8/23/2013

My Life in YA Book Titles

The wonderful Jamie over at The Perpetual Page Turner has done another fabulous post that she's encouraging other bloggers to try out, so here goes... my life in YA book titles! Maybe I'm not quite far enough removed from high school to do this really effectively (as I'm only about to enter 2nd year of university), but oh well.

You:
How would you describe your 16 year old self? Something Like Normal. (I always felt like a normal, average person... and I was, but I often felt like I just wasn't noticed.)
When you looked in the mirror, what did you see? The Extra. (I didn't think I stood out in any way. I kept changing things about myself but never really committed or noticed a different. For a while I felt like an extra in my own movie.)
Your 16 year old self's outlook on life/motto: The Perks of Being a Wallflower. (Maybe not my motto, exactly, but I certainly spent a lot of time trying to find the perks and make myself feel like they made up for what I always felt I was missing out on).
How you think people would describe your personality: The Almost Girl. (People in general didn't really know me all that well because of a combination of them not caring and me giving up, so for a lot of people I was just "there". I think they'd say nice but shy; someone who fades into the background.)
Describe an insecurity in high school: 17 & Gone. (Because I was so shy, I didn't really talk to a lot of people and I felt like one day I'd just disappear because it already felt like people didn't see me. I felt very unnoticed all throughout high school and by senior year -17 years old- I'd pretty much retreated into the library permanently because most people didn't bother with me anyway.)
Describe your worst trait as a teen: Envy. (I was jealous of the "popular" kids. It just seemed like they were having all the fun, and while I wasn't a loner or anything, I just wished I had a big group to hang out with at lunch or parties to go to every weekend and whatnot. And then of course I was jealous of their clothes and such because I thought that helped them get an "in." Oh, high school.)
Describe the contents of your diary/journal: Confessions of a Hater. (I didn't really keep a journal, but my friends and I were terrible about complaining to each other about people who annoyed us. I totally wasn't a mean person, though! Just a whiner in private conversations. I promise. Honestly, I'm sure anyone you ask will say I was nice.)
Your biggest fear: Marked. (This is probably going to sound pretty shallow, but I was really worried my wallflower status would change, but the wrong way and instead of becoming accepted, I would be actively picked on.)
You excelled at: Thousand Words. (I got really good grades in senior year, especially in English, Writer's Craft, and Photography - a picture's worth a thousand words... get it?.)
You were always concerned about: Pushing the Limits. (I was terrified of getting in trouble. I absolutely HATED it and was a big stickler for rules. I cut French class a couple times because that class was awful and I always felt sick and nervous about it.)
You thought your life was: The Art of Wishing. (I felt like I had perfected wishing for things that would never happen. A lot of what I wanted never went anywhere and I really felt unfulfilled for a long time.)

Love Life:
How would you sum up your high school love life? If You Could Be Mine. (I did a lot of dreaming and wishing and wondering instead of actually pursuing boys. Like I said before, SHY.)
Describe your most serious boyfriend from high school: The Sweetest Spell. (I was so smitten with him it was kind of like I was under a spell. He was and is so sweet and so nice and just what I wanted to find in a boyfriend. I definitely got lucky snagging him.)
Describe your first kiss: Cracked Up To Be. (As in, not all it's cracked up to be. It wasn't bad by any means, but it wasn't all that great.)
Your philosophy on dating/love: Leap of Faith. (I had very low self-esteem so whenever someone told me a guy was interested in me, I had to teach myself trust that it wasn't a dumb prank or joke or something - doesn't that only happen in books and on tv anyway?)
Describe your worst break-up: Famous Last Words. (I totally grew out of him -and over him- but he was a really nice guy, so in an extremely awkward and uncomfortable -and I think pretty painful for him... I'm sorry!- break-up, I used the typical "I still want to be friends" because I really did. Though, of course, guess who I've said maybe 5 words to since? Yeah.)

