Wicked. Have you seen the broadway play? I did and LOVED it. I can so relate to a misunderstood underdog.
Meet Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. She was misunderstood and didn’t ever quite fit in. Glinda the Good Witch, well you find out, like many things in life, she wasn’t all she seemed to be.
When you were growing up were you one of the cool kids? The in crowd. An always fit in person? I wasn’t. I was always on the outskirts. Ran with the in crowd a bit, but wasn’t really one of them, know what I mean? Hung out with the choir nerds, but wasn’t really a fit there either. High school was rough! But I really loved it. The social aspects. Learning to drive. Starting to feel like a “grown up”. Concerts. Picking a college. Moving on.
Oh, but back back to Elphaba, bless her misunderstood heart…
Okay, I lied. I’m still going down this tangential path. So after talking to The Impish One last night for quite a long time. We went out to dinner. Just the two of us. Such fun. I love and adore spending one on one time with my boys. Anyway, The Impish One has one more week of high school. One more. My last child will be finished with high school. All over. Finished. Oh, sorry, got carried away a bit there in an all about me way…
The Impish One talked about kids he’s known since grade school. In crowds. Kids that were sweet little grade schoolers who are “losers” now. Whatever a high schooler’s version of loser is… He has friends who are now off to the real world of work and paychecks and making ends meet. Friends going to egghead colleges. Friends going to community college.
It’s hard to explain to an 18 year old, and really, they wouldn’t understand it anyway…how life is so going to change. That it doesn’t matter if you were in crowd or not. If the teachers liked you or if you had a trouble maker reputation. The slate is clean when you hit college or the real world. Make of it what you want. Choose the person you’d like to be.
But back to Elphaba…again. Maybe it doesn’t matter if we’re not quite a good fit. Maybe it doesn’t matter if we don’t fit in. Maybe, just maybe, the only thing that matters is that we like the person we are.
Maybe that comes with age. Maybe some people are born with it. How about you? Did you fit in when you were growing up? Do you feel like you do now?
I remember hanging out with lots of different people in different groups. I always had one best friend, but we moved around a lot when I was young and I ended up going to 3 different high schools. I guess I like the person I’ve become. Most days. But what I really want to say is that 3 years ago, my last one was getting ready for graduation from high school. What a difficult time that was for me, but exciting too! I’m thinking about you, glad for you and glad for him. May all his wishes come true. (Um, well, the ones that won’t get him into too much trouble!)
Have a great day, Kacey. Thanks for the comment you left yesterday. Things are better now.
You will be ok! It is time for your impish one to move on, and you as well. this should be an exciting new time in you life as well as your baby. I can fit in with select people, but have always felt more comfortable with animals and nature than people. I do great if it is one on one, but not a big fan of crowds. There is no dishonesty in one on one. I haven’t changed much as far as that goes since high school. I am better now with people, because I realize that we are ALL going through the same feelings, everyone has a story.. And I think that even the most popular kids felt just as self conscious as the miss fits.. thanks for sharing,, and I am sure you will both do great..
You know it’s funny. When I was in school I was part of the in crowd and fit in very well. Cheerleader, took part in the band, choir, gymnastics and all our school had to offer. Now that I am mid life is where I am having a hard time fitting in. Not sure why, just feel this way. Part of me feels really young and the other half feels older than my years.
I’m pondering. Haven’t thought about all that for a long time. Hmmm…
I was never in the “in crowd”. And while I longed to be popular, I pretty much found the “in crowd” boring and/or stupid. *g* Contradictions R Us. :rofl:
Forgot to mention I haven’t seen Wicked but I’ve read the book. I was fully in Elphaba’s corner.
Never was part of the “in” crowd. I’m still am not. I always was a geek (still am) and never into mainstream stuff (still not). Some things really do never change…
Christine, interesting that you haven’t changed. I have. So much. My interests. My “I don’t care” attitude about what people think about me. My geekiness (came on in my 30’s).
Treasia, I feel exactly the same way sometimes. Way younger than my years, and then, somehow older than my years.
I have always been a very social person, but I never felt that I fit in. I had ambitions and goals which were severely lacking in our little town.
You’re right: People aren’t going to recall things like our GPAs or who we went to the prom with. Those are big deals to our soon-to-be grads, but just wait …
As my oldest heads to high school, I wonder how to make him understand that high school bears no resemblance to the real world. Not that he would believe me, of course.
As much as I enjoyed high school, you couldn’t pay me to go back. Whenever someone mentions it, I always think of that line in Never Been Kissed where big brother looks at Drew Barrymore and says, “Do you remember high school?”
Really good post, Kacey. High school stuff can seem SO important to kids in the midst of it. I had to tell my kids many times over the years, “Chill. There is life after high school. Ignore these people. Be yourself.”
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