We all know what it feels like to be the new kid. And we all ask ourselves the classic internal questions. Will everyone like me? What exactly am I supposed to be doing? Will I totally embarrass myself on the very first day? Who will I eat lunch with? Am I wearing the right clothes for this?
I have been the new kid with each move that my family has made and with each new job that I have taken. It doesn't get any easier.
I was the new kid when we moved from Albany, GA to Cincinnati, OH. I remember everyone making fun of me because of my "twangy" accent. One kid in my class didn't even believe that I was American. He told his mother that they had one foreigner in their class and she was from Georgia! Being the new kid isn't easy.
I was the new kid when we moved to Perry, FL midway through fifth grade. On my first day of school I remember Amanda Wiles towering over me to see if I was a Florida fan or a Florida State fan. Looking eye level at her FSU Seminole sweatshirt I immediately claimed allegiance to Florida State. I wore my new grey suede boots with plaid roll down cuffs that day and felt good about it. Trey Howard laughed at me and said "Nice boots, Fancy Girl." Well, at least I had Amanda Wiles on my side! But the Fancy Girl nickname stuck for a while. (And I never wore those boots to school again!)
I was the new kid when we moved to Germantown, TN. My best friend lived there too and I was so excited to have an instant friend. After she introduced me to her friends I realized that she wasn't the person that I thought she was. She was letting her friends read all of my notes that I wrote her during class. They would memorize my notes and repeat them at lunch. I was so embarrassed. Lunchtime became so lonely. I hated being the new kid.
I was the new kid when I started working for American Express. I was lucky because Kelly Myers was the new kid with me. At first she hurt my feelings on a daily basis with her dry-biting sence of humor, but then I realized that she was teaching me some valuable lessons. She was honest, funny, and got me in lots of trouble. I loved every second of it. She toughened my skin and helped me find the humor in life. Being the new kid is much easier when you have someone to share it with.
On January 3rd I will be the new kid again. I got a new job working for the school district. It is only part time, but I am asking myself all of those same internal questions. Will everyone like me? What exactly am I supposed to be doing? Will I totally embarrass myself on the very first day? Who will I eat lunch with? Am I wearing the right clothes for this?
We will see...
