In my high school years I moved several times, so I had to study in three different high schools, I started the first year in one, then the second and third in another, and finished the fourth and fifth in a different one.
Those continuous changes affected me a lot because when I started to meet some friends I had to leave them soon after. However, those years left memories that still linger in my memory. Here are some questions to further explore those beautiful times of my adolescence.
Did you meet your current love in high school?
From my high school years I remember falling in love with two girls, they were very cute but unattainable, actually those crushes were what we call a platonic love. I had no chance to meet my current wife at that time, she is six years younger than me so when I was in high school she was just finishing elementary school, plus we lived in two different cities separated by a hundred kilometers. I had to wait thirty-six years until I could find her.
What kind of work did you do?
While I was a student I never worked, my parents were totally in charge of my expenses. I was a boy who asked for almost nothing, I was satisfied with what they could give me.
Where did you live?
As I said at the beginning I moved several times, first I was in some sidewalks in the West of Caracas, then I lived near the sea in La Guaira, and finally on a hill also in the West of Caracas.
Were you popular?
In those years I was small in stature, very thin and shy, it was not easy for me to make friends, so it was almost impossible for me to be the most popular, many times I was the last in line.
Were you in the band or the choir?
In none of the three high schools where I studied there were bands or choirs, in the one in La Guaira there were sports teams, gymnastics, soccer and chess. Once we went by bus to a soccer game in Caracas and a big fight broke out because of disagreements with the referee. In the third year I had one of the greatest moments of my life because I qualified for the high school chess championship, I managed to reach third place and they called my name through all the speakers, I was very happy.
Have you ever been suspended?
Until the third year I didn't have any problems, I was counted among the group of students who were above average. But in the fourth year things changed, I couldn't understand physics. Besides, the teacher was very hard on us, he made fun of us, saying that we would never pass. I had a hard time passing that subject and carried it over to the fifth year.
If you could go back, what experience would you relive?
What I would love to relive was the two years I belonged to the Chess club. There was a very enthusiastic and supportive teacher there, he believed that all of us could go far. Belonging to that club changed me in many ways, it made me more confident and raised my self-esteem, for the first time I understood that I had the ability to stand out.
Did you ever miss school?
When I was in the first year I missed a lot of school, I often had severe asthma attacks. That was the reason why I went to live in La Guaira, to have a warmer climate by the sea. After those years my health improved remarkably. I also remember many absences when I was in my fourth and fifth years, but the reason was not health, but the political upheaval that was taking place in the west of the city. There were frequent demonstrations and public transportation was suspended, so there was no way to get to school.
Did you attend soccer games?
When I was in La Guaira I liked to watch the soccer games where my friends participated, the field was near the high school by the sea, it was a very nice place.
What was your favorite subject?
I really liked biology, history and English.
Do you still have your yearbook(s)?
At none of the three high schools where I studied were in the habit of making yearbooks or honor rolls. Years later when I was a high school teacher there was an honor roll for each year.
Did you follow the career path you had set out for yourself?
While I was in high school my mother had convinced me to study medicine, but when I graduated the universities were closed due to political problems, the only one that remained open was the one that offered a teaching career, so I ended up as a teacher, a profession I have loved all my life.
Do you still have your high school ring?
My high school ring I lost it one day when I went to the beach, I was having a lot of fun jumping over the waves and when I came out I didn't have my ring in my hand, it was a very sad day for me, my mother had had a hard time with that ring.
Who was your favorite teacher?
My favorite teacher never got to teach me, he was the math teacher who ran the chess club, a great man, all his students spoke well of him and loved him.
How did you comb your hair?
In the first four years I wore my hair very short, almost military cut, but in the fifth year the fashion of long hair had already been imposed in Caracas and I let my hair grow to my shoulders, in my high school there were no problems with that, they didn't care if you wore your hair one way or another.
What were your favorite shoes?
In those days my favorite thing was to have a pair of Keds shoes.
What was your favorite food?
In those days I loved fried chicken and arepas with ham and cheese.
Who was your favorite singer?
I liked rock music a lot, among my favorite singers were Mick Jagger, from the Rollings Stones and Robert Plant, the singer of Led Zeppelin.
What cologne did you wear?
I never wore perfume, I only wear underarm deodorant.
How old were you when you graduated?
I wasn't yet seventeen.
Did you have any nicknames?
In high school I never had any nicknames. My mother called me "nigger" my whole life.
Which high school did you attend?
First year, "Sagrada Famila" high school, second and third year, "José María Vargas" high school. Fourth and fifth year, "Manuel Palacio Fajardo" high school.
What year did you graduate?
1971
What has changed the most in the world since you graduated?
What has impressed me the most is the technological change. When I was in high school, something like the cell phone or the Internet was unthinkable. These changes can also be seen in the area of health; now there are instruments that allow much more precise diagnoses than in the seventies. The truth is that the changes are very big.
How have you changed since high school?
My change has been remarkable. From those years when I was a shy boy, I became a person capable of leading work teams. As time went by, my self-esteem grew stronger and I became aware of my capabilities. I have also been very active in broadening my knowledge, I love to learn new things. I have no doubt that my personal growth has made me a very different person than I was in my teenage years.
If you could travel back in time and say something to your teenage self, what would it be?
The most important thing I would tell her is to have confidence in her abilities, not to compare herself to others because everyone has a different pace. To have patience because sometimes things take time to arrive, but in the end they always arrive.
I am publishing this post motivated by the initiative proposed by my friend @ericvancewalton, Memoir Monday, in the forty four week. For more information click on the link.
Thanks for your time.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version).
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