I talk about when I was in wrestling for high school from time to time. For me it was the only positive moment in high school, my best friend (since we were 4 y.o.) and I were on the team and training partners. We had a blast and took nothing too serious. Just the pure joy of beating the c**p out of one another in practice and still being friends after it was over.

He died when he was 24. It’s been almost 7 years without him. My world is different without him in it and talking about those days keeps him alive.

I didn’t peak in high school, I wasn’t popular, I never went to prom, never even had a girlfriend but those days are the few good memories I have left of him. Before he died, he was in a downward spiral and I refuse to remember him that way. That’s not who he was.

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XanthippeⓐWulf🇨🇦 🇬🇧

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This is such a different set of circumstances. If talking about those good times you had in high school with your friend helps you heal your heart, then by all means, talk away. I can't imagine that anyone would think poorly of you, as it's completely different than bragging about something that happened ages ago.

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I'm married to a man I met in high school, and I can tell from people's reactions when I say that, that some people assume that means we peaked in high school. But those reactions are split 50/50 with people who think it's super sweet, adorable, like a fairy tale, etc. It's always funny to tell someone new about it and see which side of the line they land on.

For the record, in high school I was painfully socially awkward and being abused by a person I thought was my best friend. And my husband was constantly on the verge of failing out because he didn't find schoolwork interesting/ challenging, but now he's got a great career and a lot of very engaging hobbies. Those were absolutely NOT the best years of our lives. In fact, the only reason I remember high school fondly is that it's where I met him.

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Sam Backus

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I married someone I went to grade school with. Been married for 40 years now.

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Pushing "cliquey" behavior in any setting. Like I'm thinking of moms making videos about how "stay at home moms" vs "working moms" drop their kids off at school. Comparing X type of mom to Y type of mom. "We ~dance moms~ do X! *Regular* moms do Y!" "when the teacher knows you're a [insert] mom!"

Or, at a job I had there was one girl who clearly wanted there to be an "in group", pushed inside jokes, saving a seat at a table, taking lunches together (at a call center). To me it screamed 'trying to recreate high school". Any time any adult is pushing an "us vs them" or cliques in a social or work setting it screams high school to me.

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Kathryn Baylis

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I can’t tell you how many places I’ve worked where it felt like I was back in high school. The “suits” (corporate executives or the family that owns the business) would be the popular kids, there’s usually a clique of “mean girls” and another of jocks (especially if local companies have baseball teams or something). They all gossip about, and diss, anybody who isn’t in their group. They all suck up to the suits and their own bosses, to curry favors away from others who actually deserve them—-which works the best if the bosses/suits themselves were the same high school stereotypes. If they happen to have a little bit of rank themselves, they always play favorites with their cronies, and s**t on everyone else. Doesn’t matter if they graduated 40 years ago, they haven’t matured past that mindset at all.

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I graduated almost forty years ago and ran into one of the more popular students at a bar a few years back. They kept trying to convince me I had been the object/victim of a mean prank their clique had pulled back in Jr. High.

I had no idea what they were referring to, and after listening to them jabber about it for about ten minutes, I realized this person was hoping to shame and embarrass me in front of family and friends.

When they finally wound down after realizing I wasn't reacting in the manner they had hoped for, I told them sorry, that wasn't me, however, since they brought it up, did they ever stop to think that the person they were referring to did not deserve said prank and weren't they a little old to be playing childish games at this point of their life and that their current life must be pretty s****y if c**p like this is all they have to offer.

I ended it by writing "Do I like you? Check yes or no" on a napkin with a big old checkmark in the no box. They turned bright red and slunk off giving me dirty looks for the rest of the evening. Sheesh...

And no, whatever they were referring to was not me, I still have no idea who or what they were referring to.

Edit: 1) I am relatively new to Reddit, so I apologize if my writing style is difficult to understand, I will work on it.
2) No, nobody clapped, high fived, catcalled or any other melodramatic c**p, we all kind of chuckled about it and went back to hanging out. 3) Yes I responded to their childishness with an equally childish act, while it may not have been the best course of action, I stand by it. It served its purpose in getting them to leave me alone.

