Looking back at my yearbook I noticed Kris Van dam wrote something about I should fix the hole in my pants, but that's the exact intention to have a hole in my pants at that age in high school.
I mean I wasn't applying to be in the ministry (yet).
This was just an innocent hole in my jeans 👖 (like lots of kids did) and she made it a federal crime almost and then the way she wrote her note in my yearbook, over the top.
People knew about my dad being a pastor and seem to think that I needed to be applying to become a monk already at that age.
God bless you Kris.
🙏✝️❤️😄😁😆
Say hi to Chuck
We were all just kids back
then in 1985
Looking back at high school through a rigid, traditional lens often misses the entire purpose of adolescence. High school isn't merely a holding pen for adulthood where students should strictly adhere to polished, pre-approved uniforms; it is a critical playground for self-discovery, identity formation, and creative expression.
Experimenting with personal style—whether that means donning ripped jeans, bold colors, or unconventional trends—is not a sign of carelessness or a lack of self-respect. It is a completely healthy, normal, and even commendable part of growing up.
Teenagers are at a unique stage of life where they are actively figuring out who they are separate from their parents, teachers, and childhood expectations.
Clothing serves as one of the safest and most immediate canvas for that exploration. Wearing jeans with holes isn't about being untidy; it's about pushing boundaries in a low-stakes environment, testing out aesthetic subcultures, and finding comfort in one's own skin.
To dismiss these style choices as something that needs "fixing" relies on an outdated belief that external conformity equals inner character.
In reality, learning to navigate personal taste, embrace trends, and express individuality through clothing builds confidence and autonomy. A student who feels free to experiment with their appearance is practicing authentic self-expression.
It shows a willingness to step outside rigid social norms rather than blindly adhering to someone else's definition of "proper." Rather than judging high schoolers for wearing distressed denim or alternative styles, we should celebrate their willingness to explore who they are. High school fashion experimentations aren't flaws to be patched up—they are small, memorable acts of creative freedom during a time built for discovering oneself.
