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“What’s The Most ‘Peaked In High School’ Thing You’ve Seen An Adult Do?” (32 Stories)
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Probably, each of us had our own peak in high school. Someone was absolutely brilliant in class, someone was the crush of nearly half the school, someone was chosen as the prom queen, and someone once threw four touchdowns without any interceptions in a decisive game against a neighboring school.
Such moments have happened to many in life - but life goes on, and over time we have new achievements that we would like to brag about to our friends, new peaks, new victories. But, as it turns out, some of us get stuck in school forever, or at least for a long time. So this new selection by Bored Panda is dedicated exactly to such stories.
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#1
A woman, who was a few years older than I, that I worked with would go on about hiw we need to listen to her because "you know, I was in the Homecoming Court."
That was 25 years ago, we don't care.
The Majestic Opossum 5 months ago
Does homecoming court mean something different than what I think? Who cares?
Petra Peitsch 5 months ago
Sorry.not-sorry to tell this again, but this a very USA-apecific thging, about high-school-peeaking. Sure, it contributes to this image the tons of really fool HS-peaking movies, spreading the misconception of HS-is-the-best-time-of-your-life.
RELATED:
#2
Getting in a yelling match with an ump/referee at a little league game. Bro, the kids are 10.. sit down and close the yearbook.
Petra Peitsch 5 months ago (edited)
Exactly. Let the kids just have some fun. If they are so talented, it will reveal itself over the years. But for now, let the kids enjoy themselves.
Liquidaria 5 months ago
Also the umps are volunteers. My dad does it and he gets more parents yelling at him then coaches. Like sit down Karen its not the umps fault Timmy sucks
Papa 5 months ago (edited)
I've mentioned this here before, but a friend of mine umpired baseball games when his children were playing. In one game one of the mothers wouldn't stop yelling, even after being told she would have to leave if she kept it up, so eventually he made her leave. After the game her husband approached him, and he was concerned that the husband might be angry, but he just wanted to say "Thank you."
Olive Moon 5 months ago
Reminders From Your Child: - I’m a kid; - It’s just a game; - My coach is a volunteer; - The officials are human; - No college scholarships will be handed out today.
#3
Having some beers with the rest of us almost 40yr olds, and the guy starts telling us about all the high school sports stuff he did. Next time we go out for some beers - he's at it again. Anddd - no one is interested. We've moved beyond that, but it's obvious he's stuck.
Petra Peitsch 5 months ago
Yeah, once you mention if it is a beloved topic for you in a converstaion ... Maybe twice. But no more!
This list was inspired by a recent thread on AskReddit, where the topic starter, the user u/StressAsleep9230, once asked the question: "What's the most 'peaked in high school' thing you've seen an adult do?"
As it turns out, netizens in the thread had a great many such examples and stories - and they willingly shared their tales and experiences, eventually gaining over 1.4K upvotes and almost a thousand comments, and counting.
#4
A high school basketball coach threw a basketball at the back of a student's head. Dude never stopped being the school bully.
#5
A dude doing shirtless pull-ups on monkey bars in the middle of a six-year-old’s birthday party. Both his wife and his kids were present. No context, no lead-up… just mid-conversation strips and starts… exercising. S**t the “pick-me” jocks did in HS.
#6
Dating someone young enough to be their kid because 'high schoolers just get me better.' That's not nostalgia - that's predatory.
SchadenFreudian Psychology 5 months ago
Yeah, because no normal, mature adult is willing to date you.
Interestingly, very often, the stories told here are often connected with sports achievements, sometimes twenty years or a quarter of a century ago, when at some gathering, for example, an adult man begins excitedly telling how he brought a pick-six or made a buzzer beater in a school game.
Sure, by teenager standards this sounds incredibly cool, but let's look at it seriously - are there really no achievements in adulthood that would also be interesting to talk about? Is there really nothing else this person can be proud of in the last twenty years?
#7
I remember the reddit post about a full grown man sitting im a bar remembering how his life could have been so much different if he had not broken up with his "soulmate" or love of his life. The girl in question? His 7th grade girlfriend.
Lukas (he/him, it/its) 5 months ago
I still think about my 3rd grade "boyfriend" sometimes. He was the only one that was kind to me when I was badly bullied that year. I remember sitting next to him at recess and the butterflies I got when I held his hand, and how nice he was. He moved away at the end of that year, but his kindness stayed with me.
Chuck 5 months ago
People may not remember what you said, they will always remember how you treated them. (not my quote, just one I remember.)
Load More Replies... #8
Belittling their child's achievement and then bragging about their own when I was talking to their kid.
I was asking their kid about their hunt, congratulated them on their first deer, then their k**b of a dad tells me that deer was nothing, was super small and that he actually got a much bigger one recently and proceeded to show me pictures.
Real gem.
Janelle Collard 5 months ago (edited)
People that don't deserve kids and *do* deserve the sh***y old folks' home they'll be stashed in.
#9
Becoming that one high school teacher who tries to befriend all the “cool kids” for validation. No intention of educating the youth lol.
Michael Largey 5 months ago
High school kids see through that in a day and a half. And then spread the word. If you impress them as a teacher, then your taking a personal interest may register something.
K Barnes 5 months ago
In junior high one of the teachers had a spoiled daughter who was a tremendously insecure bully and the teacher would actually laugh at her insults of other students and bullying. I understand how the daughter turned out the way she was (still is, in fact) with a mother like that.
Upstaged75 5 months ago
I had a college professor like that. And she was surprised and angry when she didn't get tenure due to her behavior. 🙄
Pheebs 5 months ago
Had one of those in my 2nd HS. Sports coach, “taught” one of the business classes too (basically a “here’s how you use Microsoft Office programs” class). He spent the whole class hanging out with the athlete kids, joking around like he was a student. I was new to the school at the time, and had zero tolerance for teachers that ignored the class. I may or may not have called him out in class (and no, every one didn’t clap, though it did set my rep at that school - whoops). There were rumors of inappropriate things between him and the softball team, but don’t know if anything was ever proven.
"In fact, school acts as a great equalizer in life - and while we are all children or teenagers, while we are at the very start of our life race, we are still in relatively equal positions," says Irina Matveeva, a psychologist and certified NLP specialist, whom Bored Panda asked for a comment here.
"For example, we have a classmate from a rich family who will most likely take their own in the long run, but here, in the moment of high school, we can be better in studies or in sports - and no matter how our future life turns out, we'll definitely remember this moment."
"Of course, in an ideal situation, our future life should provide us with opportunities - or we ourselves will create these opportunities, for further memorable triumphs, but sometimes this doesn't happen. Or these triumphs will be, but they will not be as bright as in youth. Simply because we tend to idealize impressions from the distant past," Irina concludes.
#10
Essentially claiming that every guy we had known in high school had either been in love with her, or been her best friend.
Girl, I was with you all the time in high school, and we were next door neighbors. I NEVER saw you spend time with half these guys. I don't know when you would have had time to forge such intimate relationships with them.
The Majestic Opossum 5 months ago (edited)
Maybe that's how she imagines it to make herself feel better about her current romantic situation...
#11
Still trying to keep the chain of popularity.
No one gives a f**k, we're all doing our own thing and getting through the day. The last thing we need is someone saying someone else is a loser for enjoying video games over sport.
Angela C 5 months ago
The social hierarchy. The "cool kids", "jocks", "band geeks", "nerds", "losers", etc. They're out of high school and should be over that BS but they can't let it go (ftr I was never one of the popular kids. The opposite, in fact. Though I was actually a jock/loser hybrid in that I played sports but I had no friends)
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#12
This happened like three days ago. Working behind the bar, and guy comes up and sits down and tries making awkward conversation with a couple who were clearly trying to avoid him. He turns his attention to me and starts asking questions. Eventually it lands on if I was born and raised in my city, which high-school i went to, and how old i was.
I kinda combined my answers with "Highschool? You mean 17 years ago? Why does that matter?"
He did the mental math and then started asking me if I went to after-prom in (specific beach town), and if I remember the huge fight he was in between his highschool and mine.
He went on about this fight for about 25 minutes as I was actively trying to find anything else better to do, but unfortunately his story telling cleared anyone sitting at the bar out the door, and i was stuck making drinks for service bar and feigning interest.
