A big theme for me this weekend is transitions—the changing
road ahead and all the shit spinning in my head. A lot of it comes from my kid
graduating, which has me reflecting on my own high school experience.
To be blunt: there wasn’t much of one. I wasted so much
time, and it wasn’t even funny. I didn't get the support or the challenge I
needed. I was bullied by students, and teachers openly told others they
expected me to end up pumping gas.
When I was tossed out of mainstream high school and put into
a behavioral school, I didn't see much of a future. I thought I was doomed. But
at the new school, I started making friends—mostly because we were all getting
high—but I also found an interest in writing. I wrote a play, cast it (though
rehearsals never happened), and actually did well in sports like volleyball and
bowling. By senior year, I was on the yearbook staff. But I never finished. I
took a job with my father instead, which was a mistake. I missed my own high
school graduation.
It wasn't until I got into college that I found my creative
side. From theater to radio, I started to believe anything was possible. I even
wanted to be a WWF manager! I was focused on being the next shock-jock,
producing public access TV.
The truth is, high school is mostly bullshit. Being a
teenager comes with a lot of it. I didn’t find my stride until my mid-20s when
I stopped being an idiot.
To everyone graduating: it’s never too late to change. Maybe
you were the "book nerd" and now you want to find a wilder side in
college. Or maybe you fucked around and see this as a chance to turn the page.
College was one of the best things for me—not just for the classes, but for the
experience of learning about myself.
The crazy shit of high school is over. Congratulations on
making it through. I hope you find something that makes you happy, because at
the end of the day, you have to live with yourself. Be good to yourself. This
is the age where habits for the rest of your life start to form, but always
remember: there is always a chance to Begin Again.
Congratulations and NMF,
m
