A Graduation Retrospective

Today is my 10-year high school graduversary.  If I could travel back in time and talk to the Alison of ten years ago, this is what I'd say:

"Stop crying about your bangs.  Yes, the graduation cap threatens to flatten that hairsprayed curl.  Probably it's for the best.  Go practice your speech."

"High school was good, but college is better.  But you won't enjoy it unless you learn to get involved and put yourself out there a little more."

"Don't go to Wartburg College.  Go to Iowa.  You'll save yourself the trouble of transferring later, and Wartburg is not the school for you."

"It is true that you may never see some of these people again.  It seems to be a rule of goodbyes, however, that if someone is important to you you'll keep in touch, and if you weren't close anyway it's not such a tragedy to say goodbye.  Also, someone's about to invent a thing called Facebook."

High school friends, still in touch

"You may think that your only ambition in life is to be a stay-at-home mom, but wouldn't it be good to have another plan in case you don't get married?"

"Your faith isn't your own yet.  Wait until your freshmen year of college when the skeptics weigh in and your doubts pile up.  The faith God restores to you will be stronger, but different."

"You've only been on a plane once, but before ten years have gone by, you'll have traveled to over a dozen countries and spent hundreds of hours on international flights.  You'll live in China for three years (whattttttt!).  Start practicing your chopsticks skills and prepare to eat some weird stuff."

"Try to remember everything you learned in your ninth grade grammar class.  One day you'll be an English teacher and wish you had a clue what you were talking about."

"Ten years goes by really fast.  Twenty-eight isn't that old.  2012 isn't that far away.  Get ready for an awesome decade."

*Appendix:  Some more gems from high school that are begging to be shared:

After a sleepover at Lisa's, I think.

Re-arranging the Bible classroom

Nerd Day during Homecoming.

Not Nerd Day, although you'd never know it by looking at my outfit.

Sledding

Prom.  Actually, Baptist school prom: "Junior Senior Banquet."

Baptist school prom involves eating, not dancing, and scouring every department store in the area for a dress with straps and a back.

Senior trip to Colorado

Senior trip

Ah, high school.   Good memories, but everything that's followed has been better.