You Are Not Who You Were in High School
– a Berly View
In High school I was on the track team my senior year but only because my friends were on the team and you got out of school for meets. Everyone was allowed on the track team and I was a solid 4th place high jumper who’s idea of training was switch from Camel Filters to Camel Lights. No wonder the Coach hated me.
So no, I was not always a runner. BUT my soul always knew I was. I use to dream about running…not running away from anything but more of running as an expression of joy.
One of my favorite places to run is at the Nature Center. I can do a nice 2+ mile lap through every changing wooded scenery. It is never crowded and in the colder months, I see more white tailed deer and wild turkeys then humans.
A couple of years ago I noticed someone I knew running the opposite direction. We would pass each other from time to time and always give a wave and a smile. It was a boy I knew from high school. A boy, now a man, that I had not seen in over 25 years. While we were not close friends, we did run in the same circle. And now, after all these years, we were literally running the same circle.
Jump forward to earlier this year, I was recovering from an injury and my weekly runs had to be run/walks. One day, I decided to go in the opposite direction, thinking that it might be easier on my injured ankle. During a walking break, along comes the boy I knew from high school. He stopped running and walked next to me. We only spoke for about 5 to 10 minutes before he continued on running. It only took that long to catch up…to learn about families, kids and careers, to learn things had turned out pretty good for both of us and to learn that we were both happily surprised at the joys that life had brought us.
I have returned to running my normal direction and still see him. There is still always a smile and wave but now I can’t help but think, “we are not who we where in high school”. You see in high school, we were the kids that loved to party more then the ones who loved school. Who would of guessed those two kids from the “party” group would become business owners, parents AND RUNNERS.
I don’t think there is anyway I would of thought 30 years ago that
I would be who I am, were I am or how I am.
In high school your personality and life is basically a product of your surroundings…your location, your community, your school, your home. Things you don’t even have control of at this age. The sad part is that you do finally get to make some decisions around this time but because your brain is not fully developed, many of them are poor decisions. And heck, let’s not forget about all the changes in hormones thrown into the mix.
I am heart broken for the youth that are miserable and just want to give up on life. Life is so long. Life changes so much over time. Life does get hard but that too can change.
You do not have to be who you where in high school.
You can become the person you want to be. You can become the person your soul knows you can be. There are changes that will happen that you might not even feel are possible.
Love this! Running is where my physical and mental spirits meet:)
I have been revisiting my teens as a part of putting my demons to rest. Painful at times but has led me to being a published author. Who knew? Self teflection is not for the eeak, but eill make you so much stronger! Loved this post. You are off on an amazing adventure!
Great blog! Maybe I will see you on the trail over the holidays!