I am Sorry Julie Buck!

I watched a movie with some friends a couple of weeks ago. On it, the teen girls were very typically "awful" and mean to one girl. My friends related so much to the girl being teased and as I watched I realized that I used to be one of the "mean girls." Don't get me wrong, I also remember walking into the lunchroom as someone shouted "Don't trip over your chin." Or when my friends didn't want to sit at the same table as me because I was the target that week of the senior girls food throwing. But none of that excuses the fact that I was one of the mean girls myself.

When Julie moved into our school she automatically came and wanted to sit with my group of friends. The audacity! Didn't she realize the social lines she was crossing. After all, none of us carried backpacks on our back...did she not see the Esprit logo across the bags that were permanently damaging the one shoulder we slung them over? We were so mean. Every week we gave her challenges that she would need to complete to be able to sit with us. For example, walk up to a popular football player and kiss him, take off her shirt when the elevator door opened. We assured her that we had all done similar things to be part of the "posse". It was so mean!

So, Julie, I am SO sorry. If it is any consolation I hope if I ever have daughters they are more like YOU and less like Me as teenagers. I also hope that wherever you are you are successful, happy, and laughing at the tough lessons many of my "so cool" friends had to learn about being better people! So, as you return from your world travels, speeding home in your Mercedes, with your two perfect children smiling at you... I hope you have the last laugh.

PS... apparently I was Too cool to even smile for the photo (I am on the far left). Why were "mall bangs" ever cool?