01 Feb 2018

I still remember the last day of high school clearly. I remember the excitement, the smiles on everyone’s faces as they walked out that exam hall for the last time. I remember us all discussing how question 12 was such bullshit, and how after a few minutes Phil yelled at us and reminded us that we didn’t need to talk about it anymore. It was done, over. School was out – forever. I remember thinking that it was pretty sweet that I was going to keep making memories with those people for years to come. But I was wrong; everything changes after high school. I remember seeing some of those people for the last time that day.

It’s not like it was a deliberate decision by anyone involved, either – it was just the natural direction in the flow of life that brought us apart. Looking back, school was such a bubble. Never again are you thrown in an environment where you’re forced to learn and socialise with hundreds of kids your age every day for six years straight. I quickly learnt that without the daily, forced interaction with some of these people, I wouldn’t have fostered those same friendships, nor would I be hanging out with them as frequently. And I’m not trying to have a stab at the quality of their bantz or anything, it’s just f*cking hard to maintain those friendships as an adult.

 

You know what else is hard to maintain after high school? Bloody fitness. You’re not running around playing sport every day anymore, and it’ll quickly show. I used to be able to play back-to-back basketball games every Friday afternoon without resting; now I get proud when I run a fast break without collapsing.

Life was simpler back then, and I wish I appreciated it at the time. I’m not discounting the real stress I felt trying to remember all those damn maths formulas while navigating the minefield of teen dating, but at least I didn’t have to pay f*cking taxes back then. Everyone told me what to do, and even if I hated it at the time, at least it was easy to follow.

It’s not all glum news though – a lot of the time these changes are for the better. People f*cking find themselves in their later years, and it’s beautiful to see. Without the expectations of an entire year group restricting you, it’s easy to shed the role you’ve been pigeonholed into all those years. The quiet kid discovers their voice, the struggling student finds what they’re good at, and the bully ends up being a drop kick.

Every year after high school I’ve learned more about myself, about my friends, and about what I want to do with the rest of my life. I haven’t figured it out yet, but it’s a process. Some days I miss those high school years, and those classmates I haven’t seen in years, but I remember all the new friends I have and how much closer I am with the people I do see every day. Shit has definitely gotten more complicated over time, but now I have a job that gives me money to buy pizza when I’m sad, and that’s pretty sweet.