To The Lunchtime Loner | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

To The Lunchtime Loner

If I could go back, here's what I would tell you.

128
To The Lunchtime Loner
youtube.com

Sometimes I can still see her, sitting there, eating her peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the school hallway and hoping that no one saw how alone she was. She had friends, a few at least. Some had been accepted into the school’s honor society, meant to celebrate and encourage those especially bright scholars with the highest grades. And some of her friends had been asked to spend their lunches mentoring younger students who needed some extra help. Both worthy causes, both lunchtime activities, both things she hadn’t been asked to do.

It wasn’t really that bad. She had decent grades, and she helped others in her own way, but when you go to school with the best and brightest, you have to be at the top of your game, or you are left behind. Most days she deserved a participation trophy for getting herself out of bed, making the honor roll was not high on her list.

If she wasn’t sitting in the hallway, her back against the cold metal lockers, she was in the bathroom. Hiding herself in the stall to eat lunch may have seemed gross or silly, but no one knows you are alone if they can’t see you.

Maybe she should have branched out more, gone up to a new group in the lunch room and introduced herself. Maybe she should have befriended the janitor or a lonely teacher, and spent her lunches getting to know someone of a different age and life experience. But maybe life felt a little too overwhelming; her failures, a little to glaring, and her anxiety, a little too big, to imagine putting herself out there like that.

When you are 16 and in high school, you can’t imagine a world outside of your current best friend, the fight you had with your Mom last night and who is going to be the prom queen. When I look back at myself in high school, I can still remember the pain and heartache that came with growing up and discovering who I was. In a world that based your value on your SAT score, I was always going to lose.

Sometimes I wish I could go back to that time, and walk right up to that lonely girl sitting all alone in the hallway trying so desperately to believe that she was worth something. I would sit next to her, and tell her about all the wonderful things she is going to do someday.

I would tell her that after she graduated high school she would earn a scholarship to do what she was most passionate about. I would tell her that though she left that school the next year, her spirit was stronger then ever. I would tell her that she spent the next year working so incredibly hard and she earned one of the nation’s most sought after internships and spent a year building a life for herself far away from everything she had ever known. I would tell her that she had the courage to leave everything behind to escape a damaging relationship. I would tell her that after finding a new job, community and school, she is flourishing. I would tell her that last week she received a letter in the mail asking her to become a member of her college’s honor society as people do when they are top 15 percent of their class. I would tell her that although life felt hard then, and the future wasn’t always bright, she never gave up. And no grades or awards or community service can compare to knowing that you can walk through fire and come out stronger on the other side.

To that girl and to any high schooler who believes that they are never going to amount to anything, let me say this. You are worth far more than any test score, or GPA. You can be kind and loving to others whether you are part of an organization or not. You have a purpose and a gift that the world needs. You are special in a million different ways, and though can’t see it right now, I promise you, if you just stick with it, someday you will see how needed you are. Work hard, and keep good people around you, and I promise you good things will happen. It doesn’t mean that life will be easy, but darling, it will be worth every tear and lunch spent alone. Don’t ever let the world turn you into someone you are not, fight with every breath to show the world who you are.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

185853
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

11995
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

455781
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

25286
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments