Comments on: a junior high story http://thisfish.com/a-junior-high-story/ Found the bike. Not changing the title. Mon, 06 Apr 2026 05:54:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Mo Mentum http://thisfish.com/a-junior-high-story/#comment-36540 Mo Mentum Sat, 08 May 2010 07:27:16 +0000 http://thisfish.com/?p=1747#comment-36540 <p>Oh My! <br /><br />First day of 7th grade at Bancroft Junior High: fell down a flight of steps during passing period. It just got worse after that. Completely consumed with thoughts that I could not be cool enough or say things in witty way that would make a group laugh or admire me and invite me to be a part of their circle. </p><br /><br /><p>That school closed and we got transferred to another school, and the girls there were SCARY in the locker room before and after gym class..making fun of you or hassling you about whether you were looking at them while they changed..making fun of whatever cheapa$$ clothes my mom would give me money to get. Pretty sure I was going to get beat to crap eventually. I changed over to JROTC after a year of that...couldn't hang with the stinky polyester onesie-type gym suit or the harassment. Those girls were still around but in smaller doses, since they didn't take the same classes that I did. </p><br /><br /><p>The funny thing is, I was a good student, reasonably pretty and a size two in eighth grade. Mostly the monsters of my own insecurities and fears had already gotten the best of me, so those girls had no trouble helping me to feel worse about how I looked, how I spoke, whether I wore makeup or not, if I had the coolest stuff...whatever. <br /><br />I appreciate the comment about wanting to go back in time and give that girl a hug. </p><br /><br /><p>I guess I'm pretty happy now in my own insecure, dorky way. I mean the insecurity and sef-doubt are there sometimes but after finding friends who know what love is (i.e. accepting someone *exactly* as they are), I have learned to be myself a little more and to let people see me for who I am.<br /><br />The gawky girl grew up, but you can't get rid of dorky :) </p> Oh My!

First day of 7th grade at Bancroft Junior High: fell down a flight of steps during passing period. It just got worse after that. Completely consumed with thoughts that I could not be cool enough or say things in witty way that would make a group laugh or admire me and invite me to be a part of their circle.

That school closed and we got transferred to another school, and the girls there were SCARY in the locker room before and after gym class..making fun of you or hassling you about whether you were looking at them while they changed..making fun of whatever cheapa$$ clothes my mom would give me money to get. Pretty sure I was going to get beat to crap eventually. I changed over to JROTC after a year of that…couldn’t hang with the stinky polyester onesie-type gym suit or the harassment. Those girls were still around but in smaller doses, since they didn’t take the same classes that I did.

The funny thing is, I was a good student, reasonably pretty and a size two in eighth grade. Mostly the monsters of my own insecurities and fears had already gotten the best of me, so those girls had no trouble helping me to feel worse about how I looked, how I spoke, whether I wore makeup or not, if I had the coolest stuff…whatever.

I appreciate the comment about wanting to go back in time and give that girl a hug.

I guess I’m pretty happy now in my own insecure, dorky way. I mean the insecurity and sef-doubt are there sometimes but after finding friends who know what love is (i.e. accepting someone *exactly* as they are), I have learned to be myself a little more and to let people see me for who I am.

The gawky girl grew up, but you can’t get rid of dorky :)

]]> By: Miss M http://thisfish.com/a-junior-high-story/#comment-36539 Miss M Sun, 02 May 2010 21:16:48 +0000 http://thisfish.com/?p=1747#comment-36539 <p>I too have some horrid memories of Jr. High (and High School for that matter!), yet somehow I decided to become a 7th grade teacher! It's sad to watch them all go through such misery, and I try to reassure them that they'll make it through...and then I cringe because I know it totally sucks. I must say, I see everyday that the kids who make fun of others are having an equal amount of misery in other ways even if they'd never admit it to anyone else.</p> I too have some horrid memories of Jr. High (and High School for that matter!), yet somehow I decided to become a 7th grade teacher! It’s sad to watch them all go through such misery, and I try to reassure them that they’ll make it through…and then I cringe because I know it totally sucks. I must say, I see everyday that the kids who make fun of others are having an equal amount of misery in other ways even if they’d never admit it to anyone else.

