5 Things I Wish I'd Known in Middle School

What I wish I would have known:




What I know now:



     HOWEVER, I do know more things. So, this goes out to all my peeps entering  the emotionally-taxing, sexually-confusing, face-wrecking, magical ages of pubescence. Also, to anyone else who wants to read it, most of this is pretty universal. I'm not going to cover everything ('cause I can't), but I will go over some important bits. READ CAREFULLY.

1. You are not alone.

            NOT the Michael Jackson song. This first item seems pretty basic, and you probably already know that other people are also heading into middle school and facing the same problems as you are.You know this and yet, from experience, I can tell you how quickly this knowledge flies out the window when you're surrounded by people and you're nervous.The great thing is that you're not alone in this either, it's very common for pre-teens and teens alike to suffer from what they call the 'spotlight effect'. Basically, this is the feeling that everyone is watching you, noticing every imperfection and mistake. Not only is that illogical, but it's very harmful to your self-esteem and a lot of pressure to put yourself under. However, you can assuage the effects of this by reminding yourself that number one, they're probably not looking at you because, number two, everyone else is just as focused on how they're being perceived.

2. Blending in isn't always the best option.

          Wow, do I wish I'd actually understood this in middle school. Not only was I implementing the spot-light effect (which scared me out of being friendly and made my view of the world a very egocentric one) but I also wanted more than anything to be accepted by my peers, to be cool the way they were.  Compounded together, all of these factors made me painfully shy, egocentric AND boring.
       I'm being hard on my past-self, but I'm trying to drive across a point: BE YOU. You are cool and pretty in your own way. In fact, I've read tons of articles and had enough life experience to show that the 'coolness' you seek doesn't come through painstaking and bland imitation. It comes from someone being utterly themselves. Wanting to fit in is natural, and if you're friends are good influences pressuring you to get excel academically or to try fun things like ice-skating, then that's good. But you need to temper that with common-sense, morality and your sense of self. Herd mentality is for sheep!

3. There are more places for eyeliner than just the bottom rim.

        You probably don't need makeup, you lucky, fresh-faced you. But if you want to experiment, do NOT do so by putting a jet black line on your bottom waterline. This was my look through middle school and... it just doesn't suit me or most anyone. Personally, I would start with a little mascara (a little), a little concealer if you're breaking out ( a little), maybe some tinted lip balm and the tiniest bit of blush on the apples of the cheeks (the tiniest bit). Now that I think of it, you would probably be best served with a tutorial of this. You can go on Youtube and type in 'middle school makeup' or 'natural makeup'. Here's a link to one of my favorites:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TMgx84xmik
But, if that's not enough, I will be posting a blog with a "Things I wish I'd known: Makeup Edition" just for you!

4. The first time you shave will be like an episode of Dexter.

    And by that I mean a bloodbath.

Seriously, if you're anything like me you'll nick yourself so many times you'll wonder why you can't make like the apes and run around with leg-curtains. My advice is to invest in a good razor, ask your parents for help (embarassing, I know, but they might know a few tricks), take your time, and get shaving gel. Oh, and never dry shave. Trust me, world of pain and razor bumps better left unexplored.

5. "Love" is fleeting

     Note the quotations. I'm not saying love is fleeting. "Love", though, lasts like five minutes. Ah, middle school relationships. I had exactly one and that lasted all of two weeks. (Short story even shorter, I barely knew him, we were 'set up' by friends, we held hands during lunch once, decided that was too serious and broke it off. We never spoke again.) 
     I'm not saying to swear off boys or girls or whatever it is you like. Fall into like! Meet new people! Flirt awkwardly! But don't obsess or let these new people rule your life. You are gorgeous and funny and smart, maybe you're just not ready for being in a relationship no matter how short-lived. Maybe the object of your infatuation is a douche. Whatever the issue is, don't let your crushes make you feel less than your wonderful self.

Gosh darn it, we're at the end already? Five is such a small number... Well, fear not, because there's more 'Things I Wish I'd Known' coming soon. Join me and revel in the awkwardness of my past mistakes! Until then, much love,
                                                              Vicky