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Alicia M

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When you realize the people in this story are almost 60. 😳

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I graduated in 05. I was sitting at a tire shop waiting for my truck to get done and an employee slightly older than me walks up to me and asks me, with no previous interaction, if I played football in high school. Wondering where this was going, I responded that I did, but I wasn’t great at it. He asked what school I went to, and I told him. Then he starts talking about himself. How he was “all conference” and walking me through all of his high school accolades…

I never asked for this conversation. I just sat there wondering why this nearly 40 year old, wildly out of shape, tire shop supervisor was telling me all of this. Then just as soon as it started he bid me good day and walked off. It was bizarre.

The best comparison I could make was that he was like the manager “Dan” from the movie waiting. That was his vibe.

That’s how I knew he peaked in high school.

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What I have learned from this thread is that Americans care a lot about high school and it seems to be a big part of culture there.

Im 30 and I cant even really remember anything about high school at all

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You’re learning some Americans are like this, the rest of us Americans are learning the same thing you are. Most of us don’t care about high school pretty quickly after graduation actually.

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They kept hanging out with high-schoolers years after we graduated.

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When I was in HS we had a few of these hanging around. Like f**k off you ancient 23 years old creeper

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40 year-old dude-bro who only got his job because his buddy is the boss. Wears basketball shorts all the time, loose brightly colored shirts, athletic shoes with no socks, and a backward neon yellow hat. He yells at his employees because he's in charge, and it's how he behaves when he coaches kids football. He walks around with his chest puffed out and a strut that he thinks looks intimidating but only looks like he has hip problems. He talks like he's still in high school and calls everyone bro. Insists everyone calls him by his last name.

Unfortunately, I just described my former boss. Everything about him screams peaked in high school. The less I dealt with his steroid addeld attitude, the better.

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KittyGotClaws

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Looks like he has hip problems or a Corn cob stuck up his backside...

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They say that college is overrated even though they didn't have the grades to get in.

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David H

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I think college is overrated and I have a masters degree. People view college as this road to success. In reality is a vocational school for fields like Computers, Engineer, Medicine, etc. Unfortunately half the degrees being awarded (and a huge chunk of the colleges cost for professors and buildings) are in essentially useless degrees because they do not lead to employment, unless you take the LSAT or MCAT with the pre-recs and go to law or medical school. College is overrated because people view it as an experience, rather than practical training for the future. Meanwhile our country lack 1.2 million trained blue collar positions in vocational fields like Plumbing, Welding, electrician, etc, with that number growing every year. Many kids would be better off in vocations school than college if they choose useless degrees

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In my experience, it's the people that talk about things that happened in HS as if it were yesterday. Constantly.

I had an ex who would always tell me crazy stories. I'd ask ,"When did this happen?" She would say "Sophomore year" and we were mid-20's.

Over time, it became clear that HS was the best years of her life and most likely will continue to be as she didn't have much ambition after HS.

I had 1 good year in HS and reminisce about it every now and then but it is not on the forefront of my mind.

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Telepathetic

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You had a good year ?

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In the early 2000's I went back to my home city for my mom's funeral. Two of my closest high school buddies were there which was nice... and nice to catch up. One of them was a very successful business owner who had a great family and life. The other was **still** **living in his dad's basement, still working the same school bus driver job his parents got him in High School, still smoking pot all day long every day and still pining away for his high school sweetheart.** He was pretty burnt out from all the weed and in fact, my cousin who was severely brain damaged, was even making fun of him. We were all in our mid 40's by then.

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and_a_touch_of_the_’tism

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Sounds like he was dealing with some mental health issues

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My uncle, who is 55 years old, has his high school senior picture as his Facebook profile. He also has his letterman jacket on display in his "office". He's also named all of his dogs after teammates from high school basketball.

