Clique!

It has come to my attention that even at the age of 26 (give or take a few years for those around me), there are still labels. Labels suggesting that you are an exclusive group, only willing to spend time doing things with others in the Clique. Wow, That's awesome!

Lets return to high school for a moment, shall we? What 'Clique' were you in? Who did you bond with, sit on the front lawn during lunch with, skip class?

In HS I was definitely the Cheerleader!

Just kidding- I was a jock! Maybe a bit too much of the jock. Come on! I was super shy and the only time I ever let loose was when I got the chance to kick the crap out of the other girls in school! Okay so by Sr. year, they made me play gym class games with the boys! Not just the average boys either- no, i got to play tennis with the quarterback, wall ball with the tight-end, lift weights with the wrestling team, play football, baseball, etc. etc. So Jock was my number 1 clique! Welcome to the world of the obvious! Anyhow- after that I was a free-ranger. I liked everyone (okay so there were the wierdos that i avoided- but who didn't avoid them other than the other wierdos who didn't have friends either). Basically, anyone I could have a real conversation with was in with me! Bandies were a stretch- there were the few cool ones that i loved to death. My sister was their idol, so they accepted my anti-musicianism in hopes that she'd talk to them becuase they were with me. Little did they know- she was way too cool for me too!

The Hesston crowd (they lived out at the lake) - always my closest pals came from there. Amy and Melissa- the best girls on earth! Of course- they lived in the exact opposite direction as I did - and in the country on a limited gasoline allowance - that was killer!

I liked the cheerleaders, I wasn't one of them by any means, but we got along splendidly! I loved when they cheered for me during games! Sometimes I did have dreams of strangling them, but that's a whole other blog! I wasn't a snob or preppy by any means, but i liked them and got along just fine. Okay, so some thought i was a snob, but that was mostly because I was too shy to really branch out and be me! Now, once you got to the 'smart' people- I was lost. I had great grades, but never put an ounce of effort into it. I also never took a class that was harder than I needed to take either! I'd say I'm smart, but smart in the way that knew I didn't want to study for hours on end! Thank heavens I have a pretty good brain naturally, cuz if it was up to motivation to get me through- I would have failed miserably. I didn't have the desire to understand their lingo, and they scared me with their constant notions of saving the planet (or taking it over as Milo always said).

Anyhow, High school was good times, but I would defintely have a few more things to say and do if I were to go back and do it again! I'd love to try that for a couple days!

Back to the present. What do you do for fun? I play sports, exercise, watch movies, eat food. Do you do any of the same? If so- I love you! You and I can be best pals if we have something fun to do together. That's how I meet people. Typically, sports bring out the people I gel with the most. Does that make me a member of a new Clique? Am I exclusive because I mostly hang out with people who like to do the same things as me? Because we go to diners at 1am after we finished playing hours of sports? Am I a clickster because I like to make fun t-shirts? I guess in a way I am. I don't pretend to want to do some of the things that other people do. That's why we don't hang! Do I invite the people who call and invite me to do the things? Yessirree! Do I stop inviting those who don't return the love? Yep! BUT- I know I also am constantly scanning the crowds for new fun faces! Sure, sometimes I strike out and pick someone 'not so similar' to invite to things, but that's okay. They go away fast enough! I believe I called myself an 'Inclusive-exclusive type!'

Just the other day in the VAN we rented on vacation, a conversation started about whether you think people recognize themselves (or their clique) when they see shows on TV (90210, One Tree Hill, Laguna Beach). That spawned some very interesting conversation. We learned that the Snob definitely sees herself, The Preppy sees herself but doesn't really want to admit it(come one- kids are cruel in high school-it happens), and well, the rest of us are pretty aware of at least what we weren't or something. I'm proud to say that I was not a cruel kid, but I'm pretty sure that my current attitude would place me somewhere between Lindsay Lohan being transformed to a mean girl and Veronica Mars' sarcastic mockery of 09'ers/ still dating them!

What makes it all the most irritating to me is that people actually have the nerve to call us out on this. They are begging to join us for things, yet mocking us as soon as we turn our back. I believe that was the 'bi+@#' clique in my high school which I wanted as little to do with then as I do now! Especially when you take a step back and see that Everyone else is a group of some sorts as well. Roommates, Movie watchers, Obsessed TV Fans, Ice Cream Lovers, They come in all shapes and sizes. Everybody's got their Something!

To my fellow clique members- I love you all, we'll be FRIENDS FOREVER! Keep Cool, and Never change! K.I.T. and Don't Steal My Boyfriend- okay so that one is a stretch-alls fair in Love, right Posh? Just don't mind if I make out with him when you're ON A BREAK!