I took a wrong turn looking for coffee on thanksgiving and found my
former high school...
The most depressed and isolated I have ever felt in my life was
the entire time I was in high school and any moment
I spent in these buildings.
Upper Arlington is a suburb of Columbus. I
moved here from Hong Kong believe it or not at the beginning
of the ninth grade. Having lived in culturally diverse
places before coming to Ohio, I was shocked by the blatant
and proud bigotry of the teachers and students of this school. I
think there may have been only two black kids.
Any classroom discussion of current events
or politics was drenched in racism.
I remember the school was composed mostly of people I considered
jocks... maybe it was me who was the snob?
It wasn't until I discovered alcohol that I felt like I could fit in
with anyone.
I had friends here, but very few. I'd say
five. A couple skateboarders and a couple goths.
Mostly my friends went to other schools, skaters I hung out with at
Dodge and street spots.
I always liked skateboarding because I was so anti-social at the time,
it was something I could do alone.
Maybe since now I am so obviously hyper-social I am just making up for
lost time.
I was always a slow student. I was in small slow classes
with like a kid that had bad tourettes and a girl that didn't
talk.
My grades averaged in the C's and D's. I never could do math or
remember
things well.
I feel bad for picking on Alex Olson a few days ago, because I'm sure
my writing was just as bad. Sorry Alex!
Sometimes I got in fights, I had a bad temper that would flare
up for no reason.
I know that talking about what we were like in high school is about as
boring as talking about your dreams...
but I think coming here was an exorcism for me.
I never played any sports or went to any school functions.
But I like this tower. It looks nice, I would never go to a
class reunion, I don't think anyone would remember
me anyway. It is almost 10 years now since I finished. I
graduated in
1995. The people I want to see I still see.
