Facebook and High School
So, in my recent nostalgic turn as I face my final semester at hell frozen over… uh, I mean Cornell, I’ve been hanging out on facebook more frequently.
And must I say, it takes me back. Seeing all of the kids that I went to high school with, and how they’ve changed (because many of them don’t really go home any more), it’s so surreal.
These are people I loved and hated, my best friends and complete enemies during a time when I was most vulnerable to my emotions.
High School for many of us was life. We were quite sheltered, I would think, and we were also pretty close in many ways.
Coming to Cornell really took that away from me in my first year. I was scared to death my first night after my family left. I didn’t really know any one, and was nervous about making friends.
I knew most of the people that I went to high school with since elementary school–many since kindergarten. They were life long friends some of them. Or at least I thought.
But now, I realize that I don’t really talk to anyone from my old high school any more, and it makes me wonder if our high school experience really does much to prepare us for the “afterwards.”
I never would have expected that I would feel little attachment to something that I was actually quite afraid of leaving 4 years ago, but that is how it goes.
I can honestly say that I have no desire to go to my 10 year reunion because I did what I wanted, said what I needed to, and I moved on. Quite fully.
Interesting.
But, that doesn’t mean that talking to some of the again doesn’t bring me back. It’s nice some times, to see where I was and where I could go next.
8 Comments
I know what you mean, that’s what I’ve experienced with Facebook too. It’s quite strange really. But it’s funny to see that some things and people actually do never change!
I don’t use Facebook much, but on myspace I have been able to reconnect with people I went to high school with you. I agree, it’s somewhat surreal to see how drastically some people have changed after high school.
Speaking of high school reunions, I was talking to one of my best friends about going and she really doesn’t have any interest in going either. While I didn’t like most of the high school population I went to school with, I still want to be nosy, dag nabbit!
Yeah, one of the reasons why I didn’t go away for college was that I was scared to be alone.
But yeah, I know what you mean about those “life-long friends”… I also thought that they were my life-long friends also, but boy, was I wrong. Going through college these past 4 years have really made me realize all of that. =/
As for high school reunion… I actually wouldn’t mind going to it… I still keep in touch with people I go to high school with, and a lot of them, I went to elementary, and middle school with them also. But still, it’s quite different from the friends I’ve made during college, so I know what you mean.
And you’re right, it’s soo crazy how people have changed sooo much since high school! Even after a couple of months after graduating from high school, you’ve already seen some changes in people! It’s really surreal, as you’ve put it.
Ohh Cornell U. I’m considering Cornell for grad school.
nice
I ‘use’ Hyves (similar to Facebook) and I saw a lot of people on there I know from primary school or high school, but like you, I don’t have much to say to them anymore, we don’t really know each other anymore and I wonder if we ever really did.
The best friends I’ve ever made where the people I met in college, we’re still in touch and we do fun things together on a regular basis although we all have our own lives now.
Lots of people who were in the year below me at primary school have now moved up to my high school, and most now have bebo. They’ve all changed a lot. It’s freaky, isn’t it?
I have a facebook account but I havent logged in to my account for months now, probably years. hahaha.
)
I really hated my high school life. I like my college life btter.
I never want to go to my reunion. I went to a tough high school where almost 90% of graduates go on to some type of education after high school. The problem is, most of them don’t last. Every time I go into Kmart, McDonalds, the movie store, wherever near home, I almost always run into someone I graduate with and have to do the whole, “I’m in school and loving it” speech.