Since the story is written past-tense, and who knows how much time has passed from when the narrator, it gives a better view of what he thinks of his past mistakes were, than if he were to describe them as they were happening at the age of nineteen. The narrator said more than once that he and his friends were "bad". A nineteen-year-old would immaturely say that he's "bad" just so he could sound cool. I think with this being written, let's say more than five years after the account, "bad" might mean that what did was stupid.
If the narrator had told the story in present-tense, it would definitely read differently. Past-tense would give one to write down their story and then reflect on it.
I can think of some really embarrassing things that I said when I was in high school. At that time, I didn't really care too much about what I said, but in retrospect now, and I'm 25, I realize that there were some things that I had said or done ten years ago that I regret doing now.
How can you relate to this?
I've been out of high school for a year and I can think of all the ridiculous and stupid things I did.
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