What were your school years like?

[Storm Eagle]

Originally Posted by Prowler

I had a feeling he was referring to Italians born in Canada, but still l dunno.

I'm sure he was. I was just saying that since I'm American, I can see Italian-Americans being the same way too. In fact, I've seen a lot who are like the Italian-Canadians Krutch described.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Storm Eagle

I'm sure he was. I was just saying that since I'm American, I can see Italian-Americans being the same way too. In fact, I've seen a lot who are like the Italian-Canadians Krutch described.

As for Jersey Shore, I've never watched it, but from the gifs and images alone I've seen from it I'm glad I didn't lol

For the record, an Italian guy(born in Italy and living in Italy) I tlak to occasionally on Discord told me and other people once that Guidos are actually a thing. Not just in USA/Jersey Shore. I guess the phenomenon either spread to Italy or it originated from there lol

[Krutch]

Yeah, sorry for the confusion. I was just pulling from what I saw in my own experience in Hamilton Ontario around 2001 or so

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by Storm Eagle

I attended a Catholic high school, and boys were required to be clean shaven.

I'd have been Ok with that. I mostly just got the light fuzz-ish hair on upper lip during teens and then started growing proper facial hair during early twenties.

Originally Posted by Storm Eagle

I've always thought I looked better that way anyway, but to have to shave was a pain in the neck.

Did you ever try growing it anyway, just to see how it looked?

[Storm Eagle]

Originally Posted by Stephen

Did you ever try growing it anyway, just to see how it looked?

I actually do let it grow for a bit before I decide to get a haircut, which I get once or twice a month.

[Stephen]

I tend to be lazy with hair cuts. Just letting it grow for quite a while before getting around to getting it cut.

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by Prowler

7th and 8th grade were terrible. I got into fights often, other kids tried to bully/mess with me and I was performing poorly.

Why were people bullying you?

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Stephen

Why were people bullying you?

I never got along with that class well, and was a quiet kid who kept to himself during recess. Kids tend to hate quiet kids who aren't part of their cliques and thus tend to try messing with them. So yeah, I was getting into fights a lot in 7th and 8th grade. My entire class hated me and I hated them, pretty much

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by Prowler

Kids tend to hate quiet kids who aren't part of their cliques and thus tend to try messing with them.

I was sort of like that. When I was 15/16, I tended to either get comments about being quiet, or that I still sounded like a kid. It didn't really happen much in college, since people were generally more mature.

[Storm Eagle]

Originally Posted by Prowler

I never got along with that class well, and was a quiet kid who kept to himself during recess. Kids tend to hate quiet kids who aren't part of their cliques and thus tend to try messing with them. So yeah, I was getting into fights a lot in 7th and 8th grade. My entire class hated me and I hated them, pretty much

Originally Posted by Stephen

I was sort of like that. When I was 15/16, I tended to either get comments about being quiet, or that I still sounded like a kid. It didn't really happen much in college, since people were generally more mature.

People have told me the same of myself. In high school, I also got some grief for not talking to girls. I always thought that was strange since there were also a couple of other guys who didn't seem to go out of their way to make themselves popular with the girls. What's also ironic is how one of those guys was pretty quiet himself, and nobody bugged him.

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by Storm Eagle

I also got some grief for not talking to girls.

Were people trying to pressure you into dating?

[DarkFell]

Most of my school years up until High School were boring. Graduation brought a change and so did college.

* I get lots of opportunities to experiment with my assignments in college moreso than I did in High School.*

[Storm Eagle]

Originally Posted by Stephen

Were people trying to pressure you into dating?

Not exactly, although some people have tried to get me to just talk to girls. I did have female friends in high school, but I could never just really go and talk to girls just like that if I've never spoken to them before.

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by Storm Eagle

Not exactly, although some people have tried to get me to just talk to girls. I did have female friends in high school, but I could never just really go and talk to girls just like that if I've never spoken to them before.

Of the ones that you were friends with, how did you initially get into conversation with them? Were they people that you already knew from your classes in school? Have you dated or had relationships much?

[Storm Eagle]

Originally Posted by Stephen

Of the ones that you were friends with, how did you initially get into conversation with them? Were they people that you already knew from your classes in school? Have you dated or had relationships much?

Some girls would just say something to me for whatever reason, and then we might start talking more. I might have even made friends with them through other friends, whether or not that friend was a guy or a girl.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Storm Eagle

Not exactly, although some people have tried to get me to just talk to girls. I did have female friends in high school, but I could never just really go and talk to girls just like that if I've never spoken to them before.

