A Decade Later, They're Still the Same
I went to my very special and favorite cousin John Michael's high school graduation for Norman North on Saturday morning- Norman North being my adolescent alma mater down South a ways. His being a part of the graduating class of 2008 marks the 10 year anniversary of my 1998 graduation.
It was weird sitting there in the Lloyd Noble Center watching a class of high school seniors go forthright with their rite of passage in the very same place that my friends and I escaped from 10 years prior to. I was skeptical to re-visit any remote element of my high school, but it did give me a new position to critique nonetheless. I see it as a useful form of research- as a fly on the wall observer- for future writing endeavors.
In all fairness, I learned that not only is high school still the same, but, despite being 10 years older, I myself am still the same in regards to my mindset on the subject. Is it immaturity or validation for an old way of thinking that I am realizing? Evolution? Proof that there are parts of people, that deep down within, that never leave high school? I'm a contradiction to myself, complaining that those people who annoyed me haven't changed, when I haven't really changed either. Go figure.
As for Norman North, the principal has changed, a rivalry has developed between North and Norman original (something which did not exist when my class graduated since ours was the first class to be split when North opened new our senior year), and the valedictorian at the ceremony displayed what I can only describe as "penis flexing" on behalf of his graduating class.
First of all, that valedictorian too scarily resembled Carrot Top. No joke. When he first appeared at the podium I swear I thought that Carrot Top had been invited as a guest speaker. Of course, it makes no sense that he would be at Midwestern high school graduation, but I wondered briefly if he was a native Oklahoman and I just never knew it. But alas, the kid was not Carrot Top.
He was just an overtly cocky, overachieving teacher's pet type. He was obviously the super-involved, quirky, popular studious guy with the red afro that was notorious in the school for his witticisms, teacher ass kissing and douchey sense of humor. "Oh he's so funny with his big red afro!" You know. THAT guy.
Basically, what his speech boiled down to was, "The class of 2008 is the best and most physically, intellectually, awesomely superior group of seniors to ever grace the halls of Norman North in the history of the universe and everyone else is dog shit in comparison." Literally. All school ego-puffing, to the extreme. No sugar coating. Blah blah blah. Not just school spirit, but EXTREME ultimate dominating school spirit. No humbleness, no modesty...just good old fashion school spirited arrogance.
Perhaps that's the staple message of every valedictorian's speech at high school commencement, I don't know. Maybe my class's valedictorian did the same, although who that person was and what they talked about I couldn't tell you. I was the asshole not paying an iota of attention, cracking jokes and giggling hysterically with the friend I was lucky enough to sit next to during the ceremony.
Do people actually care that much about their high school? Do they take it that seriously? Was it like that when I was in school? The whole idea of school spirit has always baffled me. I truly and honestly can say, I DON'T GET IT. I don't think it to be a matter of feeling "too cool for school," but rather a genuine lack of understanding of what the big deal is.
I always felt that there was so much more in the world and in life to get my panties in a wad about than my stupid high school and our football team. It all seemed so insignificant in the bigger picture then...and it still is now.
Graduation was definitely a big deal though, because it made it official that it WAS OVER. Fuck the nostalgia- BUH BYE. The nazi administration could get their rocks off by power tripping on the next senior class in their clutches.
Before the handing out of diplomas there was the seemingly endless sentimental yawn-tastic talking and reflecting, too many songs sung by the choir, and a slideshow that featured pictures of pretty much all of the same particular students over and over again.
We all know who THOSE kids were...they were clones of the same kids in every class, at every school all over the country for past decades on end. The obvious A-Lister "stars" of the school, with the occasional B-listers making the cut so that it wasn't AS shamelessly obvious who created the slideshow for the ceremony.
My brother and I counted how many times we saw the same group of girls poised together for various school events such as prom or fill-in-the-blank dress up day or whatever, and the same groups of guys doing the same. You could tell that they were the Pretty Popular Pod People by the reaction of the students. I would bet you a thousand dollars that they were pom and/or cheerleaders, football players, and other athletes and kids who believed that they ruled the school.
But that's just high school politics. It's nothing new and it never changes. No surprise.
ALL OF THAT ASIDE, I have to admit how proud I am of my John Michael for graduating. The best part of the ceremony, of course, was screaming bloody murder and scaring the crap out of the people sitting in front of us, when my brother, husband and I stood up to cheer for him, "We love you John! Whooop whooop!" You know you've made someone feel special when your voice is hoarse from a three second shout out.
He always tells me, during each of his rites of passages (driver's license, entering high school, first job, etc.) that he knows that he makes me feel old. And he does make me feel old, but not in a bad way.
I learn just as much from him as he does from me, considering I've been drilling my perspective into his head since the moment he learned to read. He called me the next day, as promised, to let me know that he was safe and had fun at his graduation parties. Then he proudly proclaimed to me that his class "partied harder than any other class at North."
Um, ok. I wasn't sure how to respond to that. So I said, "Um. Ok John. I think all classes always think that, but you go ahead and think that if you want."
I was quite excited and happy to see John Michael walk that stage and free himself from the chains of authority and stupid adolescent politics that is high school. I can't wait to see what he does with himself now that he is free to start living out of those constraints.
