27/11/2025
Today, I came across a bunch of Senior 4 kids in a full-on SCRUM over some "Success Cards" and I was instantly taken down memory lane, back to my own high school days. Forget the final exams, the real battle was the Success Card Arena. 🥊
Let me break down the ecosystem for you:
First, we had the PLANNED KIDS. The ones whose families would send cards so large and glossy, that could cover two whole beds. The messages were like: "To our shining star, may your intellect continue to astound the nation."😍😍
And then, there were US, the SPLA children; My mom's note to me, at the end of our monthly call, through my Class Teacher’s phone would be "If you fail, Find a new Home"😅
Then, we had the LOVE BIRDS. This was the main event. The air was thick with hormones and cheap marker ink. People were designing cards with more flowers and hearts than a botanical garden valentine. And this... this was my moment of glory.😃
For, I was the GHOSTWRITER OF GAZA, the SHAKESPEARE OF SHIMONI, the undisputed GOAT of romantic gibberish. For the right price (usually my pocket money for the week), I could transform any ordinary card into a sonnet that would make Romeo blush. "Your eyes are like the polluted streams we studied in Geography, and I am but a thirsty antelope." Pure. Gold…
That was one of my magical lines😂😂
But the BEST part was the fakes! The sheer psychological warfare! Some Students would buy cards FOR THEMSELVES, post them to the school, and then act all surprised when their name was called. They’d be like "Who could POSSIBLY have sent me this FIFTH card this week" Oh my God, I think I have many secret admirers”😂😂
The weekly payoff was Monday assembly. The principal, looking like a tired show host, would read out the names. You'd see the Popular Kids do the "Walk of Fame" to the podium, some collecting so many cards that they would need their friends to help.
Others... well, let's just say some of us learned the true meaning of patience. And dust.😉
Oh wait, did I mention the ECONOMISTS (aka the Recyclers)? These were the true geniuses of sustainability. They'd receive a card, wait for the assembly glory, then somehow that very same card would "mysteriously" find its way back to the principal's office, only to be read out for them AGAIN the next Monday. It was the circle of life! One slightly dog-eared card with "Be Mine" on it could provide a whole term's worth of clout. They were playing 4D chess while we were playing checkers.😅😅
Your social status was directly proportional to your card count. It was a power play, a silent auction of coolness, and we were all willing participants.
Man, those were the days. When the biggest problem in life was fabricating evidence of your own popularity. 😂
What was your high school "power play"? Drop your stories below! 👇