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Zaphod_000

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not the bro dogs

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when you're 50 years old and you still talk about all the parties you went to in high school.

i.e my father

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If you remember a party it wasn't a very good one

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Nurses who are super rude. I was horrified to learn how many of my childhood bullies were pursuing medicine.

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Joe Publique

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Or careers in middle management/law enforcement/military. Anything that gives them a modicum of soft power they can abuse to make themselves feel better about their crappy lives.

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Constantly talking about their high school sport experiences.

Buddy you’re 32. Nobody gives a flying f**k that you lettered in lacrosse and basketball

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Mike Fitzpatrick

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And turn your hat around, you look ridiculous. Oh, and don't call me bro, I'm your supervisor.

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When they call themself a retired mean girl. When they live through their kids. When they believe that teachers have something against their kid because their kid gets in trouble. People who kept their full uniform for the purpose of just keeping it. People who made fun of what other people were wearing to prom or the girls that told other girls to change because they brought the same colour dress.

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Wearing their letterman jacket after graduation. The moment the robe comes off that jacket needs to go in a box. Wearing it post-graduation says that their life peaked the night they scored four touchdowns in a single game while playing for the Polk High School Panthers in the city championship game versus Andrew Johnson High School, including the game-winning touchdown in the final seconds against their old nemesis, Bubba "Spare Tire" Dixon.

I saw someone from my school days wearing their jacket a decade later. I chose not to engage.

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Spocks's Mom

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I saw the Bubba "Spare Tire" Dixon episode just the other day.

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Being mean and picking on peoples insecurities as their only form of conversation and entertainment. Nothing screams “I peaked in high school” like an old jock messaging me if I’m interested in crypto since I seemed like a cool guy back then to “I would’ve absolutely wrecked you in the weight room” when I declined his invitation to lose all my money.

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I see a lot of guys I went to school with still wearing the same style baggy pants and backwards Unc hats with loop earrings and a Figaro silver chain.... these mfs are early and mid 40s.

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Anybody who actually says, unironically, that high school was the best time of their life. I don't feel like I was even a real person until after college, and my late 20s/low 30s are better than any time previously in my life - I can't imagine peaking in high school.

Edit: Lots of good comments but a lot of them are "well what about this example" or "actually I enjoyed high school" and I was just making a broad statement so obviously exceptions apply. FWIW I had to move during high school and I was a jaded b***h, I had almost no friends in my new school and I was glad to get the f**k out and never go back. Thankfully I had and still have many friends from my first high school that I'm always thankful for. I didn't know who I even was or wanted to be in college and I didn't figure that out until my mid 20s. So for me the thought of peaking in high school is insane because I can't relate to that experience - but I know that some people certainly do.

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I had a conversation in a bar with a drinking buddy years ago. The guy kept going on about "the one that got away." How perfect she was and their chemistry together, how natural it was, how he hasn't felt that way about any girl since, yadda yadda. He was feeling pretty sorry for himself and uninterested in meeting anyone else because they could never compare. When I asked how long ago it was that she moved away, he said "8th grade." LMFAO

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KittyGotClaws

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First love really sears into you sometimes.

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Constantly posting “throwbacks” and their senior pictures. Sharing Fb memories consistently, or putting Snapchat memories of high school on their story.

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10 years ago a member of the local Mom’s club post a picture of a person I graduated along with a description of his vehicle as part of a creep alert.

He was still driving the car he had in high school.

We graduated in 1985…

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Florence O'Grady

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I want to know what car that is. A car still working after all these years must be well taken care of. Doesn't have to worry about computer issues with his vehicle. I deliver car parts and some places I deliver to have cars being worked on older than the car mention the OP. These car owners usually have money or have the skills necessary to fix the cars themselves. Remember that judging people can backfire on you.

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55 year old women who use filters for their social media posts: You don't look like that anymore, Lauren! We knew you then...jig is up, babe...you fool no one!

Seriously - icannot stress how filters are obvious...and make you look really sad and desperate and no one believes its natural you- NO. ONE!

