Oh... to be 17 again and a couple months away from graduation! I pulled the yearbook off the shelf today while cleaning and realized it's (yikes!) twenty years since I finished high school... where's the time gone? What happened to that girl with the open, easy smile? What ever happened to the two hoodlums that were in that art class with me?;-)
I don't think you could pay me enough to go back to high school or to see most of the people I graduated with. I'd bet it's that way for most of us. College was a much happier time, I think. I wasn't nearly as awkward or as shy and I was able to enjoy the beginnings of adult freedom without any of its responsibilities. I'd always had a job or two, but no bills to pay; lots of schoolwork, but plenty of time to pay attention to it; my choice of fun diversions - days at the beach, concerts in the city, a summer in Spain - all that freedom and all along I was in such a hurry to be grown. Seems silly now that I didn't realize how good I had it then.
Truth be told... it's pretty good now. Funny, though, to look at that old pic of me (having one almost-good-hair-day in my 37 years!) and see how clueless I was. That, somehow, is the biggest benefit of youth... being oblivious.
18 comments:
After the hell that was middle school, I found high school to be all right. I was glad to get out, though.
I wonder how long it will be before our eighties hairstyles will be in again?
Mall hair! Didn't we just LOVE it? :c) Nope, wouldn't want to go back to 17 for anything either. I have a t-shirt that says, "If you are under 40, you are larvae."
bunnygirl: oh.. please don't remind me of middle school!
jayne: my hair wasn't nearly as big as some of the other girls', but look at all those 'feathers' - lol! Must've been going for that farrah fawcett look (wrong decade for that even, but my big brothers had this huge poster of her in their room and she looked like a goddess to skinny little me.)
Those hairdos are still alive and well in some parts of Jersey!
I wonder how much time was spent in fixing all that hair?! :)
You're totally right about the "oblivious" part... I remember it well!
You're right, most of us feel the same. Although it is wickedly fun to hear of the successes of some of the "nerds" and to find out that many of the football heroes and cheerleaders had their best days in high school and it's been downhill since.
Two words: BOLD HOLD.
That's how the hair was won, baby.
Patrick: Yep. Should we mention which parts?
;-)
Rurality: Hey! Right.. all that effort. I used to spend forever trying to straighten my hair, until one too many people asked what I had *done to it* while looking at me sort of sideways. I got the point and don't waste any time on that now.
NCMountainWoman: lol! I've avoided any of the reunions, but would bet you're probably right. My friends were mostly nerdish and yeah, they've all done pretty well for themselves, but not in the ways that they might have anticipated back then.
Susan: Did you use that aquanet crap in the pink can? Jeez - can't breath just remembering it!
Oh God, I had the same Farrah poster in my bedroom! (laugh) Now I see it so clearly. That's the look!
Cute mall bangs. I loved 1988. Everything about my early 30's was special.
I agree with your take on high school. It wasn't an easy time. In a school of Catholic girls from wealthy families, I knew I would not miss them after graduation.
Nice reflection, Laura.
Nice feathering there, Farrah! You looked like almost every girl in my high school. That's some TEXAS hair, baby.
I had a great time in high school and college -- but I like being old enough to know everything now. ;)
Only 20 years? Darlin', wait until you hit 58! (years, that is)
OK, Laura, color me dumb, but I'm not quite sure which one is you, although I'm guessing the chick on the right. Jeeze, no wonder I couldn't find a decent girlfriend all those years ago - they were at home teasing their freakin' hair! Then they ended up pregnant and married to some dolt. Cripes - return to me my youth, so that I might start over and do it right this time. ;-)
Webtoad: Pfft. Of course YOU would've had that poster.
;-)
Mary: You went to catholiic school? Poor thing. I'd bet you have plenty of stories of things girls did to make themselves stand apart from the rest.
Delia: Texas hair? Ha. You're right.. I don't guess I had typical 'Jersey' hair until college and you'll never see any of those pics here.
;-)
Glad to hear someone I know actually enjoyed HS!
Bobbie: :-)
Dr. Know: Everyone wishes for that chance again probably.
Most likely. I hope you realize that I've been in a particularly snarky mood as of late - no offense intended with the "chick" comment. I'm really a feminist or whatever the PC term is these days. (Wouldn't want to get on the bad side of Rush Limbaugh, eh? Actually, I would, but that's a whole 'nother story...) Probably just as annoying as the NJ girl who used to call me "Dude" all the time -- with varying inflections. Yet I don't believe many of them were terms of endearment.
But you still haven't confirmed which of the Mod Squad was you...
dr. know (dude): ;-)
She must have been from some other part of NJ - no one around here talks like that.
Snarky is fun - livens things up.
And me... all the way on the right, with the Farrah hair.
Well, Laura, for what it's worth, you're a hot little number. ;-) I'm glad I guessed it right. And it was Mullica Hill I lived in, just south of Cherry Hill. Worked for some crazy Italian clown in Blackwood. I'm glad you don't take offense to my risque commentary. Ya never know these days what's gonna set some people off...
Peace!
Ah, the high school days......
Even after 30+ years, I still have a hard time conjuring up fond memories. It must be so much harder for kids today.
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