High School—10 years later

Tip of the Day: If you need high school character ideas, pick up your yearbook and flip through the pages.

This weekend I traveled south to attend my 10-year High School reunion, and from what I observed, not much about High School changes in 10 years:

• Walking into the reunion room is just as scary as the first day of school. And just like the first day, you quickly learn it isn’t as bad as you anticipated.
• Everyone ate at the similar table—with their same friends—as they did in the lunchroom in high school, except now the food was slightly nicer.
• Cliques still exist. Despite the fact you really, really want to know what everyone’s been up to over the past 10-years, a part of you is too chicken to ask or mingle.
• Everyone looks pretty much the same, except with newer hairstyles and clothes.
• We still care about our appearance too much. Wondering if we look fatter in this outfit or that one, and in case of the pregnant woman in the room: “I hope this outfit makes me look pregnant and not just fat.”
• The most popular question is “what do you do” or “do you have kids,” instead of “what do you want to be when you grow up” or “are you dating anyone”

Despite the fact so much changes when we are adults, much remains the same.

I think this is why so many of us write for high school. Instead of firsts, you have tons of seconds and thirds. But it’s easy to slip back into the memories of one of the most awkward, fun, and interesting times of our lives. And you never loose many of the thoughts and feelings you experienced when you were a teen.

--Emily, Miss Awaiting an Agent