Maybe you’ve stumbled upon this article, but you just don’t consider yourself a “misfit.” Maybe you are the epitome of the perfectly square peg that always fits seamlessly into the square hole. In which case, I must confess that I envy you slightly. But, you can feel free to disregard this letter. If you’re more of a round peg, however—the one that doesn’t quite fit right, then I’d encourage you to keep reading, because this is for you. The you that’s not able to be the perfect student. Or perhaps is just not cut out for all that high school requires of you—with it’s social norms and it’s dire need for respectable reputations. So let me be the first to say that it’s nice to finally meet you, and I think you’re going to find that we have a few things in common.
Maybe we don’t look too similar on the outside. I’m involved in leadership. I’m somebody’s sister. I’m a writer. I’m a traveler. I’m a musician. But, what I really want to emphasize is that the common thread between you and me, is that in addition to all these things, I’m also just a human. Which means that while I’ve had some really wonderful days in high school, there have been plenty of the other kinds of days, too. The ones where everything’s a little slower and a little trickier. The ones where nothing seems to feel quite right. The ones that make you ache for the better days. And so whether you’ve been feeling a bit out of place for the past few years or even just for today, I want to let you know that it’s okay to be in that place (and I hope you know that you’re in good company, too). Because honestly, this, right here? This is just the beginning of so much. And so while our high school culture can sometimes suggests that we should panic over the small misfortunes that we face in life today and tomorrow, I think it’s important to remember that high school is lying to us when it says that this is it, because the truth is that this is most certainly not it. There are so many more people to meet and so many more days to live. There are so many more opportunities to get it all right and to feel like you finally belong. These do not have to be the defining days of your life.
Sincerely,
Hannah
Photo Credits: Tumblr @ambivalentlyyours