That pressure happens to every guy, I'd wager. I remember in 8th grade a couple of guys having gfs already and joking how guys who hadn't had one yet were gay. That's how a lot of teenage guys try to one up each other. They measure their worth by the fact whether they've dated or made out with girls or not. I noticed that mentality lasted until 11th grade or so. Then suddenly no one cared anymore. I'm gonna guess it's because, by then, pretty much everyone had actually lost their virginity already and realised it wasn't that big of a deal as they thought it would be. I remember being 17 and being asked by two other guys from my school if I was virgin still and all they did was say "come on, man!" which basically meant "you better get on to that, man!", but that's it. They didn't mock me or anything. And I also wasn't bothered by the fact I was still a virgin at the time. I was a bit of a late bloomer, and even though I obviously was attracted to girls at the time I didn't view dating or sex as a priority nor was I into any of the girls from my class/school.

[snake]

If every girl could see my posts on this website, my virginity issue would be fixed instantly.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by Prowler

That pressure happens to every guy, I'd wager. I remember in 8th grade a couple of guys having gfs already and joking how guys who hadn't had one yet were gay.

I remember that, too. I got a lot of that. Though I do believe 99% of them were lying that said they'd already had sex (but I don't doubt it's very different in 2019!).

Until high school itself I was pretty awkward with girls. Throughout middle school/junior high I would fall head over heels in love with this girl, or that girl for a year or two... but I'd build them up so much in my mind that talking to them was impossible. Unthinkable. So I'd mostly do what most dudes did at that age and either insult them or pick on them (not in a physical way, just being really, really annoying and obnoxious, as if that was a surefire way to win their attention). The sad part is I think one of them really dug me back but I... I just wasn't of any mind able to close the deal.

After 8th grade I had the fortune of going to summer camp (rather, I was forced by my parents). Performance Sailing camp. Just me, 8 girls and no dudes but me, and sleeping in teepees in the woods for 2 weeks. Amazingly fun! I really liked one girl there but another one decided she liked me so she basically bullied the other one away. Bummer! We became boyfriend and girlfriend even after camp but she got fairly annoying (would like to talk on the phone for hours, and kept making plans for us without asking me) so I ghosted her until she got the message.

Freshman year I made the decision -- no more awkwardness. Find a girl and go after her. After a couple of "Ehhh nos" and one "I thought you were gay!" I did find a girl. And relatively smooth sailing from then.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

I remember that, too. I got a lot of that. Though I do believe 99% of them were lying that said they had (but I don't doubt it's very different in 2019!).

Until high school itself I was pretty awkward with girls. Throughout middle school/junior high I would fall head over heels in love with this girl, or that girl for a year or two... but I'd build them up so much in my mind that talking to them was impossible. Unthinkable. So I'd mostly do what most dudes did at that age and either insult them or pick on them (not in a physical way, just being really, really annoying and obnoxious, as if that was a surefire way to win their attention).

After 8th grade I had the fortune of going to summer camp (rather, I was forced by my parents). Performance Sailing camp. Just me, 8 girls and no dudes but me, and sleeping in teepees in the woods for 2 weeks. Amazingly fun! I really liked one girl there but another one decided she liked me so she basically bullied the other one away. Bummer! We became boyfriend and girlfriend even after camp but she got fairly annoying (would like to talk on the phone for hours, and kept making plans for us without asking me) so I ghosted her until she got the message.

Freshman year I made the decision -- no more awkwardness. Find a girl and go after her. After a couple of "Ehhh nos" and one "I thought you were gay!" I did find a girl. And relatively smooth sailing from then.

Bingo. Until the middle-late years of HS a lot of guys speak like they're big sex champions despite having little to no experience. I noticed all of that tough talk decreased considerably around 11th-12th grade, when suddenly everyone had a bf/gf or already had had one at some point, and I assume had sex already. And the few kids who remained virgins still kept quiet about it. I do remember it being more embarrassing to openly admit you never had dated by the time you were 18, though. Probably even more embarrassing than admitting to being a virgin.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by Prowler

Bingo. Until the middle-late years of HS a lot of guys speak like they're big sex champions despite having little to no experience. I noticed all of that tough talk decreased considerably around 11th-12th grade, when suddenly everyone had a bf/gf or already had had one at some point, and I assume had sex already. And the few kids who remained virgins still kept quiet about it. I do remember it being more embarrassing to openly admit you never had dated by the time you were 18, though. Probably even more embarrassing than admitting to being a virgin.

Yeah, people were definitely getting it in around 11-12. Some at 10. Not before that, not in any significant number, no way. Only one guy I knew probably was.