You’re Cool

Chill Uncategorized

To their credit, a few of my middle school bullies apologized to me later in high school. I wouldn’t say it was all that meaningful but it was appreciated.

I think the most meaningful experience of high school when I realized I’d left the worst of my past behind me already to some extent was after the academic team I was on won some big tournament. The next day, the school read our names out during the morning announcement. People started clapping in my first class and I didn’t think much of it. Then I realized they were clapping for me.

To understand how large a change this was, consider that in middle school and early high school my own family members wouldn’t even acknowledge me in school and I was beat up daily. For a long while, I was literally the most hated kid in the entire school. No exaggeration.