Did you go to intermediate? Just in case you’re not in New Zealand, here, I’m referring to those tender years aged from 11 – 13 years, between primary school and high school (which we also call it college).
For some it can mean leaving the safety of primary school – where they’ve been for the last five years and shifting to a new school, where they’re suddenly the youngest in the school again.
Personally I found intermediate utterly terrifying. I had left Auckland Point School in Nelson and was biking seven kms to a whole new school and community in Stoke to attend Broadgreen Intermediate. Everything was new. I barely spoke. I wore a pristine uniform that I would later shorten (once I figured out that was what you did). There were bullies everywhere. I hung back, watched how they operated. I figured out who to avoid, and who I liked. My English teacher was nice to me because I could write, and her belief in me was a balm to my tired soul. Towards the end of that year I made friends with a group I’m still friends with today.
How about you? Where did you go to intermediate? When? What was it like for you? One day, these details might be important to someone. Would you like to share your intermediate story?
If you would, I’m starting a new thing for you. You are warmly invited to share your intermediate story in the comments of this blog. And in turn, I invite you to tell others how their stories land emotionally for you. Not in a critical way, this is an early stage, messy first draft and we want people to keep writing. Simply tell people how their story made you feel, and what it reminded you of, by commenting on it. We do this in our memoir course, each month. And it’s a very cool thing because people feel encouraged and keep writing.
You can paste in your story as a comment on my story below ↓
I asked Helen, in my community, how her intermediate years went, you can watch her story here.
Write on dear one, because one day, your story might become someone else’s history.
Charlotte
PS if you’d like a simple way to write your story, check out my new service ‘Charlotte’s 100 life questions.’
PPS – I would love to read your intermediate story below!
