I am now in my late 30's, and as I look back over the years, it becomes apparent that in many cases we never leave high school. A perfect example is work. How many times have you been in a situation at work where everyone was acting like they did in high school. The only difference is that we are now older and should know better, but some of us just can't move beyond the clicks and pettiness.
For me, a high school behavior I have trouble moving beyond is the quest to be back in the skinny jeans. Although I did not plan on my friends being hostile to me for losing weight, I did enjoy the power of being a pretty girl. It is a whole other world when you are one of the beautiful people. All of a sudden, people find you more interesting, your social calendar fills up faster, and people just want to hang out with you. It's like if I can hang out with the gorgeous folks, perhaps some of it will spread on to me. Sounds silly, almost pathetic, but admittedly, there is something magnetic about wanting to be around beauty.
When I was 23 and in the middle of back in skinny jeans time #2, I was with a group of friends and we were playing a drinking game where we had to have the players guess something that we had done. If they guessed wrong, they had to drink a shot. In this particular game, when one of my times came up, I decided to have the players guess what I was NOT. I used high school.
"Okay, in high school, I was NOT one of these things: a homecoming attendant, a member of the math & science club, a cheerleader, or a Letterman in tennis." This was a hard one for everyone. The obvious answer seemed to be a member of the math & science club, but because it was so obvious, it couldn't be the answer. Then, it seemed like the homecoming and cheerleader choice couldn't be a choice either because I am pretty and outgoing, so of course I had to be one of those. Therefore, everyone decided that I had not lettered in tennis. Back then, pro tennis players were not hotties like they are today, in fact they were kind of on the masculine side.
Everyone was wrong. Drink your shot. I was never a cheerleader. I probably could have been, but I did not think I was good looking enough. Obviously I was wrong because junior year I was nominated for homecoming. That was a shocker. A dream come true, but a total shocker still. Only the beautiful and popular kids get nominated for homecoming. Unless maybe you are Carrie. (The horror movie not Bradshaw from Sex in the City.) But, in my school, no one was that cruel.
One thing from high school I really wish I could have back is my metabolism. Losing weight was so easy back then because your metabolism is naturally high. Dropping weight now is hard work. Let's be honest. No matter though, the work is sweaty, but off to kickboxing we go.
