High school is not what is used to be.  With a few exceptions.  It is not the world I knew back in the 80’s-not that I would expect it to be- but all the same;  I am grateful I am not currently in high school.

I have been given the rare opportunity to immerse myself back into the essence of high school life via the drama club.  I took on the task of reinventing drama-as an added part of student life- just as it should be.  The past 6 months have been a real eye opener.  Here is what I have learned:

1.  Today’s student is stretched and stressed to unbelievable limits-without the emotional development to deal with it all. They do not get enough sleep, support or financial aide.  It is all about the test and not about the education. Today’s schools are having to provide services that used to fall to other agencies that specifically handled “social services”. Schools are parenting, providing and protecting. AND yes, sports and band still rule.

2. There are exceptions to this-but not many.

3.  Social networking systems are the diaries of today-only everyone is privy to personal thoughts and wishes.   Nothing is sacred-it all must be shared to prove a point, voice an opinion, be heard(with exclamation points), tear someone down and rip someones heart out in front of thousands.  It is immediate and unforgiving-and somehow seems less sincere-except for the personal attacks. Those are real.  Real brutal.

4. Somehow along the way-a sense of entitlement happened.  Kids think they are entitled to things without working for them.  Yes, I know I sound like my mother-but it is true-and I can’t believe I am going to sound more like my father-but- really, I am forever grateful I had to work for everything.   I don’t remember this being the rule when I was in high school.  It really was about working towards something-and then getting it-or not.  And back then, there was no one else to blame-or sue- if we did not.

5.  I don’t give a shit what any evangelical propagandaspeak says.  You can not preach abstinence. It does not work. Kids are having sex and a lot of it.  Preach safe sex.  Preach same sex.  Preach one love.  Preach being smart.  In the moment smart.

6. There are exceptions to this- but not many.

7.  The stereotypes remain:  the jocks, the potheads, the geeks,super achievers, the cliques, the loners and the mean girls. Mean girls: I never liked them and still don’t. Back then it was Sandy Johnson.  She was an absolute horror- she and her posse of she devils. Sandy did not need a social network system or super fast texting device to get her ill gained point across.  She had girls that did it for her.  She would toss her blond hair back behind her right shoulder and watch her ordered havoc take place. Everyone was fair game-but her specialty was going for those already down.  Sandy had a verbal one two punch reserved for hitting below the belt.  And as editor of the school newspaper-Sandy saw that certain written verbal attacks mysteriously made into the “Weekly Viking”.   I truly hated her.  Today mean girls have the advantage of technology and extremely poor impulse control. They seem to have super powers now-that cut to the bone.  They are more conniving, manipulative and destructive.  If they only knew how pathetic they were-if they could see what they are doing is a comment on their own sadness-maybe they would leave others alone. Maybe they would learn that in the grand scheme of things-what they are doing now will come back to haunt them-somewhere down the road.  I never used to believe that when my mother would casually say this in passing-as I was suffering uncontrollably and not able to understand how someone could be so cruel. But it is true.  I have lived long enough to see it.  Maybe- these girls would choose to do things differently and use their words for a greater impact.  Yeah, I know, underdeveloped brains and all that.   I did not see it back when I was in high school and I wasted many tears. Now I see the behavior in girls as early as elementary school….alpha brats in the making.  Not caring who they hurt along the way. 

8. Drama and the process of theater-or the making of theater in a given amount of time- can cure many ills-but not all.  It can add layers to a young soul in the making-but it can not solve all the problems.  It can, for even an instance ,have a profound effect on how someone feels about who they are-and where they want to be- provide another option- another choice.  But drama can not make it all better.  Somehow I thought it would.  I was wrong. There are kids who are golden and shining in spite of.  Kids who never knew they could- and did- and forever will know they did.  This will serve them well.  There are kids who could care less. Parents who care and those who care less too.  Sometimes my heart is overjoyed with what I see happening right in front of me-sometimes it breaks in two.  Theater won’t be the savior it was for me. But I won’t give up. I’ll raise the bar.

9. All the worlds a stage.  Really.

10. I would not trade this experience for anything*

*There are exceptions to this-but not many.