Me from 12 to 18

Being an adolescent can be a really trying time, as it leads into ones’ future as an adult. I do not think I was too bad of a kid, and I really do not think I was much different from many of my peers. Even though I do not remember much of my early childhood, I do especially remember the years from twelve-years-old to eighteen-years-old. This time, for me, was a time of growth, exploration, and finding myself. I had many good times, some bad times, and lots of life-long memories from it all.

My beginning high school years were trying ones for me. Palisade High School, where I attended, was a 7th through 12th grade school, and had only about 300 kids in all. This was a problem for me since I tended to be somewhat of a class clown, and quite a smarty-pants. The older and bigger kids in the upper grades constantly picked me on. This behavior also created havoc with my teachers and the administrators, though I never did get suspended. These were the years of great change and I was no different than any other teens.

I still remember going home for the summer, between my eighth and ninth grades, and coming back one of the tallest in my class. Yes, puberty hit me, not only with the tall stick, but also with a voice that only a mother could love. I had a voice that was sometimes high and whiney and at other times crackly and broken. Going through those changes, which most all teens go through, was such a confusing time in my life. I was trying to find myself, find my niche, and just generally wanted to get by without everyone bothering me.

I really liked high school even though I was not the strongest student academically. I seemed to struggle with reading and writing, but really excelled in the math and sciences, and of course the arts. I vividly remember my mother trying to pound my English homework down my throat, and no matter how much she helped me I still never got it. I always hated her doing that to me, but now I realize that she was just doing what was best for me and trying to help me. I constantly questioned controls and variables – using formal operational reasoning, and for that reason, I really enjoyed school functions like the science club. We would get together and study the stars, learn about chemistry, and go on fun trips, like to Lake Powell. On the other hand, I had a natural ability when it came to the arts, especially with music. I played the brass instruments all the way through high school, and my primary instrument was the baritone. I really excelled with my music and loved it even though I could not read the music; it was all raw talent.

Throughout high school, I really did not find myself belonging to just one peer network. I enjoyed sports. I participated in soccer during the summer months for years, along with little league baseball. I also ran cross-country, track, wrestled, and played basketball. Most of the sports I did just for fun and never really seemed to excel to the point of making it my life’s endeavor. So much of my time I hung out with the jocks, and what I would call the brains, but since I was a band geek, I also got along with the druggies. Though I really did not have just one girlfriend throughout high school, most of my friends were girls. Many of my different involvements helped me to seek out my identity achievement.

Though I took a compilation of classes that would prepare me for higher education, my heart was set on the military. I still remember the summer of my junior year. The Marine Corps recruiter and I went to my mom’s work so I could sign the papers for delayed enlistment. She was so devastated; she could not believe that was what I wanted to do, versus going to school. Nevertheless, my explorations told me that I wanted a career in the Marine Corps, and just before my 18th birthday, I joined the Marine Corps. I was on the delayed enlistment throughout my senior year of high school. I would get together with the Marines on the weekends and do PT and go for runs; I knew this was what I wanted to do with my life.

Throughout school, my parents played a pretty strong role in my life and they were very accepting of my wishes. They were always there for me, supporting my every endeavor, making it to all my soccer games, helping me with my homework, and putting up with my never-ending playing of my instruments for the band. However, this did not preclude them from being strict and almost authoritative in their discipline towards my brother and me. Nevertheless, it did not hurt me too badly, teaching me good morals, values, and work ethics while growing up. I still remember that my parents never gave my bother or me anything, but they made us work for what we wanted. An example of this was going to CU band camp; for a week, I worked to earn most of the money, and they helped at the end when I needed financial assistance. This sure helped me to value the things that I wanted that much more, having to work for them.
I did hold a job most of the time throughout high school. I worked in the peach orchards picking and in the packing sheds. In the evenings and on the weekends, I worked at the local convenience store called 5-B Super Stop, stocking shelves and cleaning up. This work gave me the money to do what I wanted throughout high school, to include having a car, a 1976 Ford LTD Station wagon. That was a big car that got my friends and me everywhere we needed to go, like to the drive-in, exploring in the desert, and just having good times.

Growing up, I did tend to have a few risky behaviors that sure did influence my life. The drinking age growing up was 18, and I was able to drink throughout my senior year of high school. On Friday nights, we would get together, go out to the 3.2 bars, and have drinks. Unfortunately, I did pick up the bad habit of smoking while I was in high school. Both of my parents smoked cigarettes, and it was a little more acceptable back in the 80’s. I really did not like drugs and did not do them, even though many of my friends that I hung around with did. I did not let my peers dictate my life for me; I was a leader, not the follower. I did not let my peers role model deviancy or collective egocentrism, nor did I let them guide my path. I did not consider myself a deviant, even though I liked having a good time. I still remember the first time I got drunk; I was a freshman in high school, on Halloween. I went out with my friends and an hour later came home smashed; I was throwing up, and my parents were so pissed.

My younger years were definitely an influence on my later adulthood. Not only did I smoke for almost 20 years of my life, but I was also a heavy drinker, or should I just say an alcoholic. But I also learned lots of things, prepared myself for a successful livelihood and life, and provided myself with great morals and values to share with my family.