Touchback

Trying to get my sons to prepare for their upcoming exams has been a struggle. I'm using everything that I know but trying to convince teenage boys to do something and the best (and probably not very effective) is  the old adage "the grades you get in High School now can set you up in life" In my mind, while I am saying this - I am asking did High School set me up for life?

What is so funny is that recently I watched a movie called Touchback which is about reaching potential and the impact the decisions we make at High School have on our lives.... The movie is about a guy called Scott Murphy who, back at High School was the star of the football team dying to get out his small town when an accident ends any dreams of him doing this... The movie starts with a grown up married with children Murphy who like many people in this economy - working hard, but really struggling with the bank foreclosing on the property which has belonged to his wife's family for generations. His wife is plain and simple but supportive and plods along working and raising two beautiful children. You certainly get the sense that life is not easy.

One day, an old football buddy (now a big-time NRL football star) comes to town with Murphy's High School girlfriend (who is a News Anchor on TV) and it's all a bit too much for Murphy... He tries to brush his feelings of failure off, but when his crops face ruin because of poor weather - his hopelessness and despair lead him to a suicide attempt. While he is unconcious - he returns back to school and gets to re-do/ re-live his life.

The movie then follows a younger version of Murphy and his decisions he makes that lead him to wake up to a better ending.... (which you will have to watch... ;-)) and it made me think - If I could, what would I change about my highschool years? I even asked Mr "If you could go back in time - what would you change from High School? If you knew then what you know now what would you do differently?" He paused and then said "nothing!". I can tell you I was relieved given that it was at High School where I met and fell in love with someone who has turned out to be one of the best men on the planet ;-) 

I, on the other hand, and in watching my boys start living through this, have given this some thought and there are some things I would 'tweak' if I could go back.....

Love yourself
Everyone thought they were fat at High School. This wasn't just restricted to my generation because even my sons are very careful about what they eat because they don't want to get fat. What they don't realise is that in a short space of time, they will join millions of us who look back at their high school photos and think - "Dang I was skinny then :-)" To my young self I would say - "love yourself, and enjoy your life as it is certainly more than what you look like... Fat my teenage self - will come, but it is not at High School" And note to self (old and young) - EVERYONE looked skinny back then because - HULLO - we were children ;-)!!

Listen
My science teacher told me to take general science in the 5th form so that I could experience a range of other subjects and add music or a language etc to my education... Instead, just the mention of "can't or don't" spurred me on and off I went to do Biology, Chemisty, and Physics to the end - and just because, I enrolled at University in Biology as well!! This trait of mine has continued unfortunately where you will find that if someone tells me I can't do something they may as well have pressed start! So to my young self I would say - STOP!! listen to your teacher and take General Science branching out to do something else like music!! ;-)

How to Learn
I never knew about learning styles until fairly recently and when I did find out I was not happy!! All those years of schooling, struggling to grasp concepts, ideas, information, facts, figures, and knowledge without an iota of how to learn. Instead I, and I suspect many others had to rely on my own God-given natural and raw capabilities which makes me cross. It didn't have to be that way. You see, once I was taught and understood how to learn utilising my preferred learning styles - I developed strategies around those that make it easier to capture and retain informaiotn - most times. I wish I knew this then.

Patience
I wouldn't of started seriously dating until I was old enough. What does anyone know at 15? I would go back to my young self and tell her to get real and wait because there was someone coming.... The flipside to this is that I am a better person for every experience I had as a teenager and may have been totally different when Mr Right did come along!! But patience is something my young self could have done with in bucketloads when it came to the affairs of the heart!!

Other than that - my High School years were packed with waterpolo practices, games and tournaments, piano lessons and exams, Phoenix house, Showcase performances and tours, friends, family, and church. I realise, and probably knew then that I was living a truly blessed life because of all of my experiences. And, unlike Murphy in the movie, although life is hard, - there isn't anything I would change (maybe tweak but never change) because I am exactly where I am meant to be.... Hopefully, this blog finds you in that place as well.

Yours in friendship,

Mxo