Echoes of the Garage

Daily writing prompt

Describe something you learned in high school.

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I went to a Catholic all-boys high school.

Built on top of a cemetery.

Right next to Dodger Stadium.

So yeah… right off the bat, that felt like a setup.

But what I really learned there had nothing to do with ghosts.

It was me.

I was afraid.

Afraid of school dances.

Afraid of public speaking.

Afraid of looking like a dumbass.

So I did what a lot of people do.

I shrank.

Tried to fit in.

Tried not to stand out.

Tried not to be seen too much.

And I thought that was normal.

I thought that was just how I was.

Looking back now…

I don’t think anything was “wrong” with me.

I think I just didn’t know how to deal with being uncomfortable.

So instead of working through it…

I avoided it.

And that’s what I really learned in high school.

Not math.

Not history.

But how easy it is to shrink yourself… just to feel safe.

If I could go back?

I wouldn’t try to be different.

I’d just stop running from it.

💬 Reader question

What’s something you avoided back then… that you’d face differently now?

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If this hit you… I write moments like this. You can stay.