This is me in Grade 9
As the Barenaked Ladies so kindly put it, “I'm trying my best not to look like a minor niner…” But seriously, who doesn’t look like one? I went from being a big fish in an elementary school sized pond, to a tadpole in a high school abyss – it was written all over my Ten-O-Six toned face.
My 14-year-old insecurities were wrapped around what to wear, making new friends, being further from home, taking the city bus, having classes with different teachers, trying to be noticed but at the same time not, and of course… boys. My 42-year-old self would encourage me to rock it, but I was a shy soul and ignored that future guidance like the plague.
And what on earth is a DAY 1, DAY 2, DAY 3 Schedule? Why do classes start at weird times like 9:27am and 10:36am then finish at 3:06pm in high school? Was this to prepare me for the “real world”? Yeah, no… AGAIN!
Now let’s go over my back-to-school check list:
New clothes – CHECK!
Could I wear them? – NO.
New shoes – CHECK!
Could I wear them? – NO.
But why you ask?
My first day of high school was a little different than the average bear. In fact, I think I might have been the only one at the school who started it this way. I was in a cast. Talk about standing out. I broke my ankle - well Stéphane broke my ankle when we went out to a movie on Grace’s birthday two days before school started.
We were playing around when he pushed me down into a ditch on our walk home. I heard the awful SNAP! but decided I needed to play it cool and “walk it off”, you know, to impress the boy. Fast forward 24 hours, a hospital visit, x-rays, a plaster cast and a lot of Tylenol – here I was.
Now I’m getting ready for my first day of school. I’m in pain, couldn’t shower in the morning to pretty myself up, was wearing old cut pants to fit over the cast and old gym shoes because my mother said there was no way in hell, I was wearing only one shoe from my new pair.
So... 6 weeks like this, eh? Now what? There was so much to do my first week at Duke of York H.S.! Figure out what clubs to join, which new students you think you’ll like, what sports to try out for - “Wait, what? What do you mean basketball tryouts are this week?” Yes, that’s right. I had basketball tryouts and was determined to play.
Yes, I tried out for the basketball team, wearing the cast. I was a point guard playing for the Catana Cavaliers, a local competitive basketball association and wanted to play at school sooooooo baaaaaaad! So bad in fact that I showed up to tryouts, hobbled out onto the court and started making free throws to, you know, show my “stuff”.
Mrs. Bergstein came over and asked to talk to me. Ever so gently she leaned in and said, “I see you’re wearing a cast.” I replied, “Yes I am.” She smiled and said, “I’m afraid you can’t try out with a cast on, you might get hurt.” To which I shyly replied “I can’t get any more hurt than I already am.” She sighed and told me I couldn’t try out. I was gutted. Before I let threatening tears fall, I took a nice 3-point shot, sunk it (all net btw), and shuffled back to the change room. I thought my sports career at Duke of York was over before it even started…
Then, much to my surprise, my name was on the posted list. I was dumbfounded. It turns out one of our other teachers knew me as a Cavalier because I played with his daughter. He vouched for me and my mad basketball skills. I was over the moon.
The lesson here kids is to keep going for whatever it is you want. A great year in high school, making the team, beating the odds, getting the grades or the boy you have a crush on. Try not to stand in your own way. Tell those insecurities they are allowed to visit, but only visit.
Everything you want is on the other side of fear.
Love,
Patricia
So... 6 weeks like this, eh? Now what? There was so much to do my first week at Duke of York H.S.! Figure out what clubs to join, which new students you think you’ll like, what sports to try out for - “Wait, what? What do you mean basketball tryouts are this week?” Yes, that’s right. I had basketball tryouts and was determined to play.
Yes, I tried out for the basketball team, wearing the cast. I was a point guard playing for the Catana Cavaliers, a local competitive basketball association and wanted to play at school sooooooo baaaaaaad! So bad in fact that I showed up to tryouts, hobbled out onto the court and started making free throws to, you know, show my “stuff”.
Mrs. Bergstein came over and asked to talk to me. Ever so gently she leaned in and said, “I see you’re wearing a cast.” I replied, “Yes I am.” She smiled and said, “I’m afraid you can’t try out with a cast on, you might get hurt.” To which I shyly replied “I can’t get any more hurt than I already am.” She sighed and told me I couldn’t try out. I was gutted. Before I let threatening tears fall, I took a nice 3-point shot, sunk it (all net btw), and shuffled back to the change room. I thought my sports career at Duke of York was over before it even started…
Then, much to my surprise, my name was on the posted list. I was dumbfounded. It turns out one of our other teachers knew me as a Cavalier because I played with his daughter. He vouched for me and my mad basketball skills. I was over the moon.
The lesson here kids is to keep going for whatever it is you want. A great year in high school, making the team, beating the odds, getting the grades or the boy you have a crush on. Try not to stand in your own way. Tell those insecurities they are allowed to visit, but only visit.
Everything you want is on the other side of fear.
Love,
Patricia
Comments
Post a Comment