Ruthie R 5 months ago (edited)
Unfortunately in bar work you need to be polite to customers, and many of them mistake that politeness for interest.
Load More Replies... By the way, numerous nostalgic trends from representatives of older generations are also based on a similar principle. When we talk about how good and wonderful it was in the past, we are not really nostalgic for the past world, per se. We are actually nostalgic for ourselves in this world.
We're nostalgic for ourselves young, full of strength and hope, for the world that lies before us, where literally all roads are open in any direction. But every time we choose one road or another, we actually cut off all alternative realities from ourselves - and then, with each year we live, we have less and less time to change something.
#13
I worked at a movie theater in High School when the movie Varsity Blues came out. The sheer volume of sad, over weight, balding men who wore their ill-fitting letterman’s jackets to see that movie was honestly depressing even to 16 year-old me.
Kia 5 months ago
I was actually an extra in the stands of that movie, I was also the step-daughter of a real coach who worked at the school they filmed one of the scenes at. We were told by the crew to "act as if we were at a football game" so I climbed to an isoated part of the stands, and read a book....like almost every football game I attended back then. I got away with it.
LooseSeal's $10 Banana 5 months ago
Is it really that much different from dressing up far Star Wars?
#14
Still wearing their varsity jacket on Casual Fridays.
Angela C 5 months ago
On the other hand if it does still fit... Those are nice, expensive jackets. I never got one but if I had I'd have worn it til it fell apart, got my (or my parents') money's worth out of it
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#15
Girl who thought she was destined to be a broadway star. She was fair to middling at best. I don't feel bad making fun of her because she was a b***h with a terrible attitude.
She's a hairdresser.
Cindy Brick 5 months ago
Sometimes it happens! I remember watching Amy Adams, then about a high school freshman, in a Country Dinner Playhouse musical, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." She was the youngest of the women, with no extra lines...and yet she was vivid. No surprise when she gained fame in movieland.
Be that as it may, the only thing we can change is actually here and right now. We can change our present, we can influence our future - and this, you must admit, is already a lot. So now please feel free to scroll this list to the end, read the stories here and, if you have had similar moments too - maybe think about what you can do to change this situation for the better?
#16
Constantly talk about this one time that they scored four touchdowns in one game.
#17
When an adult tells a high school student “these are the best years of your life”.
Lukas (he/him, it/its) 5 months ago
Yep- 9th grade, Covid, 10th grade, I was kicked out, 11th grade was mostly at a children's shelter, and 12th was at the worst school in my state while in a group home. Not fun.
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Apatheist Account2 5 months ago
They are though. A feeling of immortality and no financial responsibilities. It's all downhill after that.
Papa 5 months ago
They were most definitely not the best years of my life.
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SchadenFreudian Psychology 5 months ago
That’s because they don’t want to say, “This is as good as it gets.”
Glen Ellyn 5 months ago
They MAY be the best years of your life - which is a depressing thought. 😬😞
#18
Told me her parent's out earned mine.
We went to a terrible free school in a low socio-economic area.
That's a low bar.
Upstaged75 5 months ago
Midget is an offensive term. You say dwarf or little person.
Load More Replies... Rali Meyer 5 months ago
like my physics teacher commented: You are the one eyed under the blind
#19
Lol I had a grown dude legit try to start a fight with me because his high school lost to my high school in the district play offs in football. I didn't even play football for my high school.
This guy was like 30 and and I was like mid 20's at the time so it wasn't been like we were in high school at the same time either. .
Sean Kirkwood 5 months ago
Actually, he may have been on his second run through HS when you started your first...
Ginger ninja 3 months ago (edited)
Lost a game recently or years ago? Plus he was probably held back multiple years so he probably was in school at the same time as OP
#20
I guy I used to work with often bragged about how an online IQ test said he was a genius. It was some Facebook quiz that was all stuff you learn in high school.
Glen Ellyn 5 months ago
Reminds me of a certain orange thing that aced a cognitive test. "Person, woman, man, camera, TV."
Debby Keir 5 months ago
Reading on Quora - the test he took was a cognitive one (which he passed) but he's never taken a Mensa test. One Quora guy said that when he spelled his name wrong at the top of the test, they didn't bother to grade it.....
