I did not have a great or a horrible experience in high school. There were about 150 kids per grade, it was the only school in town and we'd all been together since kindergarten, so we knew each other pretty well by the time we got to high school. I was in band and drama and track and other clubs, but I struggled socially - had very few friends, although most people were friendly with me.
It was definitely NOT the "best years of my life". When people would say that I too would become depressed and think it must get better or a lot more people would be on anti-depression pills.
I have not attended any reunions and can't actually think of a reason to go. I keep in touch with 1 person from "back home" even though I know a number of them still see my parents around town and ask about me.
Academically, I had some pretty tough classes - Modern European history, AP physics (in the days before they split it into 2 different courses), and AP Calculus, and some stupid easy ones - Spanish and French, computers. The worst thing about it academically was that I had teachers who were all about girls either going into "girl professions" (their descriptions) or going to college for the "Mrs." degree. My physics teacher actually told us that he would prefer to teach all boys because they were better at physics than girls were and we really shouldn't be in the class! (I now have a masters degree in physics and he remembers it as it being his great teaching that sparked my interest in the field.
)
That all being said, I can understand what they mean by a "normalizing experience". Let me explain before you all jump up in surprise. Most people expect others around them to have had similar experiences in their lives, and they assume (often incorrectly) that if something happened to them a certain way in high school then it happened the same or similar way to everyone. It is the idea of "shared past experiences" that helps create bonds between people when they are first meeting and trying to get to know each other. (It helps us put each other into focus, in terms of what we view as "normal" in life.)
For example, DH and I were living and working in Japan when 9/11 happened. We do not have the same perspective on the event as other American who were living in the US at the time and who have never lived abroad. As a result, when people talk about it and we don't react in the "normal" /usual way as other Americans react people don't know how to interpret us or our ideas and often times simply draw the conclusion that we are simply "wierdos, freaks, or un-American" (and worse). Most people can not cope with the idea that the way we experienced that time of life was so radically different than what they experienced and what the rest of the country experienced.
If we relate this back to high school and girls, in particular - this is the time when society says they are supposed to be dating, learning the social norms of life as an adult female (whether or not you agree with them or even plan on adhering to them). They are supposed to be getting giggly about going to the prom or dating the football star or failing the dreaded class of choice that particular year. It is NOT the time when they are supposed to be studying and learning and using their minds to better themselves or finding their dream or just plain being happy with who they are and what they want to do.
I teach high school and it is an incredibly hard time for both boys and girls, especially those who do not fit in the pigeon holes that our current educational plan tries to fit them into. (A whole other rant for me, so I'll stop here.)
