relationship. It's a closed chapter, I'm a different woman, a very strong woman, compared to what I was in high school. I chose not to know anything more about that cruel world and to choose a peaceful and happy life.
I think they are looking for me because of gossip... so many gossipy people, don't let them meddle in my life.
Sometimes I wonder what those people's lives turned out, those who behaved so poorly and hurt others as children. Did they end up changing, did their behaviours continue? Then, I it passes as I remember that those people simply don't matter and I move on. Like you, I don't give a fuck about human garbage like that.
I don't think about them, because I know that things in life come back and somehow that evil will come back to them. Besides, they don't deserve my energy or my thoughts. I concentrate on the good people.
I don't really spend much time with people I went to school with either. I might be friends with some of them on Facebook, but we don't get together even though we still live fairly close. I've also never been to one of our reunions. I wasn't the most popular back in school anyway, so I doubt many people care if I am there or not. When they do have reunions and post about it, it seems to be the same cliques of people.
Good old Facebook. And when I say good I mean bad.
I don't even use the same name I used in school anymore, (first name), and am not on Facebook so thankfully all those snooping cunts won't be able to find me, that's how I like it. I have no desire for people to see anything about me on social media, especially people I don't want to keep in touch with or see.
I'm not as interesting as you, so it doesn't bug me too much. I usually only check my feed once a week though.
You over estimate my interestingness. 🤔
I know, that's not a word.
What?! You mean you aren't the Dos Equis guy?
They asked me to be, I waved it off saying I'd let someone else carry the flame for a while.
😃