Thursday Thirteen v.6

Thirteen Things About Me in High School

Since the theme this week among one of my Blogger buddies is the high school experience, I decided to glom off of her idea, since I had none of my own.
Visit Pam for more tales from her personal teenage wasteland, and wish her a safe journey south to attend her 20th high school reunion.

1. I never attended a dance. Even the Sadie Hawkins dance, where the girls were supposed to ask the boys, or the Senior Prom. Since I never had a girlfriend, the choice was pretty easy.

2. There is no picture of me in the Yearbook. I protested the idea, and subsequently wound up in the back of the book with the wasteoids and losers. I had offers of neckties and jackets on photo day, but stood my ground. I can't recall why, but it just wasn't something I wanted to do.

3. I graduated #104 out of 277. Debbie Powers, the girl next to me in home room, (who thought she was so much smarter than anyone else), finished #105 and wondered, "Who came in 104?" I didn't have the heart to ruin her day.

4. I was in the "College Prep" program. I didn't attend college until 1998. Apparently, there is no statute of limitations on the program.

5. I was 17 when I graduated. Not because I was skipped a grade, just an odd calendar twist that had me starting Kindergarden at age 4, a month before my 5th birthday.

6. I had to walk a mile to get the bus. A real mile, not a "grandpa" mile. Now, I see the bus stopping every block to pick up kids. I did a lot of walking through rain, sleet and gloom of late afternoon. Kids today are soft.

7. I missed my last reunion to get married. I think I covered this, but the odd thing about my 15th reunion in 1990 was that it would be the last we would have. Someone is trying to organize something now, but I'm not holding my breath.

8. I was in the No-Pep Club. A small group of us were renegades who didn't want to take part in the Friday afternoon Pep Rallies for the football team. We sat in the back, seemingly not bothering anyone. Once, the band director yelled at us with a bullhorn, ordering us to stand. We sat. I felt like Rosa Parks.

9. I never missed a day. You could look it up. I attended every day of school from 7th grade until the last day. Several of my fellow students were so amazed that, unbeknownst to me, they used to place small bets that I wouldn't show up at homeroom. They lost a lot of bets. By my count, it's 1,080 straight days. Screw you, Cal Ripken.

10. I still have all my report cards. Mom saved every one, from Kindergarden onward, in this little book, with pockets and spaces to write the teacher's name. I'd scan one for you, but they're still at her house.

11. I was in two plays. One, for English class, in which I played a kid terrorizing an airplane full of passengers, that we wrote ourselves. I guess I got the part because I was skinny like Gilligan. It was hysterical. I was supposed to spill a cup of water "beside" Carol, but I decided that the comedy was in the spill, not the near-spill, so it wound up all over her. It was funnier my way, but she did not agree.
The other one was a band pageant, where they ran short of bodies and needed someone to play an Navy seaman (no jokes). I went out there with "my hair tucked up under my hat" (a-la The Five Man Electrical Band), and garnered several chuckles from the audience with my phony portrayal.

12. No Activities. The non-photo in the yearbook was accompanied by a home address and nothing else. I wasn't interested in sports, and I didn't play a "band" instrument. Although I was asked to audition for bass guitar in the jazz band. I declined, since I didn't really play the bass (I played the guitar) and felt like I was stealing a spot from a deserving person, just because my friends wanted me in the band. Good Karma for me.

13. I had no idea what I wanted to do when I graduated. Seemingly, my guidance counselor lost my file, because I really didn't have a clue what to do when June 1975 rolled around. Due to a quirky set of circumstances, a friend got me a decent job in a field I would stay in for the next 15 years. I've only had two jobs. That one and the one I have now.