Family:
Your relationship with your mom as a teen: Otherbound. (Seemed like we were always going in different directions and didn't really get each other, even though for the most part we got along.)
Your relationship with your dad as a teen: Some Quiet Place. (We got along well, we just didn't talk too much about anything all that important too often.)
Your relationship with a sibling: Defiance. (I'm five years older than my brother and was often taking care of him, but he was a typical brat of a little brother and defied me just to make me angry.)
What you thought about your parents' rules/parenting style: This Strange and Familiar Place. (A lot of their style was what I had always grown up with, so I was used to it, but they seemed to get more strict and a little irrational at times when I was in high school, which was frustrating.)

Friends:
Describe you and your best friend at 16: Beta. (A lot of the time I kind of felt like a sidekick and the second person noticed of the two of us. Still happens, really.)
Your social status: The Rules for Disappearing. (Over the course of high school I slowly pulled further and further back into my shell as time went by and I realized I wasn't getting anywhere with the people around me. By senior year, a few people actually asked my best friend if I still went to the school... I was in the library.)
Describe your group of friends: Ladies in Waiting. (The group I had in grades 11 and 12 were all so anxious to get out of high school. We had fun together, but we just wanted to move on with our lives and get away from all the drama and whatnot.)

School:
Your perception of high school upon entering: Beautiful Days. (Honestly, when I started high school, everyone was saying it'd be the best time of my life. I was expecting to grow out of the awkward middle school phase and have a fabulous time. The first bit I managed, the second... meh.)
Your relationship with academics: Geek Girl. (Okay, no, I was not a geek. But high school is one of those things where you can pass without doing much, but to do really well, you have to put work in. I did work hard to do well and I got really good grades, especially senior year, because I was determined to get a scholarship. A lot of people seemed to think I was a little nerdy because I did so well, but guess who's coming out of university with no debt. So worth it.)
Your weekends were: Golden. (I loved weekends. I could be as social or anti-social as I wanted, I could sit and read or watch tv or do whatever I wanted and it was wonderful. This is still how I'd describe them now.)
If your high school life was a movie, it would be called: Along for the Ride. (I just kind of floated through high school. I had interests and did things, like theatre and a few clubs, but I was never all that involved in much.)
A class you wish high school had offered: Pride and Prejudice. (There are A LOT of people I went to high school with who would have benefited from a class that taught how to keep those two things in check.)
Your senior year was: Over You. (My mentality that entire year was "please get me out of here." I was bored and over all the high school nonsense.)
Describe prom: The Secret Garden. (I didn't go to my senior prom, just my boyfriend's when I was a junior. Since everyone who didn't know me liked him, I was accepted by default. Prom almost felt like a secret little oasis for one night away from most of the crap of high school. But it wouldn't have been that had it been with my own graduating class, so I skipped that one.)
When high school ended it was: The Golden Day. (I was completely over high school by the end of grade 11, so I was so happy to be out of there.)

The Future:
How you felt about the prospect of college: Reboot. (I couldn't wait for a chance at something new and hopefully to break out of my shell more so I wouldn't be the same shy, quiet girl.)
How you thought your life would be at 20 (I'm not quite yet, but it's a better round number age): All That Glows. (I figured life would be much better after high school. I was expecting to be happier, more social, and doing more. Actually working towards something. And you know what, I'm doing pretty well on that.)

