How did you fit in as a child?

[justjoshing]

I was fairly popular from kindergarten until fifth grade. I lived in a small suburb of Corpus Christi, TX at the time, and people hardly ever moved from there. Despite not being good at sports, I was on a couple of little league teams. I got along quite well with the boys, playing Power Rangers, and the girls by playing house.
Middle school was horrible, as I had moved to an even smaller town and was one of the few minorities. People in that small Texas town didn't really care for that. I found a few good friends though, and managed to stay under the radar, save for a few bullies. I guess at the time I was a social outcast.
I moved once again for high school to Houston. It was pretty average. Most people knew me because of my surprisingly deep voice, and from the Debate team and Yearbook. I found a pretty good group of friends, and talked with people from all types of social groups. I was teased from time to time. Mostly it was by this guy who, for some reason, absolutely hated me. Actually, he probably hated me because I was gay. I started coming out of the closet in my sophomore year, and by that December pretty much everyone new. Nothing beats being called a fag every day in Biology. He's working as a exterminator now. Karma is a bitch.
Surprisingly enough, a lot of the football players would stick up for me when I would be teased about being gay. Aside from a few instances, I've always had great friendships with straight guys.
I cared more about fitting in when I was in middle school than in high school. Once I got to high school I realized that nothing, aside from my grades (and even then...) would matter in the real world. I found some good friends, joined a few clubs, and tried to make the most of my four years.

 

[Knucklehead]

I am the 5th of 8 children born to an incredibly intelligent,alcoholic, mentally ill father and a semi deranged,almost equally intelligent,but,violent,and in her own ways,very loving mother.She had it rough,and did the best she could with a bunch of screaming,hungry kids,a drunk,cheating husband and rent and bills to pay.She died at 63.He's recovered from his alcoholism and still keeps on keeping on at 73..

It had it's peaks and valleys to say the very least. Lot's of drama at the house.Freinds,at least till I got on my own,were few,and far between. I think it prepared me for the years of solitude I'd spend driving truck,where I could TRY and figure out what the fuck happened..

 

[cinnamontea]

selective in friends as kids..and mostly so so shy.

 

[EqualsThree]

In high school about three out of the fours years were spent eating my lunch in toilet cubicles because I had little to no friends.

Outside of school I kept active by playing a lot of sports so I had friends just not many that went to the same school that I did.

 

[justndav]

My life thru grade school was pretty quiet... had a select few guy and girl friends. I was horrible at sports in grade school... dreaded them. Then in Jr. High School I had more guy friends and became much better at sports... I was still very selective at who I picked as friends and associated with. Sports all the sudden became fun and that helped... I was still a bit shy though. I went thru puberty very quickly in Jr. Highschool as well so I had guys that were envious of me in the lockerrooms. In high school it was much the same as Jr. High... was great at sports... did baseball, wrestling and basketball and was great at all three- it was hard to balance the wrestling and swimming and I eventually dropped swimming. I had my tightknit group of friends 6 or so guys and like three girls. I was popular because I did a weather forecast everyday as well, so people knew who I was and would say hi, hey, whats up... as would the teachers. I was buddies with my sports teammates but I wouldn't say we were friends, thats a bit of a strong term to describe it. I must admit in highschool I wasn't used to the ass slapping and games athletes would play in the lockerroom... mostly innocent stuff (not what some porns would have you believe). I had my first sexual experience actually with a couple of guys I played sports with... again not initiated from what porns would have you believe. Its probably why I look over guys in MLB and college baseball I love the male physique in those tight uniforms. Anyways, lets step away from Justin the Mini-Series...

 

[Kester]

When was I at school which wasn't very often, I spent a lot of time in hospital growing up, I fit in with everyone OK.

Always had differences with people, and there were always people who didn't like me and I didn't like them. For the most part though things were good.

 

[Under-taken]

I actually fitted in really well. I was pretty out-going and fairly combatative, with teacher, sort of found myself in a place where I was sort of a comedian, guess that was my place in the food chain. Got a long with everyone, only had 2 people out of 250 senior students I didnt get along with, but they weren't really on good terms with anyone.

 

[braex27]

I didn't really fit in as a child.

 

[MercuryJones]

I did okay as a little kid, but as we got older I started losing ground and by middle school I was pretty well outside the mainstream. Oddly, my saving grace was that I was a nerd and could hang with the other nerds. At least there was a small social circle.

My first year of high school in an all-boys school was sheer hell, and not only did I have no friends but I was the main target of bullying because I didn't fit in at all.

But I transferred to another school as a sophomore and made a lot of friends - mostly with girls - and was reasonably popular. This was the early 1980's, and I'm not sure how, but I managed to pretty much be myself for those years, and was either appreciated or (at worst) ignored. I was even friends with a number of straight guys despite being pretty much uncloseted.

 

[geloge]

Were you the weird kid playing alone in the corner?

That was me and that's kind of me still. Gladly I've found the right friends.

 

[The_Reaper]

When I started grade one, I had moved in from a different town, so for awhile I was the new kid. The new kid was always the exciting kid, and usually had a large group of friends.

Of course, over time, more and more new kids came and eventually the longest serving new kid sort of found them self without friends, or just a decrease circle.