Load More Replies... Brian Droste 5 months ago (edited)
I have taken a few of these so called IQ test. One was on sayings such as Tight as a Drum. I knew majority of the sayings because I learned them as I was growing up. Another test that there was four boxes. They showed a pattern in three of them. Then showed like four more boxes of different patterns. You had to pick the box that matched or go along with the first three. Once you figured out the pattern, you could do quite well. Anyone with a logical mind could do the test and do very well. This doesn't mean you are a genius though.
#21
Use the fact that they were miserable then as an excuse to be miserable forever.
#22
Just the “look at me” syndrome. Being loud for recognition. Saying rude or off color things for attention. Specifically the person who goes person to person because they exhaust ones attention and move on to the next.
I say this specifically because I see teenagers and children do this. But adults… much more rare.
Janelle Collard 5 months ago
#47 Prez of USA? Also his little buddy that makes cr***y cars?
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#23
Showing up every single day or week after you graduated. Kind of acting like they're some kind of popular guest star that everyone is going to be excited to see.
WalterWhiteSavannah 5 months ago
Showing up to... their old hs? Do people actually do that outside of tv/movies?
Lyoness 5 months ago
Yup. We had a guy 2 years older than us keep coming back so often he eventually re-enrolled because the principal told him he wasn't allowed on school property any more. It was pathetic.
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#24
Try to fight a pre-teen over the last Pokémon card pack at Target.
SheamusFanFrom1987 5 months ago
Maybe unpopular opinion: I'm not gonna fight some pre-teen over Pokemon cards, though if I had the resources to get that last pack and he/she doesn't, can't say I wouldn't treat myself though...
#25
Still hanging out with high school kids when they're 27. Still manufacturing weird immature drama monthly. .
Dodleshtein 5 months ago
I stopped associating with a girl I've known since Nursery School (pre-K) because of this. When we were in our 20's- she was still inviting UNDERAGE high school kids to her parties. Ew, no thanks. And she would hang all over the. - guys, girls. All creepy AF. Now her cousin became a Pastor and she's Princess Religion now. Double ick.
SchadenFreudian Psychology 5 months ago
That’s…..kind of creepy. What kind of adult hangs out with teens?
#26
Showing up to every single sport event. Bro you’re 26, go home💀.
Brian Droste 5 months ago
Maybe he doesn't have anything better to do. Plus maybe he really enjoys sports.
#27
Popular kid from high school who “never knew who I was” is now fat and sad. Saw em in grocery store…motha f***a called my name from the other side of the store…..I said….not me. And that was 5 years ago.
Samantha Ruvika 5 months ago
Uh.. what..? So, you hate someone just because he didn't know you and you called him a motha f***a just because of..that reason..?
Binky Melnik 4 months ago
You misunderstand. Popular kid in HS who pretended not to know OP in back then is now fat, and is now pretending they were friends back then, likely because he hasn’t any anymore.
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#28
Reminiscent of the "old" days, just a little bit too often.
#29
I don’t even know if this counts
But a friend of mine recently passed away.
Another friend was with me and some of our high school classmates met up outside the church before the burial. My classmate commented towards my friend how popular he used to be in high school. Said friend got so excited by the compliment that he started denying it was true but getting all giddy about it.
Btw, we were at a funeral. Said friend made everything about himself during the funeral as he always did. It’s been 10 years since we graduated.
Oh- I wanted to add: said friend called my ex partner over at the funeral to stand next to me and proceeded to tell me to grow up and get over it (despite him knowing he was a*****e/posted my personal business online after dumping me).
#30
Chief mean girl got I knocked up and ended up working at BK.
Ginger ninja 3 months ago
Nothing wrong with working in burger king and she might be a good mom despite (I assume) being young when she had her child
#31
Buy a Camaro.
#32
Squatted trucks.
Glen Ellyn 5 months ago
I had to look it up too, so here you go. Carolina-S...a441e9.jpg 
Miracle Max 5 months ago
BP, can't you even google a term before you use a completely incorrect image for it?
Binky Melnik 4 months ago
BP staff doesnt pick the photos; AI does. (It’s not incredibly obvious?)