Your Life Now:
Describe your love life now: I Will Always Love You. (I'm still with my last high school boyfriend now, going on 3 years, and I still love him to pieces. For better or worse and no matter what happens in the future, he will always be my first love and to be honest, I'm glad it's him.)
Describe the state of your friendship with your high school BFF: I'm going to do four for this one because I kind of had multiple close friends at different times in high school (I know, I know):
1. The Distance Between Us. (Actually, come to think of it, this applies to two of my high school best friends, which really sucks looking back. We totally grew apart and I still wish we hadn't, but now both of them have moved away so it'd be hard to reconnect.)
2. Frozen. (It feels like we're still in the same spot in our friendship as when we were in high school.)
3. Six Months Later (We don't see each other too often because we go to university in different cities, but we always make an effort to see each other when she comes home because we were close.)
4. Don't You Forget About Me. (She left the city for university but we constantly send messages back and forth because we're determined not to lose touch. We were also the queens of snark when we were together, so I can't let her go!)
Your relationship with your parents now: Another Little Piece. (It's not perfect with either of them, but overall it's good. Sometimes things go bad for a bit and a piece falls off, but other times things are especially great and we're building and even better relationship. Overall, I've never had a bad relationship with either parent.)
Your thoughts on your high school reunion: Revenge of the Girl With the Great Personality. (I still don't know if I'm going to bother going, but if I do, I want to go back as someone who is successful in what I dream of doing and *mumbles* throw it in their faces that they missed out when they ignored me.)
Biggest lesson you learned in high school: Embrace. (Embrace what it is you like to do and go for it. Embrace what you like about yourself and feel good about it. Embrace the situation you're in and either enjoy it if you're happy, or change it if you're not. Just sitting around wishing won't get you anywhere).
One thing you WISH you had learned: Speak. (I wish I had learned how to come out of my shell more, get over being shy, and be more social. I still struggle with that. I hoped I wouldn't by now.)
Advice you wish you could have given your teen self: The Walls Around Us. (High school is so self-contained. Everything seems to happen in school. Once I left I saw that as soon as you're out of that, you're going to have so many more experiences and meet new people and it'll be better. Maybe try to branch out sooner and you'll have a better time.)
Something you could learn from your 16 year old self: Unwind. (I had my stressed-out moments as a 16 year old, but I definitely knew how to unwind and relax, which is something current me is struggling with.)

I'm going to add one more here:
Biggest regret from high school: The Other Life. (I held back in so many ways because I was afraid of people not liking me, but one thing I've regretted a lot is not trying out for the field hockey team. I was really good at it when we first played in gym in grade 9, if I do say so myself, but it was varsity and all the girls on the team were the "popular" ones. I was convinced I wouldn't fit in, so I didn't even try. Never. I had four years to do it, and I didn't, and I totally regret it. I feel like a few things could have been different if I had.)

There you go, a bit more about me in high school. I like to think that even though it wasn't THAT long ago, I've grown since then.

Did you fill this out as well? Share with me, I want to get to know all of you a little better, too!

2 comments:

  1. Oh, we definitely had some things in common. My sixteen year old self also felt invisible and lonely. :(

    Also, I wanted to be popular and all of that, and now I'm like UGH PAST SELF.

    Bahahaha, my journal was like that too. I only felt inspired to write when I was upset.

    All through high school I had not a single tardy. I did get detention once because my teacher hated me, but other than that the idea of being in trouble terrified me. Never cut a class either.

    Ha, I totally used The Art of Wishing too.

    I ALMOST PUT IF YOU COULD BE MINE THERE TOOOOOO.

    Seriously, you are like my high school awkwardness twin, except that you had a sweet boyfriend. TWIN.

    Perception of entering high school. YUP. I got a little bit prettier and was like SURELY THE MAGIC STARTS NOW. False. Just false.

    YES, college! Reboot is the perfect title. I was determined to be a much-loved social butterfly. It worked for a little while until I exhausted myself. Learned something about my personality.

    Ooh, nice addition. I do wish I had not held back so much. My personality can be hard to take, but I could have found people, like I have now. Plus, I was boring and not hiding the acerbicness as well as I thought.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TWINSIES! As much as it totally sucked being lonely and awkward and feeling invisible, I'm kind of glad it wasn't just me. Because it always felt like it was just me. That's crazy that we have so much in common, though! We could have been awkward and snarky together and it would have been wonderful. Damn distances.

      Also, anyone who says high school is the time of your life is crazy. CRAZY. College has been better so far and I haven't even done much in the one year to make myself any different.

      Holding back like I did is something I still struggle with but majorly did then because I feel like it's safer to because then there's no reason for anyone to dislike me, but on the other hand I missed out on things and people thought I was snobby. You just can't win in high school, I'm telling you.

      Delete

I'd love to hear what you think!