W6- Open Post

I have a younger brother who is a freshman in high school and I heard someone tell him today that high school is "the best four years of your life." 

My heart sank instantly. I closed my eyes to digest what had just been said... when I realized that person wasn't God and what he said wasn't necessarily the truth at all. However, it got me thinking. 

What from high school could possibly make someone say that? I know that for some people, especially in rural areas such at Athens, people never really leave high school, never really break from the same role they played in the halls of their school. But, for the others. What could make them think high school was so great?

I look back at high school and only three bright spots are: graduating, sports and lunchtime. The first two stick out for obvious reasons, the third not so much. But let me explain. 

I was a picky eater my whole life. As a child peas were often found under my chair after dinnertime and I would gag myself just so I didn't have to eat vegetables with my meal. When I reached high school I had matured enough where those escapades no longer occurred. But, I still didn't like to try strange, school cafeteria food. After maybe a day or two of eating school lunches it became apparent that I wouldn't survive four years without changing where I got my food. 

I'm not quite sure how it happened but mom started packing my lunches, not just PB&J or lunch meat and a juice box. No, my mom went all out. She would make sure to make extras of dinner the night before. Whether it was chicken, pork, turkey or a roast there was always some left over to shred and cover in barbecue sauce for my sandwich the next day. 

As if the sandwiches weren't enough to make all the other kids jealous mom didn't stop there. I rarely went to school without some kind of baked goody in my envy-inspiring brown paper sack. No matter what it was chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, no-bakes, mom's world (Federal Hocking) famous chocolate chip cookie dough brownies, they were all the rage of the lunchroom. Plus mom always sent enough that I could share a few with friends. I like to think I was decently popular because of my sense of humor, intelligence, decent looks and athletic ability and I won't completely say that those attributes didn't play a role. Maybe the reason I look back on high school without the fond memories of others is because my friendships were based on my willingness to share what mom sent in my brown paper sack.