Tag: advice

Reflections on High School: What I Learned

Describe something you learned in high school.

My four years in high school were some of my least favorite years. I know for some people, it’s the greatest time ever. Well, I never had that feeling. I wasn’t popular or well liked. But now that I’ve been out of high school for about 15 years, I feel like I can look back on it and really talk about it. I don’t regret who I was then or who I am now. The things that happened then, helped shape me into who I am today.

My freshman year was, and always will be my favorite year of high school. The school I went to felt like home. I felt like I belonged there. My older brother spent all four years of high school there, too. I was familiar with it, and going somewhere else just wasn’t an option. Then they closed the school down at the end of my freshman year.

It crushed me, and to make a long story short, I eventually decided to go to a high school in the suburbs. Was it a good decision? No. Was it a bad decision? Also, no. It was a decision I made and then had to live with.

Some of those people were nice to me. Some of those people were not so nice to me. And some of them didn’t care about me either way. Personally, I never felt like I fit in anywhere while I was there. I played golf and baseball, and I had also joined the chess club, but I always felt like I was on the outside looking in.

I’m pretty sure my sophomore and junior year I ate lunch with just one other person. We were the “weird” ones. My senior year, I ate lunch with a few other people, mostly the “nerds.” I was OK with that because I was, and still am kind of a nerd.

During my junior year, another school closed down. A bunch of those kids came to where I was going. A lot of them were devastated, and I knew how they felt. I was one of the only ones who did. But what that also brought over was a whole new era of trouble.

I feel like I flew under the radar most of high school. I didn’t cause any problems. I tried to avoid drama. I did play sports, but I wasn’t a top athlete. My senior year was different. It’s like I got noticed all of a sudden. And once I got noticed, I was an easy target.

I was bullied quite a bit my senior year. I never said anything about it because I didn’t see the point. I knew I just had to finish my senior year and then I’d never have to see those people again. To this day I’ve only seen a handful of the people from my senior class, mostly by chance and not because I wanted to. The ones who treated me well will be greeted with respect. The others? I’m not sure. I guess we’ll see if I ever cross that bridge.

So, what did I learn from high school?

I learned that just because you’re popular in high school, it doesn’t mean anything. Sure people want to be like you, and they always want to be around you. But once you leave, no one cares.

I learned that even if you feel alone, you aren’t. There’s always someone else to talk to or hang around. There are more people like you than you think.

I learned that bullies prey on the weak. They always go after those smaller and weaker than them. They abuse others to feel like their lives are better than they are. Bullies are the weakest people.

I learned that a few years after high school you’re mostly forgotten. I was on the baseball team that went to State. We didn’t win State, but I could walk back into the school today and no one would know who I am. They wouldn’t care either.

I learned that being true to who you are is more important than anything else. Never give into peer pressure if it feels wrong. I avoided high school drinking and parties and I don’t regret it for a second.

I know my high school experience isn’t a one size fits all. Everyone experiences different things and situations. I truly did love my freshman year of high school. I was excited to be there. I was treated well. I felt like I belonged. After that, everything changed. But in a way, I’m kind of glad it happened. Without it, I don’t think I’d be the person I am today.

If I Could Change My Past, Would I?

What advice would you give to your teenage self?

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been wondering about what I would do if I had a time machine and could go back in time. It’s quite an interesting question to give yourself. Would you tell yourself what’s coming? Would you not tell yourself, knowing that what’s coming could be good or bad? Would you go back at all?

I’m 31, and while I’m not exactly old, I’ve lived a bit. I’ve done things I’m proud of, I’ve done things I’m not proud of. I’ve done things I’d love to relive, I’ve done things I’d wish to forget. I’ve had my regrets. I’ve overcome those regrets. I’ve lived my life, and I’ve played it safe.

So, if I had a time machine, would I go back in time? The short answer: yes.

What advice would I give myself? That’s a hard question to answer. I don’t think there’s any one answer to that question. I wouldn’t tell myself everything to come. That would ruin the fun. But if I could say only one thing, it would be this, “While life may be difficult and it might suck, it will always get better. The rough times don’t last, and the good memories will always outweigh the bad.”

I wouldn’t change my past or try to warn myself of what’s to come. The reason I am who I am is because of the life I’ve lived. And as much as I’d like to live a different life, I don’t think I ever could. To live a different life would mean that I’m no longer me. I’d be a variation of me.

I’m proud of who I am and what I’ve done to get here. Life isn’t always rainbows and sunshine. As long as we make the best of the time we have, that’s something to be proud of. Nothing will ever be truly perfect, but we can make moments perfect for a short time.

Advice From a Guy That’s 30

Originally, I wanted this to be an actual blog post, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense to make it into a sort of list. Do I know everything? No. Do I know a lot? Sort of. This is just a collection of things I’ve learned over the last 30 years. They aren’t in any order either.

  • We tend to care too much. We should care about the important things, but things out of our control, we should let go. It took me a long time to learn this one in particular. Once I stopped caring about the small stuff, things were better for me overall.
  • Don’t worry about what others think of you. It’s impossible to make everyone like you. The most important thing is to just be yourself. If people don’t like you, that’s their problem, not yours.
  • Do the things that make you happy. Don’t let others stop you from enjoying your life. I read comics and play video games. People look at me weird when I tell them. Guess what? I like playing games, and comic books are amazing between the artwork and the stories. If they don’t like it, it’s their problem, not mine.
  • Travel when you can. The world is so big, and there’s so much to see. Go out and see it when you can.
  • No life will ever be perfect. The idea is to make the best of what you have. Sure, you’ll have good and bad days, but the bad days will pass. The good days should be enjoyed.
  • Learn your worth. It took me a long time to learn mine and when people weren’t treating me right, I walked away. Even in past jobs. Were they happy? No, but they had every chance to make it right and they didn’t. I have no regrets.
  • Live without regret. I know it’s easier said than done, but take a chance. Get out of your comfort zone. You’ll be surprised how things can turn out. I can happily say that there isn’t a single thing I regret. Just don’t do anything illegal.
  • Don’t wish to grow up too fast. Enjoy your younger years. One day you’ll blink your eyes and you’ll be all grown up. People want to skip to the end, but half the fun is the journey you go on to get there.

I’m sure there’s more but I just can’t think of them at this moment. If I do, I’ll update this list.

Being 30 isn’t all that bad. I work with teenagers sometimes and they like to call me old. They make jokes about how I had pet dinosaurs and that sort of thing. Sure it’s funny, but realistically, I’m not that old. And most days, I don’t even feel like I’m 30. I feel younger.

Over the last 30 years, I’ve witnessed a lot. I remember September 11th (I was in 4th grade at the time). I saw the creation of smartphones, something I never thought I’d have. Now, everyone has one. I saw the Chicago Cubs win the World Series for the first time in over 100 years. I watched the Chicago Blackhawks win not just 1, but 3 Stanley Cups. I lived during a global pandemic that’s lasted way too long. I’m also older than Google. What did I learn from it all? The world is far from perfect. Everyone has their own story to tell. A reason for who they are. But that’s also why I am the way I am.

There’s so many negative things that happen in a given day. So many things that make people feel horrible. I like being the person to make people laugh. I like making a positive impact even for just a moment. I like telling stupid dad jokes. I like being goofy. It’s what I do. We’re all going to grow old one day, but who says that we have to grow up?

People take life too serious; they take themselves too serious. People need to enjoy themselves more. There’s no need to be stressed over things that literally won’t matter in a few years years. Enjoy your life in the moment, because once this moment is gone, it’ll never come back.