Reality after highschool
 

I don't know if anyone here has had something like this happen to them, but it completely freaked me out and is probably a good start for other thoughts.

I've been back in my home town now for about two months after being away for two years in Canada, and then across the state at college with no contact back home. I was meeting some old friends at an Eat'N Park near my highschool yesterday to talk and find out what people have been doing since graduation. While we were waiting for our order I thought I recognized a girl in one of the other booths accompanied by what I assumed was her father and little brother. They left soon afterward and only as I got a good look at her as she walked past our table did I realize that she was one of the 'Queen Bees'(what we called the super popular cheerleader types at our school, think of girls from Clueless). She had everything a teenager could want in highschool, she was living like a mini celebrity last time I had seen her. I really couldn't recognize her though, she looked like she had aged 7 years in the 2 that had passed and had put on a decent amount of weight. After they left one of the guys at our table explained that the man with her was actually her husband and the little kid was hers. I was so stunned I couldn't even say anything back.
I should include that this girl was a major bully at our school and often made life difficult for my friends and I.

Have you ever run into someone that you've hated for so long you can't imagine feeling anything else only to find you can't anymore? I can't imagine what must have happened in two years to do that to her. I still feel like shuddering and I can't imagine what I'd say to her if I could talk to her again.:thepain:

Damn, I just don't know what to think.

I had a few beers with a guy that used to bully me in Jr High. He turned out an all right guy, but died tragically. It made me feel better not to be harboring any old anger when it happened.

I had one bully from 6th grade all the way through 12th grade, and I have not seen her since graduation. I have wondered many, many times what it will be like when we inevitably see each other in a couple years at our ten-year reunion. I still harbor quite a lot of resentment towards her, but at the same time I feel I'm definitely in a place where I can be proud to face her, like the old saying, "The best revenge is living well."

Of course, what will most likely happen in reality is I'll prepare myself for this big dramatic faceoff, and then she won't show up to the reunion. :)

That rush to "grow up" catches up with people, pretty quick.

Most of the bullies that I knew growing up are living predictable lives that stretch out in front of them like highways in Nebraska...

I ran across a guy who bullied me my freshman year of highschool.

He was one of the high school guys on a '6-year plan'. He was around 18, you know, full beard and probably had 2 kids at the time. And there I was, a 14 year-old 100lb, naive adolescent. He was a real dick to everybody he could.

Anyway, I was at an Atlantic City casino meeting up with some friends for the night and there he was, basically pan-handling outside of a parking lot.

I actually felt bad for him and was going to drop him a buck. But when I walked by him, I know he didn't remember me at all. I think that pissed me off more than anything. I can remember him vividly. The clothes he dressed in and the facial reactions he made. all my anger came back to me at that second. So I did what any mature 24year old would do that just encountered his high school bully: I choked up a big snotty wad of dead brain cells and spat it in his dunkin donuts cup. F-HIM

Maybe he will remember me now!!

My god, that's beautiful! Did you make that up?

So, how'd you kill him, Griff? :worried:

Just had my 20th reunion... it was surreal.
I was not treated well in HS. It was brought-up once or twice.

Can you elaborate? I mean, did the bullys feel bad and say sorry, or what?

i know this must come as a shock to you all, but i was not bullied. actually in two instances, i bullied. A few years later, while i was waiting tables at denny's, one of them was seated in my section. He was that kid that everyone picked on. spoon chested, freaky, and rude about it. only had a couple friends among the punker crowd. I apologized, and meant it. and while i was waiting on him, i really didnt feel too bad, cuz he was so broke his friend had to pay for his coffee.

I stopped bullies from bullying more often than bullying.

You were a bully bullier?

No, one made a point to be extremely nice to me, seems to have made a change.
One person who was on the outside talked about how bad it must have been to me. It was not normal bullying, hard to explain.
A few just ignored me, stared at the chair, some were very polite but terse.

well, screw them!

Pretty much.