Highschool for a Sardar!

[Akaali]

High School Blue'z

High Schoolin' In America ain't eazy for a sardar...

Author: Harjot Singh Hundal

Ah jes, the good ol' high school days. When I was in high school, I was dieing to graduation and get out. Now that I've been out for a couple years, I see the value of your high school days. Those are the days that shape you to be who you are, they can make or break you... and it did just that to me... It broke me, and made me into a wholeee new person... This paper you’re about to read was a project in my 12th grade English class. The teacher was Mr. Kimsey, a highly respected individual who went the extra mile for his students. He left the subject for the paper open to us, and I had chosen to write about my experiences in high school. A part of the project was to read the paper aloud to class. I remember it clearly; I was reading the paper and the eyes of my peers were just glued to me. Some girls had to get tissues to wipe tears out of their eyes; some classmates came and sat by me while I was reading as a sign of support. I was happy to see the response I was getting from the paper, but what really got to me was the bell rang, it was lunch time and usually kids go flying out the door to get their food fast and avoid long lines. Despite the lunch bell ringing, not a single student budged. I remember I paused to look up and see if people were leaving when my classmates insisted I go on and finish reading the essay. It tickled my spine to see that kind of support, love, and respect from my classmates. High school was nothing easy for me; it was actually unexpected the way things went down. Elementary and Middle were one thing, I was under the assumption high school would be no different with the same concepts… boy was I wrong…

High school is known to be the foundation to your life. It is where you learn the basic concepts of life, and how to survive in the outside world. It can make or break you, and it did both to me. It took me to the very foundation of hell yet brought me up high to heaven in 4 years time. I remember it all like it was yesterday, day 1 of high school… I stepped out of my moms van to a huge campus filled with students left and right. I was trying to find the gym so I can go pick up my schedule and I didn’t think much of it at first, but as I stepped through the arches of the school entrance I noticed people staring me down, talking, and laughing. This was the first time in my life I had noticed discomfort in the way people looked at me.

It’s a completely indescribable feeling being ‘different’ in this day and age. I started ninth grade as a very shy short and skinny freshman. Being a teenager in the 90’s with a turban on your head did not make the task any easier. I was constantly being picked on and violated on a daily basis. I didn’t have any friends; all my friends from junior high suddenly forgot who I was. Perhaps it was just a part of ‘being cool’ and staying away from the dude with the rag on his head. I remember how lunch used to be, lunch was actually some of the worst times I had ever faced in high school. I would never eat my lunch in fear of getting it stolen or jacked by a bully; I figured it wasn’t worth the hassle. I didn’t fit in anywhere, the classroom, the lunchroom, and the locker room.

I used to go to the quad during lunch, the main lunch area. I didn’t have any friends so I would just sit there myself, every painstaking second for a duration of 45 long minutes. Every day I’d accompany this one spot under the trees by a brick island filled with plants, just me myself and I. Lunch was always interesting, I was the lonely outcast, and nobody ever came to talk to me or tried to communicate with me. The kids sure had their fun making their jokes towards me; and sometimes it was as if I wasn’t even sitting there. I have one particular memory that stands out high above from all my experiences. I remember it was senior week; seniors dress up the school with decorations and celebrate their last year in high school. I guess one senior thought he’d take matters into his own hands and entertain the entire quad, boy did he succeed. He had brought a bed sheet to school and tied it onto his head trying to portray a turban. After tying it on his head he ran like a jackass around the whole quad talking in that “Indian English accent and acting in a manner that caught everyone’s attention. I remember people would look at him, then point at me and laugh. He ran into the lunch room and I was like thank god that’s over, but before I could blink he came running out again yelling “Gandhi Buddha, Slurpee” and other racist terms in an effort to be “funny”. What happened next made me skip a heartbeat, he came and sat right next to me and tried to act “Indian” and was just doing what he did best; act like a jackass and entertain his crowd. What could I do? I was a short skinny freshman up against a tall senior and the rest of the lunch crowd.

The sad part is that despite all the yard monitors seeing what was going on, not one stepped up to fight for me, they were just as bad as the kids. That was my lunchtime blues, now we all know how crowded the city bus’s are in the afternoons. You usually sit 2 to a seat, and if it’s crowded enough, you’d sit 3 to a seat to fit all students in. I usually would be one of the first kids on the school bus, so I’d have a seat to myself. I remember girls would always cram in somewhere else, trying to avoid sitting next to me. On many occasions girls would sit 3 to a seat and the bus driver would get on her intercom and announce that there’s an open seat with just person in the front, and they would never come up, they would rather squash themselves in the back to avoid sitting next to me, imagine how that’d make you feel?? … It was as if I wasn’t human, but another species from another planet. Little did they know that I too was born here in America, or how friendly I could be?

High school can be very cruel, and it can at many times push youngsters to do the wrong thing. We have all seen the violence in school today. You worry for your life, will I get hurt at school today, and will another kid try to hurt me or other classmates. Or it can persuade kids to act up in class in an effort to grab attention, and disturb educational activities. I did reach point in my life where I didn’t want to go to school. I just wanted to stay at home behind closed doors where I felt accepted in some sense. It was High school so I had no choice than to go to school, so I did.

