All The Other Stuff

Everybody, at some point in their lives is asked the following question. It is a question that is so difficult to answer that it feels like you have just been stepped on by a very large iguana with mountain feet. (Why an iguana? I don't know!)

This terrifying question is, 

"How was school?" (It can also be phrased as, "Do you like school?")

Although it may seem impossible, I have done it. I have achieved the nearly impossible. 

I have thought of an answer to this question. 

Sorry I keep doing one line paragraphs. It contributes to the dramatic and suspenseful effect. :)

The answer is, "I like the learning, but not the stuff that comes with it."

Now, let me explain how I came up with this answer.

I love learning. If that makes me a nerd, I don't care. Learning about how thing work in science class, or stories of the past in social studies, or reading books in English class, or even the thrill of finally solving a really hard quadratic equation! I love it! It builds up my knowledge and gives me a better understanding of the world as a whole. However, I don't like the stuff that comes with it. Some examples of this are the following.

- Other people constantly judging you

- Name calling to your face

- Name calling behind your back

- Stereotypes

- More stereotypes

- The knowledge that, to most people around you, many of your defining characteristics are "bad"

- Not tests themselves, but the constant anxiety and panic that NEVER EVER EVER stops leading up to them

- Not the homework itself, but the knowledge that you go to school every single day and look forward to going home to relax and shake off all the stress, but NO! You just come home to hours and hours of more work to do and you want to watch your favorite TV show, or even read a book that you have to read already in order to go to Mariano's for the reading incentive that you can't miss because you know that all of your friends are going and you can't stand the thought of being all alone in the disgusting lunch room with nobody, not a single person, to talk to and actually feel wanted, but no. You have to go to bed because it is really late and you just finished your homework.

- That one stupid question on that one worksheet that doesn't make any sense to you but for some reason everybody else gets it, and you don't know why, but it ends up bringing down your grade.

- Knowing that most of your grade hates you except for your class, who doesn't hate you, but half of them talk to you in that voice you use when you don't want to talk to somebody.

- Knowing that in many friend groups, whenever your name is mentioned (They may have a code name for you so that they don't get in trouble.), they laugh and make fun of you behind your back.

- Knowing that some of these don't even happen, but you believe them anyway because you have anxiety and trouble in social situations. Oh yeah, and guess where that came from? School!

My friends are pretty cool, but next year, they are gone. Even the ones who are not moving away will still be gone. We don't want to accept it, but it will happen. Nobody keeps the same friends in middle school and in high school. 

This blog post is supposed to be about endings. This whole school, and the learning, and the other stuff will be gone forever. Next year is a clean slate. My goal, and what I recommend your goal be too, is to try to be able to love the learning, and the other stuff. If the other stuff turns out to be bad, don't let it bring you down. So, maybe the answer to the impossible question next year can just simply be, 

"School is good."

(I realize I should probably add a picture in this, so here.)