Values

Just *thinking* about writing a post titled “values” sounds vaguely like I’m gonna write a sermon. I promise I won’t.

In 1991 I was a senior in high school. My Catholic prep school offered “senior retreats” where they’d bus us off to a retreat center. I remember having a small room to myself, spare, clean, with a small desk, single bed, and no television or radio. Just me and my thoughts and a crucifix on the wall.

When we weren’t in our rooms, we were gathered in a big space doing activities with our fellow seniors. I had many friends in high school, several of whom I’d gone to school with since we were in first grade, or middle school. I also had several friends who were “new” to me—people I met in high school and became bonded with, or well-acquainted with—and with whom I shared some of my drug-addled adventures or alcohol-infused shenanigans. Though I had a few friends in different social groups in high school, some of my dearest friends went to another high school altogether, and then there were the “friends” I hung out with who had dropped out of school and were mostly connected to me through my boyfriend who was in a punk band.

I’m trying to say that though I had a number of friends, I still felt in high school like I was a weirdo, an outsider, and I couldn’t wait to be done with it.