For those of you who aren't already aware of the private school scene in New York, or whom aren't private school alumni, let me edge you in on a little secret-the schools that seem to do best and whom have the most power simultaneously often have the most money. What a shocker, eh? (Please excuse my NY sarcasm ;) In light of their obsession with money, they have an obsession with alumni support, and thus plan 5 year reunions, which is unheard of to most people. However, one must congratulate these schools whom are required to raise their own money as opposed to public schools that rely on the government for money and the taxes the community pays (however, hopefully, public school education will be reformed in the near future ;). I recently had my high school reunion this past weekend and what a whirlwind into the past that was. Not only did I see old classmates, but I got to chat with teachers, school heads, board members, etc, and the thing that jarred me the most about this experience is how separate the big world is from your high school experience. People often seem to love high school or hate it, but the important part is that we all move on from that place in time, and whether you loved it or hated it, you still have to adjust to a new environment; you have to be able to survive and excel in different environments. I thought this would be easy for me, and I headed off to college without a thought, but once I got there it proved to be more difficult than I had imaged. The lesson is, wherever you are in life-middle school, high school, college, and every step of the way after that, whether you hate it or love it, it doesn't last forever, but getting through it is what matters and being able to move on successfully proves ultimate success in the end. When you're thinking in the moment, it often feels like only a select few things matter (grades, friends, boys, etc), and even though you have to take the punches and learn from your mistakes, in the end, it's really the journey you take that matters. The only way you can learn certain things is with experience. That's the gift of human nature that animals don't have to the same degree, to understand the greater idea of the "experience." No wonder why the term experience has become an embedded part of any successful democracy. Experience often does prove more than anything else, it's real life work and it's, well, real. It's not based in rhetoric or a fancy degree, it's truth, and like the old adage, the truth will set you free. So take your life for the experience, do the best you can, but move on from what doesn't work, do what does work, stay away from those people who seem "off" and listen to your instincts, because they know what's best for you.
In order to know it all, you've got to know me!
-The Know it all New Yorker-
