At my high school, we received our annual yearbooks the fall following each school year. So, I didn’t get my hands on the book that commemorated my freshman year of high school until the fall of my sophomore year. That was annoying in a pre-Facebook era, when we were anxious to see who was featured on the most pages and which embarrassing photos made it to print.
But it could also prove awkward when deciding what – and how much – to write when signing certain people’s books. After all, the summer was long. Three months was plenty of time to fight with your best friend, break up with your boyfriend, fall in love with a new friend or boyfriend, or completely forget how awesomely you bonded with your chem lab partner.
I’ll be the first to admit that my high school years – while certainly full of the typical adolescent angst – were in many ways blessed. I had (for the most part) the same group of great friends throughout all four years, and my now-husband was my only boyfriend. But that didn’t stop me from experiencing – or, in some cases, creating – drama. Oh, no, it didn’t.
For several years, starting in junior high and ending much later than I want to admit, I had a crush on a certain boy in my class. And in our freshman year, we sat next to each other in one of our classes and developed a friendship.
[Of course it was a friendship. I was definitely the girl who was considered a friend.]
We were pretty close. Or, at least, I thought we were. So when it came time to sign yearbooks the next fall, I took his book to class with me. Because I needed more time for signing than the three minutes between bells allowed.
A couple hours later, we met up to return each other’s books. Immediately, I flipped through my already-worn pages to find what he’d written. As I saw the two lines that likely included the words “stay cool” or “You’re so smart…and a great friend,” my heart sank.
I would have given my Dean Cain locker poster to take back what I’d done. Because I had covered an ENTIRE PAGE in my friend’s book.
Ack! I knew the rules. Entire pages were reserved for best friends and actual girlfriends. The girl you exchanged notes with in English class but had no real interest in dating? She had a four-line limit and should really keep it the margins of the less-important pages. You know, perhaps the pages dedicated to French Club or future business leaders? But definitely not the one blank page inside the back cover.
So embarrassing.
But, honestly, not so unusual for me. I have always tended to fall hard and fast for a lot of things – boys, friends, TV shows, new curtains – and inevitably find myself on the “feels more deeply” side of things. I can’t help it, though. I’m a passionate person. It’s just the way God made me.
For more about the way God made me, check out this month’s post at (in)courage.
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