Graduation

When I left America to "learn french" in Quebec, one mental wall I had to break down (with the sort of mental sledgehammer I suppose we all develop,) was the fact that I was not the only one who moved on.

Moved on literally-- I moved to another country, then to another continent, so it was easy for me to mentally separate middle school from high school. I wasn't the only one who graduated (from 8th grade,) everyone else got that middle school diploma and went out to face many different high schools. I could ramble for paragraphs about how people have moved on in the "now I hate all of our old friends" or "now I think drugs are just okay" sort of way, what I'm talking about is how none of my Charter friends go to Charter any more.

It was weird to think about. What really bummed (and bums) me out is that there was no longer a way to see all of these people in one place. Many I knew I'd see again, but there's no way I could hunt down and spend time with each person individually, and there's also no way I would want to see everyone anyways. Lot of bad blood in those seedy 8th grade classrooms, ya know? Not really though.

And now it's happening again. With the passing of this year's 8th grade class there is really no students I know at the school any longer. When I went back to Charter after my year in Quebec I was surrounded by kids I was in choir, the play, band, basketball, etc. with. Now if I could make a journey, during school, the only people I'd know would be the teachers, and few of those who I actually knew still remain.

And then we have Quebec. I miss those guys. I met a lot of great people in Quebec, none of whom I'm good about keeping in touch with, and thanks to that alien Canadian school system, my class graduated this year. Congratulations to them, first of all, but since I had lots of acquaintances and few real friends there-- I was only there a year, after all-- it'd be hard to see everyone I would want to again. Because no one goes to QHS anymore, they're all in a manner of different CEGEPs or whatever you guys call 'em.

So, to all the acquaintances whom I've enjoyed meeting but never took the time to become friends with-- I'm sorry. We may never meet again, but I'll miss you.

-Will


"Can't repeat the past?…Why of course you can!"