Apology for Junior High and High School Behavior

 

While going through my junior high and high school journals, I have noticed how poorly behaved I was. People must have been completely annoyed by me. I was an incessant flirt, demander of attention, way too busy to listen well, and oblivious to it all. I said mean things about people, talked about myself all the time and seemed to not care about my impact on others. For all the amazing people in my junior high and high school classes who helped shape who I am today . . .

I have this to say:

1. Thank you for standing up to me and telling me that I was annoying or hurtful. While it is hard to do this, it had a tremendous impact on my future behavior. Once someone told me I talked about myself all the time. That hit me so hard, I vowed never to do it again. While I cannot say I succeeded every moment thereafter, that confrontation swept through my mind and helped me be a better friend and person. I still think about this and try to have a balanced conversation where everyone contributes.
2. Similar to childbirth, thank you for forgetting all about the pain (annoying behavior) over time and remembering me as a fun, bubbly person who organized dances and shuffled through the halls so my boobs wouldn’t bounce.
3. I hope you were also oblivious and too preoccupied about your our situation and interactions to notice mine. I think there is something about this age where everyone is so worried about how other people perceive them that they don’t notice the behavior of others. I sure hope this is the case.

A good take away from my experience in reading through the journals of my life, is that I can see the events in retrospect and the result of the events—some exceedingly significant. The most impactful were often the most painful. I am who I am today because of the crappy confrontations that were so awkward.

Sorry.

Thank you.

I think I am better now.

Anyone know what I am talking about? Did anyone ever say something to you that made you say, “Oh crap. Really? I do that?” Share your stories in the comments below.