One thing I remember very well from high school…..The Honor Society. I don’t remember it from being a member – I remember it more because of the snobby, “I’m smarter than you” attitude of the members in this “elite club.”
I remember being teased about my grades not being good enough, or that my average was inflated because of my grades for being in music ensembles (hello, Mark McNulty!)…here’s the thing – if not for those “fluff grades”, I might not have gotten accepted to the Ithaca College School of Music on the spot (both vocally and instrumentally….THANK YOU, Dave Unland!), and I would not have had such tremendous opportunities as a professional musician (see Cole, Natalie).
I don’t know if things have changed since 1986, but as we are now such a fractured society in terms of race, social class, gender, and just about everything else you can think of, I can’t help but think about how these seeds of division are created based on academic performance. As we now know much more about ADD and ADHD, as well as a much better understanding about different modes of learning, who’s to say that you’re a smarter human being just because of a grade point average?
Don’t get me wrong – in no way am I trying to diminish the success or careers of those who were Honor Society members….just like the jocks, the stoners, and the band geeks, we all fell into a certain group….some groups used their athletic and/or academic prowess as cause for feeling superior….I still think about that when I’m gigging, because I wouldn’t change what I’m doing as a professional musician to be a “brainiac”.
I remember seeing a bumper sticker back in the day that said “my dog just ate your honors student” …..although “my dog just shit all over your honors student” is funnier, I can only imagine the death stares I’d get from other drivers if I had that bumper sticker on my car.
To anyone who ever felt slighted or teased because of your grades – keep your chin up….WAY UP…we all have our unique gifts, and God knows we live in a world now where compassion and respect are far more important than just getting good grades.
And there’s a lot of honor in that.
Lane's Back Nine - my online diary as a 50-year old 
Yes – I was slighted and teased for my grades – but it was because I was/am bright and was indeed on the honor roll. As if I had anything to do with the mental abilities that were inherited at birth. At the end of the day, there are areas in which individual is genius and areas where that same genius is too thick for their own good.
Intellectual capacity is nothing without knowledge and wisdom, amongst other things. I’d much rather have street smarts. When appropriately applied, that seems far more useful and seems to get one further in life
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👍 Many of us did not excel in school, and yet… here we are! Makin’ music 🎶, having fun! (That said, I’m sure 🐾 Otto the Floofinator would be nothing but sweet, when introduced to any student, honors or otherwise!)
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