Definitely, Been Kissed!

After seeing a rerun of the movie Never Been Kissed on cable television… its not a coincidence that I am bound to reminisce about my years back in high school and college. (which by the way, isn’t that long ago…)

In the movie, the character played by Drew Barrymore was of a nerdy copywriter, who had a not so memorable high school experience and now, due to some twist of fate, is forced to relive her high school days (a.k.a. undercover work) in her 20’s, specifically 25. 

For those who already know this, you can skip this part but for those who don’t, you will be reading my short summary of the movie.

Now, at first Drew didn’t really fit in, (how could one fit in by being a little too out-there anyway?) a nerd like she was, it was hard for her to get rid of her traumatic experience caused by the cool and popular people… Just like way back in her "real" high school, she got laughed at and was even called a Loser… It was all just de ja vu for her and it was not good. Good thing though, sometime in the story, her brother helped her become popular. Very popular to the point that she actually became the Prom Queen!! 

But just like any fairy tale, her 12:00 o’clock came when in a mission to rescue one of her not-so-cool friends (a.k.a. the school nerd); she blew her cover and told everyone who she really was.

Thankfully though, the story really didn’t end there, because she still wrote her story, only it was the story of her life and she exposed herself to the entire world (or at least in this case, to all the readers of the newspaper..) in the pursuit of true love, which she did find at the end of the movie. (and not to mention, a possible promotion for Chicago Sun Times..)

But that’s not really the reason why I am writing this… it’s just a little intro that got way off hand.. Anyway, I was going to write about how my high school and college days might be a mixture of all the things that happened in the movie, some good and some not so… 

Although I would definitely prefer to remember the good ones, the not-so good ones are bound to slip into my memory waves every now and then. Just like bubble gum that you accidentally sat on while wearing your favorite jeans, its bound to make an appearance one way or the other…

I am starting off with the not-so good ones and I’ll end with the good ones in an effort to make the forgetting part a lot easier… 

In high school, I was not the high school nerd (I could only wish!), nor was I the popular girl, or the prettiest, or even the most rebellious… I guess I could say I was a mix of all those. 

I’ve had times when I was the outcast, and people laughed at me due to something that up until now, I don’t even have a clue about and as hard as it is to admit, it still is haunting me. (although I try to push the thought further into my subconscious, there will always be that memory..) Then there were those times that I often got called to the Principal’s Office for constant tardiness, (yep, I was notorious for that….) never getting early enough to join the flag ceremony on Monday mornings, and making lame excuses for not being able to come on time.. (trust me, saying that you had indigestion is not a great excuse for missing graduation song practice on fourth year high..) 

And not to forget the time when me and a bunch of juniors flunked math and had to go back and forth to the lower class to take our back subject… (it was great though ‘cuz it meant you had more friends, another set from the lower years…)

That was back in high school, I have other experiences from college.. there was the time when me and a friend got caught up in a mess with one of our teachers (I was already in fourth year then and it was hell to think about not ever graduating on time..) and how we also had to visit the Department Head’s Office and even the Dean’s Office to have a "chat" with the people in power.. (whew!! It was really something…) 

And those times when again, (true to my high school reputation), I was tardy and a classmate and I had to do an impromptu presentation to make up for it. Or the time a seatmate and I almost got thrown out of an English class for not being able to contain ourselves bursting into laughter after hearing the twisted cliché our teacher gave as an example… It was "birds without feathers hug each other". What can I say, we were both very graphic persons and I could swear I was seeing the two birds hugging very vividly in my head. My seatmate saw it too because we just burst into laughter and giggling.. (way too much giggling..)

Hmm, I just realized, after writing all those down, that maybe there wasn’t that much unhappy things while I was in high school and college and this might even be validated by the good things I can enumerate in the paragraphs that follow.. We’ll see..

Hmm, it’s funny, but I’m actually smiling while writing this, reminiscing the good ol’ days…

I remember when I was in high school that I became an English teacher during a week-long event called Know-Your-School Day and it felt great. It was one of those times when a chosen student gets to become a teacher and actually teach in class. (and even get to torment fellow classmates for a few hours or so..) 

I also remember that I had one best friend with whom I was very close with and we shared so much. (we shared way too much that I even sort of inherited her asthma.. weird huh?) 

Then there was that time when I starred in a musical play and I played the lead role in Miss Saigon, it had its up and downs but I remember it more as an up rather than a down. Then there was that time when I had a crush on this one guy and he sort of (or was I just imagining it..) noticed me and made me feel just a little important. 

Then there was this very funny moment when I lead a group of girls and we formed a group called "MHS or Men Hater’s Society". It was such a blast that during our first few days, and during our initiation rights, the men (then called boys), reacted violently about it even to the point of actually threatening me. (it is not really what you’d picture as death threats; they were just telling me that they better not see me with a man being that I was the FOUNDER of the MHS.. Its fun remembering that..) 

And the fun didn’t end there of course as I went to college and remember a day back in freshmen when an entire English class ditched our teacher by running around the corridors to the outside of the building just so we don’t bump into the teacher who was a little late and was already heading for our room to hold a class… (nice huh? Imagine an entire class giggling and running away from the English teacher.. it was a classic!!) 

 Or that one Intramurals week when the Mass Comm class hosted a radio station and I got to be DJ and love letter writer.. (it was just a blast!) Or even that one day when I went to the drinking fountain to get some water and this guy behind me said "Wow, your hair smells terrific! I just love a girl like that..", ok, so maybe that was not his exact words but it should be the same message… 

Or that time when I played a role in our Cebuano mini-movie LapuLapu and I was giggling just watching the face of the lead role, we had to take multiple shots because of that. Or that time I was managing the characters and a friend of mine said that one of the characters actually appreciates what I’ve been doing! (it just sorta makes you melt right? Hmmm..)

Now that I look at those times from my 25-year old point of view, I guess school life wasn’t that bad after all. Back then, all I could think of was growing up fast, getting out of school and working; earning my own money and doing my own thing… 

And because I hurried so much, I probably sucked at a few things along the way, I guess I never put in enough effort but heck, I don’t think I regret those things anymore… 

Sure, I didn’t graduate with honors, I never got to the list of perfect-A students and I never made a really remarkable achievement during school but I think I had fun! I experienced the things I never would have traded for anything and I met the people and friends who’ve made me a better person and have made my stay in school the best times ever. Things and people I will always be thankful for…

And just like in the movie, I guess I found the simple happiness the simplest of things can give me.. I may not have medals or trophies to brag about, but I certainly have memories to talk about, get mad about, cry about and mostly, to smile about.. And I think that’s all we really need.

And boy am I happy I am not one to say that "I’ve Never Been Kissed" ‘cuz I sure have been….

@ 7:06 PM

Sunday, September 24, 2006 at home

Copyright 2006 by nmed
By: Neliza Marie Dakoykoy