In Russia popularity worked differently. Or maybe it just works differently as a child. Either way, when I was a little kid in a Russian school, grades actually contributed to how popular you were.
Maybe even when you were a teenager. 

One time when I was eleven and we were moving, some other girls told me not to hang out with this group of boys, because they got bad grades in school and swore. I told Dad this and he seemed to think it was pretty funny, but I understood these girls’ perspective- and had similar approach. It is quite the opposite from being a popular Australian teenager. Swearing and getting bad grades might actually help you be popular. Which was annoying because I worked so hard trying to be popular- maybe too hard in hindsight- only to become a nerd in Australia. Not that I mind being a nerd. Its great. Besides, who decides who is popular? The popular people. Why are those popular people popular? Because of other popular kids. Doesn’t really make any sense. That’s why I’ve given up trying to be popular. Being great in God’s eyes is more than enough for me. Teenagers. It’s not as if grown ups do the same thing. Never. They are so over being popular. 😊

There were a group of girls that were quite popular. I’d hate to say it, but I think their height contributed to this decently. Well, it didn’t help them get better grad.es They just needed to find something that could make them similar apart from grades Height would do.

There was Арина, Вика, and Катя Меняило, Лиза – Areena, Veeka, Katya, Liza. Like I said, there were three Katya’s. Liza was much nicer though I think. She was just quieter.

Katya was my friend in grade one. I remember twirling around with her playing with her. Not much about the playing part. I wanted to be friends with her. But this friendship never really lasted. Two things broke it. Jealousy and fear of the unknown. I was strange. When we were little, I don’t think she cared that I was weird. Or even noticed. Because when you’re little, none of that stuff mattered. That I was Australian, or that I got bad grades because I didn’t do as well learning in my second language. She got great grades. Jealousy is dangerous. It creates bitterness, which makes hate. There is no way you can be jealous of someone without it turning that relationship upside-down. Jealousy is underestimated, especially in modern secular society. You could lightly tease someone as jealous, or joke that you are jealous. But I wish that I hadn’t gotten jealous of Katya.

Perhaps I had tired a little too hard to be her friend. Is that possible? I suppose that its important to be more kind than necessary, but if it leads you to blindly obey someone hoping to win a good opinion from them, or change who you are, then no. That is stepping over the line.
Who started it? I don’t know. But I wish that we had tried harder to stay friends.

Liza. Well, she was also tall. She was quiet with a gentle smile and neat handwriting. She was friends with the other girls that I thought were mean.

I can’t shake the feeling that it was just an illusion. That really, they considered me a great friend, that I was just as popular as them in their eyes. Or perhaps I’ve forgotten what was really going on.

Either way, I don’t think its fair to carry on unnecessary tension.

Veeka, she talked a lot. She took forever in the girls change room because she was blabbing on and on. She probably took ten minutes just to put on her sports uniform because she was so distracted. She was quite sarcastic, and cool. I wouldn’t be surprised if she is putting on a great moody teenager perspective at the moment.  But people change.

Areena was a natural leader. She was very smart, and tall. I think she did pretty good in sport too. In the school photos years later, she looks so professional in her grown-up dress. She is the one on the furthest right in the third photo. At the bottom. She has chestnut hair. The one next to her on her left in Veeka. Liza is the girl on the left on the boy holding the giant eraser. In the first spot. Liza is holding a rose. On the boy’s right is Katya.

The other Liza I forgot to mention is wearing the pink jumper in the second photo. She had blonde hair. I don’t remember her much, but she was in this smart and popular group I’m talking about. She was also kind of shy. Happy. She didn’t annoy me. She was probably a very nice person.

I wish I knew these people better, had more to tell you about them. But it doesn’t come to mind. I think she was brave in a sense.

Yeah, I’ll tell you more later. Best get to bed soon.




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