I was never the most excited about school growing up as a child. I didn't like washing my school uniforms so regularly, doing assignments every day, writing notes, listening to things that didn't fascinate me, and everything else that was relatively stressful. I had no choice, though, so I had to go through them anyway, but there were certain things I looked forward to regardless.
Secondary school routines were usually the same in most places where I grew up. School time starts with an assembly—where we'd pray, sing, receive announcements, and the like—classes, break time, more classes, then closing time at some point. Some days were great; others, not so much. Either way, I was usually in the front row of the class because I have never been the big kind.
For some time, I was a day student, and then I transferred to a military school where every day was like a hell hole for me. In both environments, however, one thing kept me going and made many moments memorable: shared experiences.
I got to see my friends every day and experience similar things in the same school environments. In the first three years of my secondary school days, at the day school, I was the jovial and free-spirited kind and played around a lot. At the boarding school, I was reserved and cautious, as I was in a regimented environment.
Break time was a time when we would usually bond with games, and sports made us share experiences. As guys, we often indulged in intense activities that made us sweat our lives out: football, ice and water, table tennis, police and thief, hide and seek, and many more. And then whatever memorable moment we experience gets talked about afterwards, and it's usually funny.
I had memories of my first actual Valentine's Day experiences from when I was in secondary school. I remember giving a girl, who is now one of my dearest friends, a pencil and eraser. I don't know why I did that, but I sure wasn't the most thoughtful with gifts at that time. We weren't alone, though. We all brought gifts for one another on February 14. And there were many more interesting experiences like that.
In the dark times, when I was either being punished or going through undesired experiences, they were usually bearable when I went through them with friends. In the military school I attended, for example, punishments in the middle of the night, outside in the blistering cold, were bearable when I did it with my colleagues.
One night, we were being punished by our housemaster for not doing our morning chores properly. After suffering and crying so much that night, we spent the last minutes sitting on the floor in front of this same man who punished us, talking with him. He was mostly talking with us, maybe about some of his experiences in life, but I remember laughing for most of it—with my friends.
Another thing I really liked about being in the boarding school was watching films with everyone in the school in our biggest hall. Social nights—that's what we called them then. Everyone would all react at the same time at the sight of something scary, surprising, or maybe funny. In the big hall with everyone, the feeling was amplified.
Shared experiences. That's what I miss about school back then. These days, I am usually in solitude or occasionally with people at necessary events, but not usually around my friends as much as I could back then.
So even though I didn't like a lot of things in school, especially the stressful ones, I enjoyed having people that I shared the same experiences with around.
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I agree with you so much.
When I was at school, I was constantly with friends. When I got home from school, I'd get on my bike and go out with friends.
Then our paths diverged, we went to different schools in different places. We made other friends, of course, but it's not the same thing. And it's the same with other friends: while we're studying, we spend our time together, and then we go out into the world of work. Everyone takes different paths.
I rarely see my friends after all. My "study" friends, I see them every 4 to 6 months. My school friends, every 6 to 12 months. Yet we often talk to each other by SMS.
But I do feel much more alone than I used to.
Man. You just spoke my heart. It's the same with me. I guess that's life after all. I don't see my friends regularly any more. We just "chat" over social media occasionally and continue with our lives.
Who would have thought a lover boy like you would give a lady a pencil and eraser as a Val’s day gift.😂😂
Boarding school is just something else, I just thank God I didn’t get to experience all of the stress that came with it even though I know I missed out on some pretty good moments.
I didn't know better then 😂
Yeah, you may have missed some things, but it's not that serious. You had your life with day school and were alright.
Now you know better.😂
You had a lot of fun during that time.
I did not attend a boarding school, so I am here imagining how the social night looks and feels like
Fun? Maybe. I don't so, though. It was quite tough in that school.
Pencil and eraser is not bad, it is the thought that counts 😂🤣.
#dreemerforlife
I didn't know how to do it then 😂
😂🤣😂 at least she appreciated it?
School life is the best lol you get to make friends and have fun before life gets too serious after school.
#dreemerforlife
Totally! I haven't connected with many of my friends from back then lately, though.