Everyone remembers the “dark ages” – the dreaded years of ages 11 to 14 where every day was a roller coaster, a dream or a Hilary Duff movie all mixed into one. We screamed at our parents and then signed onto AIM to make our away message “ughhhhhh h8 my mom, y doesn’t she understand meH?” (my screenname is xotennischicxo15 so things can only go up from there). It wouldn’t surprise me if many people argued that these times were some of their most embarrassing or cringe-worthy, but as I sit here in my college library, texting my mom and practically begging her to take me out for lunch, I wonder why we even dismissed those times as the worst parts of our lives.
1. It was OK and even accepted to show your raw and true emotions
Yeah, we all had our share of the after school breakdowns when your crush changed his Facebook status to “It’s Complicated” or when your best friend got matching necklaces with another girl from Claire’s. But it was accepted to show your emotions, to express how you really felt and to cry when you were sad or dance when you were happy. No one felt like they had to hide their emotions, which was awesome.
2. Your parents were always there to protect you
They might have seemed to hover at the time (Like why wouldn’t they let you get your cartilage pierced? Are they trying to ruin your life?) but when you leave, you realize just how much they worried about you and how much their lives were altered by your day-to-day “problems” consisting of carpooling you and your friends to Friendly’s.
3. Schoolwork wasn't what defined you
What defined you was your attitude, your confidence, your mile time, your ability to make friends, your Aeropostale collection – not your grades. You went to school and did your geometry homework, but you would never lose sleep over a C on a test or worry about how this would affect the rest of your life.
4. You loved everything with no hesitation
Whether that was LMNT’s new song or a boy in your history class, you followed your passions with such confidence that it would have stunned your future self. Not once did I think about not trying out for the tennis team because I thought I wouldn’t make it. If I loved the new song that Flo Rida came out with, I danced to it whether or not my friends did. There was so much enthusiasm in ourselves in all that we were interested in.
5. Every day was so exciting and new
In college, every day is the same routine with the same people. But in middle school, each day was a new recess, a new study hall, new drama, new jokes, and it all was so exciting and refreshing.
