January 4th, 2014, PROMPT#4: What is something you wish you were told as a high school-er?

My Results: January 4th, 2014, PROMPT#4: What is something you wish you were told as a high school-er?

In high school, much the same as now, I suffered from severe insecurity. I don't think that's different than most high school girls, and it never drove me to eating disorders or self-mutilation. But I remember that I always thought I was huge, obese, fat. Looking back, I wish I had more confidence. I wish I knew how cute I was and I wish I would not have been so insecure. I worked on weekends and at one point in school even had 2 jobs. I worked sophomore, junior and senior year. I didn't go to parties or many dates. When I did go out, I preferred school functions. I was severely monogamous, having steady boyfriends and though I would sometimes know that a relationship was maybe not the best thing for me at the time, I would rarely be the one to call things off. I would let things pile on top of each other until, in my opinion, the other person would lose so much respect for how much I tolerated, that they would dump me. I had very little respect for myself, so I tolerated many things like verbal abuse, unfaithfulness and being treated very badly.

But as far as what I wish someone told me as a high school-er? It's hard to say, because I know I was told a lot of things that I didn't pay the slightest bit of attention to, so who's to say that if someone had told me how beautiful I was, I would have believed it? If someone had told me to stop being so serious, have more fun and don't work so hard, would I have listened to that advice? If someone had said to trust my gut about people, don't overlook glaring warning signs that could really mean something later, would I have paid more attention? Would I have paid attention if someone had told me that above anyone else, I should respect and cherish ME, (which is something I still struggle with by the way)?

Probably not, I was a high school-er who thought that I had everything figured out and thought that grown-ups were so out of touch. If a peer had told me those things, I would have rolled my eyes and wondered what made them think that they were so much smarter than me. Oh, yea, because that's another thing about me in high school; I thought that because I worked hard and didn't drink, do drugs, or spend my time with lots of boys that I was way smarter than most other teenagers. I realize now that everyone finds their way through life differently. I thought I was so mature and levelheaded, and I'm the one who graduated high school with a baby on the way. That's not a decision I regret by any means, but one that I would have likely judged another for.

There are things that I wish I knew in high school, definitely, but nothing that I wish someone would have told me, because I know I would not have listened.