That people were shallow. That people would peak at different times in their lives. For some, the peak was high school.
I learned that I had to try harder to be more successful than those I went to school with. To not stand still at that point in life, but to learn and grow and to unlock my fullest potential. I set my standards to be better than those I went to school with. That came to fruition.
Mostly, I learned to never look back. I closed that chapter in my life, and the best thing about it was leaving. I needed to move on in life and do more.
Delusions of Adequacy 
B’lieve ’twas 1952 or so, when Mother suggested that I remove the hairy growth along my jawline and chin, that I realized the people trained, appointed, and paid to introduce me to math, science, English, and shop classes weren’t necessarily my friends, but I might be better off if I treated them respectfully and paid attention to what they were telling me.
‘Bout that same time I discovered that fried squirrel, bobwhite quail, and red wine with rare steak tasted really good, as did girls. Problem, though, was findin and gettin ‘em ready.
By 1955 the reality struck home that havin a car and some downhome skills made access to red squirrels, cottontails, bobwhites, and splittails a lot easier . . . as did earning a letter sweater in football.
Much later I learned that if you were 1A, nobody would hire you for any job with upward mobility until you’d satisfied your military obligation.
Just wish I’d realized the total stupidity of smokin cigarettes while Eisenhower was still in office.
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