In my sophomore and junior years I got in a small group of friends, which liked me for me and didn’t look at the colors I wore on my head. Just 2-3 people can make a big impact on your life. I started getting better grades in my classes, and was able to concentrate more on my schoolwork. Even though I didn’t have a lot of friends, I still looked forward to go to school the next day. Sophomore year was pretty neutral, nothing special happened; just a repeat of similar events from my freshman year. Junior year started yielding more success for me. I had a rather large group of friends, people who backed me up and stood by my side through everything. This was also when I got my car. I was a lucky kid; my parents bought me a new 97 Nissan Maxima. It’s funny how a little thing like a car can gain popularity for you, but I didn’t care and stuck to my main group of friends. Some of you know how crazy I am about music; I went all out and had 3 12” subwoofers in the trunk of my ride powered by 1500 watts of raw bass power =). Everyday my friends and I would come to school early to get the best parking spots, and to play our music loud and terrorize the campus parking lots. It’s funny how many car alarms we would actually set off a day =), its also funny how many people noticed me and wanted to be my friend after I got my car. The only event in my junior year that really sticks out was in PE class. We were playing basketball and I was just doing my thing. Another student thought he’d try something he hadn’t done before. He launched the basketball straight at my head, what he was trying to do worked; my turban flew to the ground and I stood there looking at him just laughing. I proceed to walk towards him in a forceful manner but a couple friends intervened and calmed me down. Its pathetic the things people did to get a laugh.

Senior year was my most successful year, and this was where I learned and gained the most knowledge. I started speaking out about my past in class discussions and school projects. It was amazing how many supporters I had by my side just from sharing my experiences. I got involved in many clubs, mainly the Video Productions Crew. I found many amazing talents I never knew I had and shared it amongst my fellow seniors. I worked on the Senior Video soundtrack hours at a time everyday. People would be amazed “dude did you make that mix” and so on. My fellow peers finally started looking inside me and realizing what I was. Towards the end of the school year, I was involved in many after school activities and my presence always made a difference on the environment around me.

People would change their manner of talk and action around me. I started teaching people facts about my religion and it’s past. I learned that things in life may not always go the way you want them to, but you got to keep trying if you expect to get anywhere in this world in this day and age. I didn’t just give up but I stayed in school disregarding all the hate I received. I always acted in a highly respectful manner, and in due time that respect came back to me in the biggest way ever. I knew many people throughout the whole campus, as well as teachers. I was one of those kids that went everywhere. I never stayed in class, but I went from class to class around campus with my peers and instructors. I went from a low life that people looked down upon to a strong high young man that many people looked forward to seeing everyday.

We’ve seen a lot of violence in school campuses worldwide, but I am a living example that you don’t have to always take the easy way out. Stick with it and before you know it things will fall in place. The more work you put in, the more you will get out of it. High school is very important for a person’s social life as well as positive outlook on life. I can gladly say that high school made a huge positive impact on my life. I feel that I have gone through the worst possible, but I succeeded and made it to the other side. It’s a great feeling knowing that you are so successful after being put through so much. It is just one half of my success; I now try to help out my peers whenever and wherever, so that they too can have some positive influence in their life. Nobody likes to go through life alone, we all need people by our side to support us and help us with that path. This ladies and gentlemen, would be the conclusion to my report, a closing to some of the hardest chapters of my life, but the most meaningful chapters. I hope you can all learn from it, the lessons of life that I learned from it. Live life, Cherish life, Love life,,, Love life…

[anjaan]

:doh: :doh:

[Sony]

waheguru .....

thank u so much for posting this ...... it does bring a tear to ur eye.... and ... i know so many young individuals that i've spoken with who this will help...... I'll be sure to have them read this...

thanks for sharing ji

[natsilahk]

Wow, excellent paper man :doh:

Gives courage to us all.

I actually graduated high school last year...but definetly, its a trip through hell and back.

But, it does make you the man you are, a much stronger man, and focused.

Thanks bro, you paved a path for many others to follow, because of you the high school system will become slightly easier for the next sardar.

[smartsingh24]

:doh: :doh:

[Jaspaul Singh]

Reminds me of my own high school years ... :ysad:

[buddasingh]

:doh: Khalsa, I am sure the character that you build in fighting and not giving in will do great things for you in the rest of your life!

Teens are really strange ages for kids. I wonder if some of us might get involved in local high schools where there might be sardars/sardarnis to simply ask how they are doing and simply be seen before or after school with them as an older friend in the presence of anybody who may be a bully. It may make a big difference.

I think the main saving grace for me in high school was working out/showing no fear -- at those mentally stunted ages if someone can beat you up, you respect them. At least in my school. So got my respect, but had to literally fight from elementary school onward and there were definitely challenging years where you are 13 and others are 18 as khalsa describes. Every experience is different and mine was overall happy but I know it has had it's effect because i don't lose my temper, but if i ever see someone picking on a dastar kid in school even today, i would be hard pressed not to flip out.

[Akaali]

I totally had a different experience in High School, BTW this is not my story.

I didn't even use to wear a dastaar, looking back at it now, I would say I've come a long way.

[*PO$H_ Da_PO$HY*]

biggin u up bruv :doh:

[jagsinrags]

:doh: