One thing I can say about my high school years, it was certainly not the high point of my life, and that’s a good thing. For some people I knew it was, and it was all downhill for them from there. After graduation you take off in different directions and all be a few close friends disappear from your life’s radar. My best friend passed away a few years ago. Other classmates you run into by accident , so you stop and reminisce a few minuets then move on. Occasionally you notice an obituary, then another. Except for my tenth I never went to reunions or alumni parades for personal reasons.
But high school is a big influence (one of many) on your life’s direction. As I’ve mentioned before my teacher’s were a mixture of old and new school. The indoctrination had begun but it hadn’t put down firm roots…yet.
I had this notion like a lot of us that after high school college would follow. What I was going to major in I hadn’t decided. Several factors were going against me though. One, my parents (who were great) were not that well off financially. They simply could not afford to send me to college, (I have to note that I had three younger siblings at the time). Second, I was NOT an athlete, so and athletic scholarship was out. Third, I was a very average student. In four years I never made the honor role once. Back then only the top 20% of your class made the honor role. Unlike today when it seems like half the class makes it. Of which I suspect grade inflation and a dumbed down curriculum.
So when the day finally came during my senior year for the consultation with the guidance councilor (old school) about my future direction, I was told in no uncertain terms that college would be a waste of my time, a waste of my parents money (which they didn’t have) and a waste of the college instructors time. It was a different age then.
Socially high school kind of sucked . A couple of things seemed to be required then for an active social life if you were a guy. After earning your drivers license a car and some disposable income was essential if you wanted to ask a girl for a date. Two ways to obtain a car, your parents give you one for your 16th birthday (was not going to happen), or get a part time job and earn the money for a car yourself. But like the chicken and the egg how do you get to a job when you don’t have a car. Sitting in a classroom seeing girls with skirts nearly up to there hips, yet seemingly unobtainable. The prophylactic in my wallet would forever go unused. Perhaps it was for the best. My best friend “Charles” had a car, a girlfriend, pregnancy, marriage, (or was it the other way around) a second pregnancy, followed by divorce. It all had a relatively happy ending for him. Two wonderful girls that he got custody of, and a new wife.
When talking about girls skirts it’s ironic when I read this story.
The only other out of the ordinary thing that happened was of course May 4th 1970. As we remember the Kent state massacre took place on April 30th which came after Nixon announced a new bombing campaign in Cambodia. There were mass protests at colleges and high schools all over the country and my school was no exception. Probably about a third of the school walked out and the Student council president led a rally and “discussion” on the lawn of the school. I must confess I wasn’t one of them.
Graduation was coming. I had turned 18. There would be no college deferment for me. What would my lottery number be? I had no desire to go to Nam’ or Canada. So I made a decision, and it turned out to be the most fun adventure of my life .