We all know people that have graduated high school and were quick to say “I can’t wait to get out of here, I’m never talking to any of these people ever again.” I understand that after high school a new phase of life begins, but life is hard and you can’t expect to magically wake up after graduation with a whole new clique of friends that happen to have not gone to the same school as you.
This transition into adulthood is not as easy as it looks. People don’t just automatically know how to act grown when they turn eighteen. Some high school friends move out and work full-time jobs, some move away to attend college, and others take some time to think about where they want to be. All of these different lifestyles bring new perspectives to the friend group. Be honest with each other, if someone asks “how’s it going?” tell them how it’s really going. Just because everyone left high school doesn’t mean your friendships are over.
Keep your high school friends close. Everyone’s parents live close together and when you visit home for holidays, you are bound to run into someone. So, your mom sends you to the grocery store to pick up pumpkin puree for your Thanksgiving pies, and you run into someone from your graduating class, say “hello,” we are all adults now, let’s not act like we didn’t sit next to each other for the last four years of our lives.
I am not saying you have to contact your high school friends every day, but just don’t act like they are strangers. You grew up with these people. They went through that ‘scene phase’ with you and that one phase where everyone wore the wrong color foundation. My point is, they know you more than you think, so don’t assume that everyone just forgets everything when they move on.
It is not a great idea to burn bridges with anyone. Your high school friends could potentially really help you out some day in the future. Maybe one of them will get an amazing job at a company you have always wanted to work for; keep in touch, these people are part of your network. If it is hard to ease into asking them how they got their position, try talking like old times, you definitely have at least one thing in common.
Winter breaks and summer breaks are perfect times to get in touch with your old friends. Go out to the restaurant you guys used to go to after every football game, go to your town’s old movie theater, or just grab coffee and talk about what has been happening in your lives since you last saw each other. This is an exciting time, share it with others.
Especially if you are still in your first couple of years out of high school, it feels great knowing that you have an entire class of people who are in the same situation as you. Everyone is figuring out life and trying to understand where they fit in. It is comforting to know that there are people you can lean on. Different friends will figure out different things and then you can all share your experiences to hopefully help each other out.