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Stephanie Did It

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And every post is a selfie with "ooh I look awful" just to troll for compliments from other *self employed* SAHMs

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Slamming beers and shouting at a tv when sports are on

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Daman dan

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Sensing a theme here....seems like most of these are jocks and cheerleaders

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When the former high school bully you beat in a karate tournament with an illegal face kick shows up at your business and all your employees know exactly who he is.

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Serial pacifist

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Oddly specific.

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Social media bios that include these:

"Stay at home momma"
"Momma to Haydenton, Harmegaleigh, etc."
"School of Hard Knocks"

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KittyGotClaws

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When I read Haydenton, I thought of teeth.

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Had guy probably in his early 20's show up for band class every day. There would be lawsuits for allowing this nowadays.

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Zaphod_000

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I mean, free lessons, not really peaked in hs if hes a band nerd

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The people that ask you to join those MLM schemes selling body wraps or the like...

Anyone that has a "salt life" decal on their car when they live nowhere near the ocean or even a salt mine.

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Salt mine... Lol

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Ridiculing the hobbies of others to make yourself look good.

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They only talk about high-school, probably because that was the highlight of their life so far.

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I still see them around our hometown hanging out with the same people. They ask if your coming to whatever reunion is new. One girl i know still goes to all the football games in her cheer uniform.

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That is incredibly sad

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They usually hang out with all of the same people they did in high school, going to all of the same places they did in high school, doing all of the same things they used to do in high school. The only difference is that it seemed cool when they were 17-18, and they’ve continued right through their 20s into their 30s.

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Attention world, all night teen nightclubs were never a good idea. Please don’t give teenagers a place to go all night and take drugs and hook up with other teenagers. This was a terrible idea

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1)Trying to keep a dying school alive so they can keep going to local high school sports events. Even when the students would be much better off if it dissolved. 2)and when they still talk about school and exploits 30 years later.

Edited to note these are two separate things and clarification on second point

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I know a guy pushing 40 that still wears his varsity letterman jacket…..

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I still occasionally wear my high school hoodie a decade later, but that's just because it's warm and comfy on cleaning day.

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When they get extremely petty and angry over the smallest, mosh insignificant s**t. Karens and Kevins are just older versions of those extremely attractive guys and girls, who never really grew out of "I'm hot so the world's at my feet" mentality.

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Rebelliousslug

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I don’t know some of these Karens have clearly never been hot or popular. One of the originals in fact, the one that called 911 on a bird walker would fit into that category I think

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Nurse with the same hairstyle that was popular when she graduated HS.

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Beck

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Ok I have had the same hair since I was 5. Brunette, chin length bob. I am 44. I never use hairspray or hair gunk. Or even a hair dryer. Wash, towel dry, run a brush thru it for about 8 seconds and go.

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Bragging about how attractive the person they slept with recently was, like “sexiest lay” is a competition.

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If they are in their 30s - 40s and:

They wear their letter jacket outside of things like high school reunions where it's only barely appropriate

They still brag about their High School GPA, or any accomplishment they made in high school

They wear their HS class ring outside of things like high school reunions

High school could have been fun, it's fine to reminisce [like how at my HS they made a random freshman swallow a goldfish whole as a school sanctioned event], but if it defines you still, you peaked in HS.

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Zsolt Hegedűs

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What's GPA? Must be common knowledge for Americans, but not for the rest of us

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* Gets a standing ovation at HS football games

* Pays for waterbed in cash

* Fully loaded 2011 Ford Taurus

* Corner apartment with fountain view.

* No waiting at Beef O'Brady's

Edit:... and is STILL peaking.

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This may not mirror your experiences, but almost all of the most popular kids at the high schools I attended were genuinely likable, intelligent, and hard-working. They all went on to be at least moderately successful, well-adjusted adults.

The people who peaked in high school were already kind of losers in high school.

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I had a very different high school experience than you. I feel like they’re portrayed a certain way in TV and film for a reason, that stereotype originated in reality, they were the mean girls/guys. Much younger kids seem to have a very different school experience though so this could definitely be generational

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