This is me in grade 9, baby.

I've seen a few messages on my high school message board, people complaining about how awful their 4 years there were. High school was a difficult time for the majority of us, I understand that; I had a lot of shit go down between the ages of 14 and 18 myself. But all in all, my experience was a good one, mostly because I had some really good friends. And I'd like to think that most people did have at least one person they counted lucky to have met during their formative years.

I dealt with my parents divorce, losing my best friend, an unrequited love, and my only extra-curricular activity being shut down. There was also the depression I had been fighting since the age of 12. All that crap sucked big time, but I still managed to have fun.

I was in a few of the "smart" classes, and therefore, I had a label. I was not a "cool kid" or "popular". Most of us in those classes werent. And most of us didn't care. We went to school to learn, to interact with other people, and to hope to one day get into a good college. And we definitely had some good times along the way. I still get to talk to a few of my fellow classmates, and everyone seems to be doing rather well. High school didn't break us.

I became involved with theatre my sophomore year, and I really enjoyed it. Bunnell Theatre Company was unlike any other organization I had ever seen. I was sucked into its vortex at a time when I was most impressionable, and, although I was crushed when the school decided to disband it, I'm happy about it now. I couldn't see it, but, in hindsight, I was brainwashed to a degree. That scares the hell out of me now. There's no telling what I would have done if we had been allowed to continue. I almost lost a good friend because of BTC he had tried to warn me that the group was changing me, but I didn't want to hear it. The school actually did me a favor.

My senior year, I got involved with the school literary magazine, being co-editor of a side-mag we had decided to put out that year. There were definitely some strange people in that group, but they were cool, too, in my book anyway. We all got along well, even while being extremely competitive with one another because we all thought our writing was the best (which cracks me up now because my writing sucked ass) and should go on page one.

I got involved with the Student Theatre Arts Guild of Entertainment that year, as well. To this day, the members of S.T.A.G.E. are by far some of the coolest people I have ever had the privilege to know. We spent every single day together that year. And although there were a few members who didn't hang out with us on a regular basis, we all got along rather well for such a large group. I DO wish more people had come along for our nightly ritual at D&D after play practice because I hate to think we alienated anyone. Everyone rocked (well, except for that Carrie girl that used to follow my boyfriend around - she was a pain in the arse).

This is what I remember most about high school. All of us hanging out, having some coffee and a few cigs, waxing philosophic on the godliness of Eddie Vedder and whether Jesus really wore biker shorts under his toga and Tevas were his sandal of choice (you had to be there).

My younger sister still makes fun of all of us "theatre freaks" to this day, simply because we werent cool enough for her and her motley band of troublemakers. My oldest niece has followed in my footsteps and has joined the theatre group as well, not to mention the marching band, and my sister makes fun of her for it, too. What my sister doesnt get is that groups like that make a lasting impression on a person, and you really find some of the nicest and most creative people within their boundaries. And you usually make some life-long friends, as well.

My husband doesn't get it, either. He still has a few friends from high school, but he gets pissy because its hard to make plans with them. And they don't try to make as much of an effort as he does to stay in touch. I've tried to explain to him that he made most of those friends while they were stinking drunk and stoned off their asses, and now that he doesn't do any of that anymore, they don't really want anything to do with him. He's grown up. He has a wife, a baby on the way, a house, a new car, property taxes and health insurance to pay, not to mention a job he works at 50+ hours a week. And they still party. That's all they do.

He wonders how I stay in touch with people from all those years ago, whether it's going out for a coffee or writing an email occasionally. And I tell him it's simply because we grew up, REALLY grew up together. These people are like home to me.