It’s hard to utter the words “Middle School” without flinching. From the scrunched hair to the braces, it was a pretty rough two years. Lot’s of people wish they could just erase middle school from their memory, but I value that time. In those two years, I probably learned more lessons, than in both high school and college. Below are just a few things I discovered the hard way. If they gossip about their “friends”, they gossip about you also: At the time I thought it was so cool to be friends with somebody who seemed to know everything about everyone else. At lunch, she always knew who was dating who, and what happened at Ashley’s pool party last Friday. Somehow I thought it was a good idea for me to tell her all my deep, dark secrets. I think you know what happened next. After that incident, I avoided anybody who talked behind their friends back. Finding people who can be trusted, is difficult. Up until my senior year in high school, I had friends who talked behind my back. I am so lucky to have found a solid friend group, that is forever growing. We would much rather talk about the positives in our lives, than the negatives in each other's. 
Invest in good quality makeup: The summer before I started middle school I told my mom I wanted to wear makeup. Somehow she thought it was a good idea for me to get this makeup at Dollar Tree. I purchased a thick, cream, glitter eyeshadow palette, black liquid eyeliner, and hot pink lipstick. Needless to say, I pretty much looked like a cheap clown for half of seventh grade. I learned two very important things: less is always more and shelling out the few extra bucks on quality makeup is worth the expense. 
Nothing will ever come easy: Some people are naturally smart, talented, beautiful, and seem to get everything handed to them. I am not one of those people. Everything I’ve ever received in life, is because I’ve worked my butt off to get. In middle school I was so jealous of the people who had perfect grades, and never had to study. While I lived at extra help to get a B. When I tried out for my school play I spent hours each day practicing; while a girl who just decided to audition that day got the lead. I could never understand why I tried so hard but always seemed to come up short. Looking back now, I am grateful that things weren’t handed to me. I learned that if I want something, I need to work hard for it. It makes every success do much sweeter, because I know I earned it.
Abercrombie will soon become irrelevant: When I was in the eighth grade I was obsessed with Abercrombie/Hollister. It seemed like every girl in my class was rocking navy and white except me. We would check the clearance section for marked down t-shirts, and I was ecstatic when I found something. My happiness came crashing down when a girl commented on my shirt. She told me she had that shirt two years ago, and that it’s no longer in style. I was embarrassed, especially since she was one of the “popular girls,” but also pissed off. I didn’t understand why she cared so much about what I was wearing. By the time I entered high school, I could care less about labels. I would much rather spend $100 at Marshall’s and get a full fall wardrobe, then just a jacket at Hollister.
As much as we hate to admit it, middle school was a pivotal point in all our lives. So instead of being embarrassed, let's embrace our scrunched hair and Juicy tracksuits. 
