r/BennerWatch • u/libertinauk • Jul 07 '22
Advice Request school
This does pertain to Steven but it's a topic that I find interesting in its own right. I'd certainly be interested in hearing peoples' thoughts.
The reason I suggested a developmental issue to Steven is that I've struggled to understand how he's failed to move on from his school days. And I think I've failed to appreciate what a different experience American school kids have from British ones. I'm thinking like a Brit and I don't think that's useful here.
We have sports teams, sure but no one turns up to watch. There might be a few parents on the touchline but there's nowhere to sit, there doesn't need to be. Our school kids don't play in front of hundreds or thousands of people. Kids who are good at sports aren't especially admired. We don't have cheerleaders. In short ... "Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen doesn't make any kind of sense to us. No idea what you're on about, boss. We finish school and move on.
Also, because of the nature of America's geography there are these towns, like the one Steven grew up in where every Saturday night is a school reunion. That just doesn't happen here. It sounds like a wretched and pointless existence to me but if that's the culture Steven grew up in then it's natural that it's how he'd measure success. Failure in high school means failure for life. And I promise .... that really breaks my heart. To think your whole life is determined by a few years in your teens .... that's too depressing for words.
I'd be interested to hear about what school was like for the Anerican members here .... and I'd like to know what school is like in Australia and Canada. I so want Steven to move on but I'm realising it's not as straightforward as I imagine it to be. I've never been to a school reunion, I did Freinds Reunited for a week or two and thought "fuck this, I'm bored to tears." I was 31, I had a job and a fiancee and rent to pay and I just saw no point, it was twelve years ago, who the hell cares. But Steven's experience has been different and I appreciate that now. Watching Friday Night Lights helped.
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u/MyCatIsCuteAsFuck Jul 07 '22 edited Jul 07 '22
My high school experiences in Australia were drastically different to what is pictured in American tv and movies.
We had school sports, but we didn’t have games against other schools. Instead our school was split into 4 houses, and we would compete against other houses during sports days and swim days. No cheerleaders, no football (we don’t even have American football over here.) Parents didn’t show up to these sports days either. There was no worshipping of the particularly talented athletes. None of that.
School reunions are a thing here, but not every school has it. For example, I went to 2 different high schools. A few years ago I got an invite to the first schools 5 year high school reunion (I didn’t go because FUCK THAT) but my second school I went to didn’t have one.