]]> By: Jessica http://thisfish.com/a-junior-high-story/#comment-36538 Jessica Sat, 01 May 2010 08:55:03 +0000 http://thisfish.com/?p=1747#comment-36538 <p>If you figure out how to move on, please let me know - I'm still working on it 20 years later myself? Junior high and high school were the worst 6 years of my life and I fight those demons every day at work, at the running club, at my apartment manager's office - do they like me? am I skinny enough? do my glasses make me look ugly today? am I funny enough? am I smart enough? why wasn't I popular enough? how come I never had that too skinny phase, only the too fat phase?<br /><br />Thank goodness for teachers that can see that and for the little bit of respite that they can provide in what is otherwise torture. I still want to cry when I think about those years.</p> If you figure out how to move on, please let me know – I’m still working on it 20 years later myself? Junior high and high school were the worst 6 years of my life and I fight those demons every day at work, at the running club, at my apartment manager’s office – do they like me? am I skinny enough? do my glasses make me look ugly today? am I funny enough? am I smart enough? why wasn’t I popular enough? how come I never had that too skinny phase, only the too fat phase?

Thank goodness for teachers that can see that and for the little bit of respite that they can provide in what is otherwise torture. I still want to cry when I think about those years.

]]> By: ChaCha http://thisfish.com/a-junior-high-story/#comment-36537 ChaCha Fri, 30 Apr 2010 01:51:52 +0000 http://thisfish.com/?p=1747#comment-36537 <p>I hated Junior High. I hated High School. It was all much better in HS once I told them I could graduate tomorrow and it wouldn't bother me a bit if I never saw them again. I still cringe when I think of certain people. I still feel that the mental scars I had from them are affecting me today. I had great friends in elementary school who dropped me in Jr High and then just used me. Everyone wanted to work with me on group projects-I was the smart one. Still today I feel used by so many people and that I'm slightly socially awkward-but when anyone needs anything-I'm still the one they call. </p><br /><br /><p>BTW I'm happy you found someone. Maybe someday I will too.</p> I hated Junior High. I hated High School. It was all much better in HS once I told them I could graduate tomorrow and it wouldn’t bother me a bit if I never saw them again. I still cringe when I think of certain people. I still feel that the mental scars I had from them are affecting me today. I had great friends in elementary school who dropped me in Jr High and then just used me. Everyone wanted to work with me on group projects-I was the smart one. Still today I feel used by so many people and that I’m slightly socially awkward-but when anyone needs anything-I’m still the one they call.

BTW I’m happy you found someone. Maybe someday I will too.

]]> By: teresa http://thisfish.com/a-junior-high-story/#comment-36536 teresa Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:35:17 +0000 http://thisfish.com/?p=1747#comment-36536 <p>wow! you haven't made me actually cry in quite awhile... jr high wasn't bad (though i spent most of it masquerading a boy...nobody cares how a boy dresses...and they get to wander around without anyone noticing them) but high school was a nightmare.... when my first love passed away a few years ago, an old "friend" showed up where I worked to make sure that I knew of his passing.... I asked why she didn't show up at his service if she cared so much... I've said before that the bitches in our lives when they are young hag out early... she was a prime example... it's the uglyness showing up.. it can only stay hidden for a short time... also... I believe that the horrible people in my young life made me the empathetic warm human person that I am... as they did for you. Life makes the strong into good people and the weak into bullies </p> wow! you haven’t made me actually cry in quite awhile… jr high wasn’t bad (though i spent most of it masquerading a boy…nobody cares how a boy dresses…and they get to wander around without anyone noticing them) but high school was a nightmare…. when my first love passed away a few years ago, an old “friend” showed up where I worked to make sure that I knew of his passing…. I asked why she didn’t show up at his service if she cared so much… I’ve said before that the bitches in our lives when they are young hag out early… she was a prime example… it’s the uglyness showing up.. it can only stay hidden for a short time… also… I believe that the horrible people in my young life made me the empathetic warm human person that I am… as they did for you. Life makes the strong into good people and the weak into bullies

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