For the most part, I didn't really get along with anyone else. I think the main reason for that, and I'm not tooting my own horn here, was that in elementary school I was already pretty bright.

I had been reading since before pre-school, so I was already sort of weird to most of the other kids. Add in a slight speech impediment, and a bad dental situation (not helped by an idiotic surgeon who made it worse and still plagues me today), and I became a bit of a target for some kids.

For the most part, I was left alone, and sort of talked with the few other 'exceptional' students. Which, at that time, was just one girl. Of course, that made things worse, when it was naturally assumed that she was my girlfriend and what have you...

For the most part, I just kept my head down and was left alone. There were a few problems here and there, but not enough to really get bent out of shape about. I didn't really have friends in my own grade until about grade 6 or so...Up until then, my best friend was a grade below me, but the same age.

 

[thisisinteresting]

Everyone liked me and I didn't like them. And they all still try to add me on facebook.

I feel like I sound really conceited but it's just the truth. I guess I'm very likeable but... I don't like people. After puberty age I could hardly stand to hang out with guys. (Well, straight guys to be honest but I didn't really know any gay kids.) Had mostly female friends through high school.

 

[Kulindahr]

Ever here of the square peg and the round hole?

I was the rough rock that didn't fit any hole.



Took me many years to finally have a dozen or so people I could call friends. Then I came out.

Now I can count the number of friends on one hand -- thumb not needed.

 

[honooryuu]

i was in a military family, so it was hard for me to fit in. i didnt really try though, and most of my friends were like me in being some sort of outcast. i never really wanted to fit in with the cool kids though in school. i just wanted to do my own thing.

 

[FirePhoenix]

I never fit in anywhere as a kid, my only friend was myself and I did not even like who I was because apparently something was wrong with me and no one else liked me. I was a very lonely and sad child, life sucks and then you get to die.

Where were all the rest of you lonely people... we could have all hung out and been friends.

 

[frankfrank]

I did mean to add to my long post the other day, that I have been (and forever will be, for the rest of my lifetime) surprised and amazed that, as much of a misfit (and nervous, etc.) that I was in high school and earlier, I was almost never on the receiving end of bullies. I have NEVER gotten "beaten up" by anybody, or maliciously injured in any physical way, and pretty much the same even for threats.

That sort of thing is a "luck of the draw" (you can't really choose your classmates in a public school) and I guess I drew the right cards.

I'm thinking that's part of why I was eventually able to adapt, and build on the life-beginnings which were planted into me during early teen years.

 

[Ryuusei Boy]

I never had a problem fitting in, in fact I think it was easier for me making friends back then. I was never alone, I don't recall a period of my childhood when I didn't have any friends. It's a shame I lost contact with all of them, but I don't know if it'd be the same as before, and I don't know if my current friends and the current me would fit with my childhood friends.

 

[erobert]

I fit in pretty well looking back. I was always respected and liked by almost everyone in school from elementary to high school.

Had a close group of good friends in elementary and middle school. I was in gymnastics in kindergarten and played soccer in 1st grade. I'm athletic but am either very good or very bad depending on the sport. (I am great at soccer and volleyball but can barely hit a baseball)

In high school I became somewhat of a loner, and was a bit on the shy side so I did my own thing for Freshmen and sophomore year. I never cared about fitting in or trying to hard to find my group; I accepted and respected nearly everyone from jocks to nerds and it was in turn respected and accepted. I also got good grades and was well rounded.

Made a lot of acquaintances throughout high school and became an inexplicable jock magnet by the end of junior year. (Being tall, moderately attractive and athletic has its perks) Joined a tennis club, a lot of girls had crushes on me as well as some guys.

Rumors started that I was gay or bi senior year and that's when everyone started hitting on me. I was unofficially outed by a baseball jock who had a crush on me senior year. People really didn't care and this seemed to give me a "cool factor" and even made me more popular. I was "dog called" (gay cat calling) by guys in the hall and as I walked home.

I would get rides home every week, captain of the swim team gave me a wink in class, guys started, flirting with me- it was like Gay Times at Ridgemont High. Times have certainly changed when said baseball jock can hold hands with another guy when going to the school Halloween party (maybe I'll tell that story another time).

All in all I fit in and was well liked by almost everyone.

 

[Latimer]

I loved my life growing up. Looking back, it was just about perfect. Was always one of the popular kids. Swim team, almost straight A's, student council, prom court, etc. Liked just about everyone and was well-liked in return. A friend in college once remarked that I seemed to have been "born under a lucky star". The only shadow in my life was the dawning realization that I was gay.

My parter has had pretty much the same experience. Said to me the other day that he was "living his dream".

 

[mydrew1]

My school years are a little above average. Especially in Secondary School. Every year, 1-2 times, I'd be involved in an incident of some kind with another student or teacher and I'd be the hero of the school for like a month each time.

Once was where a teacher, in anger at me, shoved me through a door(which nearly knocked me into my Drama teacher). Barely an hour later I was a hero, for a month or so. Once one of my classes' student jerks jumped me in Physical Education so I threw him off and punched him in the stomach, he was twinkish so he didn't extend the incident. Again, hero for about a month. Small incidents like that, etc.