Load More Replies... What do you think ?
Lady Eowyn 5 months ago
High school was terrible. I have done so much since then that is so much better and more meaningful. I don't even go to college or grad school reunions. That was so last century. I've moved on.
BrunoVI 5 months ago
Well, there's a girl that lives up the block, back in school, she could turn all the boys' heads. Sometimes on a Friday, I'll stop by and have a few drinks after she put her kids to bed. Her and her husband, Bobby, well they split up I guess it's two years gone by now. We just sit around talking about the old times. She says when she feels like crying, she starts laughing, thinking 'bout old Bruce Springsteen song lyrics.
Miriam Insidecor 5 months ago
I honestly don't know how or why people would think about school so much. I barely remember what school was like and can't even remember most people's names from there. Only people that haven't lived full or eventful lives care about that stuff.
Brian Droste 5 months ago (edited)
Whenever I read a post like this gets me a slight curiosity how my school mates turned out other than that I much don't think about them. Plus my high school days were not that great so I don't care to think about them or reminisce about them. All the ones that want to talk about them are the ones who were popular or a jock in high school. The average high schooler probably don't care.
SchadenFreudian Psychology 5 months ago
IMHO, most Republicans (and all MAGAts) peaked in high school. Maybe middle school.
BrunoVI 5 months ago
Funny thing is that Republicans are less likely to have gone to college, but are more likely to be married, more likely to have kids, more likely to own their own home, more likely to run a small business, less likely to be alcoholic, less likely to abuse d***s, less likely to have mental illness, more likely to give to charity, more likely to report being happy, less likely to become ill. If you wanted to argue that the Democrats are the party for people who feel like they need help, I couldn't argue with you except to question if the Democrats weren't simply exploiting their misery. But if you argue that Republicans are the people who peaked in high school, you're just showing off how much Kool-Aid you drink.
Load More Replies... Apatheist Account2 5 months ago
To be fair, I still refer to scoring all 3 in the 1990 works five-a-side final as the highlight of my now-ended working life...but then it was the peak, I never achieved anything as pleasing or significant (to me) as that :)
Lady Eowyn 5 months ago
High school was terrible. I have done so much since then that is so much better and more meaningful. I don't even go to college or grad school reunions. That was so last century. I've moved on.
BrunoVI 5 months ago
Well, there's a girl that lives up the block, back in school, she could turn all the boys' heads. Sometimes on a Friday, I'll stop by and have a few drinks after she put her kids to bed. Her and her husband, Bobby, well they split up I guess it's two years gone by now. We just sit around talking about the old times. She says when she feels like crying, she starts laughing, thinking 'bout old Bruce Springsteen song lyrics.
Miriam Insidecor 5 months ago
I honestly don't know how or why people would think about school so much. I barely remember what school was like and can't even remember most people's names from there. Only people that haven't lived full or eventful lives care about that stuff.
Brian Droste 5 months ago (edited)
Whenever I read a post like this gets me a slight curiosity how my school mates turned out other than that I much don't think about them. Plus my high school days were not that great so I don't care to think about them or reminisce about them. All the ones that want to talk about them are the ones who were popular or a jock in high school. The average high schooler probably don't care.
SchadenFreudian Psychology 5 months ago
IMHO, most Republicans (and all MAGAts) peaked in high school. Maybe middle school.
BrunoVI 5 months ago
Funny thing is that Republicans are less likely to have gone to college, but are more likely to be married, more likely to have kids, more likely to own their own home, more likely to run a small business, less likely to be alcoholic, less likely to abuse d***s, less likely to have mental illness, more likely to give to charity, more likely to report being happy, less likely to become ill. If you wanted to argue that the Democrats are the party for people who feel like they need help, I couldn't argue with you except to question if the Democrats weren't simply exploiting their misery. But if you argue that Republicans are the people who peaked in high school, you're just showing off how much Kool-Aid you drink.
Load More Replies... Apatheist Account2 5 months ago
To be fair, I still refer to scoring all 3 in the 1990 works five-a-side final as the highlight of my now-ended working life...but then it was the peak, I never achieved anything as pleasing or significant (to me) as that :)
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