Here is a visual depiction of when I dropped out of high school:

And here is an earnest entry about the experience just so no one actually thinks I’m endorsing dropping out of high school* by hinting at how amazing it was in other blog entries and then drawing fantastical depictions of it and posting them (it’s not my fault that I left through the window in a cape, ok–I only blog the facts, people!).

And here are the facts: I dropped out high school of my own volition and with my parent’s approval.

Woot.

But why, Courtney? WHY?

Well… when the education system works, it’s fantastic. When it doesn’t–not so much. I was a pretty good student but I couldn’t connect with school in such a way that I could get the most out of it (despite having a few neat teachers), and consequently I wasn’t benefitting from the education I was receiving. It made me very uninspired and unhappy, and as a person who sort of tackles everything in life with a crazed sort of–ehm–zest (see: volcanoes), I knew my education (and happiness!) depended on my leaving school.

So in simplest terms: I left school to learn and be happy.

And learn I did and be happy, I was! During my would-be high school years, I discovered photography. During my would-be college years, I started to write with a goal of publication. And I did these things all while satisfying a crazy thirst for knowledge about anything and everything and it was and continues to be a very beautiful time in my life.

And now you know.

I think one of the most interesting things I learned from the experience though, were other people’s perceptions of drop outs. For example, DID YOU KNOW that drop out is a label with few, if any positive connotations?!

SERIOUSLY!

When I dropped out, one of the first things I was warned of was that it would make things harder and that it was a choice a majority of people weren’t going to respect. So I signed on for the ride knowing these things could happen and they definitely DID happen. Many people assign a tremendous amount of importance to staying in school because it’s a part of a socially acceptable path that points people in socially acceptable directions. And while I certainly don’t begrudge or judge people for staying in or loving school–and I never will–I wasn’t always given the same courtesy. I learned first hand that society often projects a sense of failure wholly on the drop out but not on the school because it makes it easier to write us off and overlook a larger problem (O HAI, flawz in the education system, I did not see you thar!1). Other fun stuff: people will suggest you have sabotaged your life, hint that you’ll come to your senses and do the ‘right’ thing (aka return to school) and best of all, they’ll scrutinize your success–or your perceived lack of success–in ways they wouldn’t if you had a diploma or went to college.

So dropping out is not all sunshine and rainbows and making gloriously dramatic exits out of windows in capes.

But you know what? I still wouldn’t change a thing. It was the first major decision I made in my life and I still consider it to be one of my best and I’m proud of myself for making it. If I have any regrets about it at all, it’s that I didn’t leave sooner. It was hard, yes, but it was worth it. And now it is one of my goals to reclaim the label ‘drop out.’ I will keep you updated on how that goes, only it might take some time because I need my musical career as a world famous autoharpist to be in full-swing to do it.

I can’t tell you WHY, though.

That part is a surprise.




* disclaimer: I do not endorse dropping out of high school or not dropping out of high school, as it is a personal choice that should be made after consulting with the proper people, but I DO endorse happiness and volcanoes.