“What regrets did you have in high school?” I asked thoughtfully.

“I would have focused,” he responded. “Try not to do it all, but focus on one thing. Not do all the sports, but played in one sport…and got good at that.”

I thought for a moment about myself. Could I. Would I. And I finally said, “I have no regrets. In fact, I don’t know if there’s anything I could have changed due to my personality, my own level of maturity, the context, the circumstances, the people. I would have rather skipped it entirely.”

But then, I wouldn’t be who I am today if I didn’t go through the 4 years of unbearable high school.

At least I can still always point out the Marriott across from the Metreon near work. “That’s where I went to prom,” I say as my coworkers talk about how they had prom at aquariums and museums.