If I could go back to high school...

[Kristine]

I think I would have been nicer to some of the people I wasn't so nice to; I would've ignored more of the people who weren't so nice to me; I would've had more confidence to actually talk to some of the guys I had the hots for (I was such a chicken!); and I would have studied A LOT harder. I had the brains, just lazy as a stump and I didn't wake up to that fact until I got into college and realized I better get my butt in gear!

What about you guys -- what would you different?

[Clark]

I wouldn't do anything different, because I did what I was able at the time... now, if I knew then what I know now, I would have been an insufferable asshole...

Don't get me wrong, it's crossed my mind, but it was what it was, and that's good enuff.

[Kristine]

You have a good point. I think part of being a teenager is being a moron and what makes us better (and smarter) adults is surviving teenagehood.

[tammi86]

Amen sister! I enjoyed high school and somehow managed to make decent grades, but I could have applied myself a little more and went STRAIGHT to college right after graduation instead of "taking a year off", which turned into 2, then 3, then....well, you get the picture. Now I am trying to play "catch up" while working full time and being a mom and it's really stressful at times. And I agree with you that most teenagers do a lot of stupid things, as did I...but I think it all is part of the learning process in life. You make mistakes, learn from them, move on, and try to keep your kids from doing the same things!

[Kelly Hampton]

I had a pretty good time in high school! I got pretty good grades but I could have studied harder. I think we all say that once we have to start working for a living. I think I would have gone out with more of my guy "friends". Some of them have turned out pretty wonderful. The end of our senior year was pretty painful for me since my mother passed away two months before we graduated. Yes, I believe we all did stupid things back then. That is the norm for being a teenager.

[margarita]

I don't think I would change anything except I wouldn't have started working at 14. I can't say I would've studied harder, I still don't have the urge to go to college but some how I end up doing my husband homework from his classes. I had fun in school.

[Bengt]

I would not have change anything while in high school.I had a very good 2 years in fpc.
I had so much fun and so much to learn.But after high school i would have done alot off different things then i did.
There where people that i loved and love to day in florida that i wish i could live close too and not in sweden.But i'm working on it to come back to the usa And florida.
I think that it's never to late just look forward and try.

[James]

I 'll also add the study harder line.
I think besides that, I would have tried not to be so scared to ask girls out on a date, Try to figure out what I was going to do after H.S. and sell more $1 carnations for the art dept on the patio HAHA!

[michaelstanco]

I'd change EVERYTHING. I would have made sure I was in better shape, I would have played football, studied more, gotten a free ride to college, got my education in criminal justice and either be in the NFL or working as a police officer. Either way, I'd be close to retirement now.

Instead I'm flying all over the world and beating the crap out of people, sleeping with all the female fans and just soaking in my fame.

Wait do I really want to change all that?

[spillman]

I wouldn't change a thing ... I thought moving to Florida at the end of my sophmore year was the end of the world. Imagine if I didn't - I wouldn't have had the chance to meet all of you! We had a lot of fun in high school (and I had a great time at BOTH of my high schools) and I'm thankful for being oblivious to the knowledge that I've since gained about life now. Life is about living and learning. It would be too boring if we all knew everything and never learned from our mistakes or our strengths. And, it totally freaks me out to think about all the crazy things that I did at 15 when I talk with my niece and nephews! I'm not even a parent and I want to lock 'em in the house till they're 30!

[Rochelle]

I agree, Cheryl. Our experiences, mistakes, failures, and successes are what build our character and mold us into who we are. That said, the only thing I would change would to be a little more adventurous. It would have been great if I had actually tried out for the volleyball team or worked for the school newspaper. I did have fun, but I think I could have had a little more.

[Camille]

I don't think I would change a thing, I did my best back then as I'm sure all of us did. Think back, there was so much change going on in our lives. We were changing, like little fledglings preparing to take flight and leave our nests and begin a new journey of becoming adults. We were getting ready to enter into the adult world, and this was our last chance to be teenagers and to do the things we did before leaving our homes, friends and venturing out of our old world into a new world with more crazy adventures in hopes that one day the flock would be back together and we could all share the wonderful stories of our lifes journeys. That's what made each of us endearing to one another.

[Lisa]

I think I would have at least posed for my senior pictures and marched at graduation!

But thats about it I suppose....

[jhelms]

If I could do it all over, would I change anything? I'm not sure. HS was not all that great to me and it started well before then. I was a slacker pretty much since Dan McCartey. I absolutely hated classes and it was killing my parents. By the time I was at Lincoln Park, I was a year behind everyone else in math. I was taking Pre-Algebra when everyone else was taking Algebra-I. The only reason I passed that class was because I won the math competition that year. Because I was so far behind, I took Algebra-I, Geometry, Computer Math and Probability & Statistics my freshman year at Central. I did well in Geometry mainly because Coach Lockey was a riot and Larry Plympton and I used to compete for grades. We made a game out of it. Computer Math & etc was interesting, but Algebra-1 was, if not a turning point, then rock bottom for me. I had Mrs. Arthur and she probably saved my life. I failed her class due to nonparticipation. Of course, I took it in summer school and aced it. Don't ask me for my reasoning. The important thing is, and even those that were close to me don't know this, Mrs. Arthur intervened. She contacted my parents because she thought it was a terrible waste for me to go through school like I was. She believed in me. I started seeing a family counselor and, though I didn't think so at the time, I know now that it helped. I was still a slacker after that, just not as bad. I knew my potential and I sort of made a game of seeing how bad I could do and still pull myself out of it. I had Mrs. Arthur for a teacher again for Algebra-II. Only for the second semester and of course it was because I failed the second half of Mr. Orr's class the year before. I was so bad. Anyway, I took it upon myself to do well. I passed her class with a 97 average at the end of the year. That was after missing about two weeks of classes and several quizes due to my work on the Hamadryad. You know, I did it for her, 'cause I sure didn't do it for myself. I think that I just wanted to show her she was right about me and didn't waste her time. So, would I have changed anything? I don't know, I still remember how I felt about classes and I still feel that way today. Everything I have accomplished today (with very few exceptions) was through self-study.

On the other hand, maybe I should have tried harder to get along with Coach Barnes. Then maybe he would have played me on the soccer field instead of just benching me. It was frustrating to know that I could play with the best of them and not get the chance. I know I could because I had played with most of them for years in the PSL league. Boy, he really hated me! However, if I had stayed on the soccer team, I never would have joined the swim team. That was some of the best of what HS was all about for me. I love everybody who was on that team and Coach MacMillan was awesome. I will not give that up!

I guess the only thing I would like to have changed is to not be so shy with girls. There was one dance at Prom that I still wish I had the guts to ask for. Now it's forever lost.

I realize my posts have been somewhat long-winded and I do apologize. I guess I have been needing this outlet for a long time. I just don't know how to say what I have to say with fewer words. I have so many stories to tell and I hope no one finds me boastfull. These things really did happen in my life.

Jeff

[Camille]

Hey Jeff that took a lot of guts to come out and say that. What you may not know is that there were a bunch of us that went through the same things you did but never admitted to it, thanks for sharing that with us, maybe one day I'll have the cajones to divulge something deep about myself too, after all at FPC we were all like family, and I almost forgot that. No matter how bad things were in my life i could always show up in school and someone would always say or do something to make me feel better, if it wasn't a teacher it was a fellow classmate. I'm thankful for all the wonderful people I knew back at FPC, and it's great to see that they're still just as awesome now if not more so.