Personal Narrative: My Childhood Memories Of Middle School

Lunch I was not the most socially adjusted 7th grader. Who was? Thirteen was a difficult time in anyone's life. The majority of adolescents were in the throes of puberty, in that awkward stage where you don't know what to wear, do, or say. I had it worse than most. I was a private school kid, having spent my entire educational existence until 6th grade going to the local Lutheran school. As one of only two girls in a class of five, and the only girl staying in Perham, my social skills were stunted to say the least. This lead to an abundance of excruciating memories of my first year at middle school. Looking back on these memories now, I have learned an important lesson. Time changes the initial perspective on painful memories. The lunch room is the social center of a school, especially at my middle school where the entire grade ate at the same time. People sat with their friends, unless they did not have any. Being forced to switch tables was humiliation itself, but joining the volleyball team during the summer meant that I did not have to sit alone. I had a place at the table, somewhere to belong. At least I thought I did. As I walked toward the table, I immediately knew something was off. The girls I sat with always looked …show more content…
I got older, I got wiser, I got a little less angry. Examining old memories lent a different spin to ones that were less than pleasant. A realization hit me: they were being kind. Those girls could have humiliated me by simply refusing to let me sit; instead, these children showed tact beyond their years by suggesting alternatives rather than outright rejecting me. I applaud them for that. They suggested a change gently, sparing my feelings as best they could. Remembering it now, there was no malice in that girl's voice and no animosity in her eyes. Now, as a senior in high school, I wonder if I would have handled an unwelcome guest intruding on my normal routine as well as those young ladies