With apologies to Robert Fulghum, I was busy getting by on my looks in kindergarten (which I never attended, because at the time, Carterville, Mo., didn’t offer it) but come junior high (middle school, whatever), I had to get serious.
I was buck-toothed and hairy-legged and too smart for my own good in junior high, yet I didn’t want to be consigned to the corner, so I learned how to move to the center of the circle (by mouthing off, mostly), a skill that serves me today. In fact, I honed my smart-ass skills through my teens until they became my biggest asset.
You? What was your most formative decade? Or, if you’re a youngster, what was your most formative year, the one that taught you the most?
I think my favorite decade is just about to begin ………..
What an awesome attitude. Believe I just may stop my whining for an hour or two.
Really? Wow! I’ll believe it when I see it!
I did not have a Junior High School growing up. After 6th grade in my Elementary School, we went straight to High school, 7 ~ 12. That was interesting.
I’m glad I had a two-year break (7-8th grades) before high school. I wasn’t the most mature of students and I needed a little more time in the oven.
So, DJ, you went to a middle school or a junior high?
I’m old enough that there was no such thing as middle school or junior high school.
We went from K – 8, often in the same school, and then went to high school. I guess there are advantages and disadvantages to all the variations.
Junior high, 7-8th grades.
As a former high school teacher, I didn’t like seeing most seniors around 13 and 14 year old freshman…I can’t imagine putting grades 7-12 in the same building…I hope that the seventh and eighth graders were on opposite sides of the juniors and seniors. 12 years old vs. 18 years…that’s too big of a maturity gap.
And bigger for some than for others. Hey, Todd: Have you ever read Frank McCourt’s “Teacher Man?” I’m listening to it on-tape. I recommend it.
Not yet…I still want to read John Irving and J.D. Landis’ books first…but I will get that book. Did you mention Irving’s book here or on Fear, itself?
I did read Irving’s book, Todd. Read it and come back here and discuss. It’s quite long. I’ll wait.
Did you read Irving’s “Until I Find You” Susan? I really enjoyed that book, and his “Fourth Hand” was a lot of fun as well…but nothing beats “The World According to Garp” I can’t explain why, but I’ve read that book three times.
That’s my favorite book, too. Did you like “A Prayer for Owen Meany?” I liked that one, too.
Owen Meany was by far my second favorite John Irving. Nowadays I think I like Richard Russo better…”Empire Falls” was one of the top three books I have ever read.
Loved. That. Book. Have you read his later stuff? It’s still pretty good.
A Prayer for Owen Meany…I liked that one-especially when O.M. was the baby Jesus.
Have you tried to read his latest? I didn’t love it — but don’t let me influence you.
No. I’m hoping to get through The Help before my pleasure reading days are over.
When is that? The end of your pleasure reading days?
I think thecatsman has got it right – the last 2 years of this decade have brought some changes and I think the next is going to bringing some better things. I hope so.
Me, too.
I haven’t lived long enough. I’ll be two decades in April. Oy.
Oy? Neu, The best years of your life are ahead of you!
Trust us old geezers on this. We’ve been there.
The good thing about geezerdom is that on Wednesdays we get 5% discount at Publix supermarkets. I make sure that the cashier recognizes that I’m really, really old.
Do you carry a cane, Jay? I had a kid look at my driver’s license once (I was writing a check, it was back in the dark ages) and he said something like, “Wow, you’re 36? You don’t even look 33,” and I couldn’t quite laughing long enough to explain to him that if you’re going to shave off some years to contemplate a customer, fer God’s sake shave off more than three.
Don’t forget the Senior coffee at McDonalds!
Their coffee is pretty good, actually. So I don’t drink it.
The bad news is that all food in Alabama is taxed, usually at 10%. I have a bumper sticker on my car, “Untax groceries.”
Of course, the 10% tax hits poor people disproportionally, to the glee of the Alabama Republicans.
That’s why, when I take my doggie out for her walk, I hope she makes a “deposit” outside our state legislator’s house.
(Disclaimer. I don’t let the dog on people’s lawns, regardless of their political affiliation. But the streets belong to the people, and to the dogs.)
No cane, DJ. Just a gray beard, which usually serves my purpose. And they no longer card me.
I give the cashier a stern look and make sure that he or she knows of my Senior Citizen status.
BTW, did you not see my gray beard on the Christmas Day broadcast from the Washington National Cathedral?
To be honest, I went back after watching it to 13 minutes plus and to 50 minutes plus, but at the first marking a nice man with a beautiful voice was singing, and at the later time, the priest was preaching. Did I get the wrong time?
I guess the timing was off. The “priest preaching” was the bishop (who retains orders as priest and as deacon).
Around 50 minutes everyone is saying the Lord’s Prayer. You’ll see us and no one else in the same row or the row behind us. And we did shower that morning!
Will check again, then.
Wahoo! Trade you?
My High School years were some of the best years of my life. I completely rebelled and let myself misbehave. I was done with pleasing my family all the time. That was formative for me back then. I had lots of close friends, boyfriends when I wanted them, freedom, lots of days and nights on the ski slopes, a very fit, healthy body, good grades and still had plenty of free time for getting into trouble. I don’t know how I did it, but I rarely got caught. Despite my best efforts, I was still viewed as a level headed, good kid. On my 18th birthday, I skipped a class with about a dozen friends to celebrate with sloe gin fizzes at a friend’s house. Even though my teacher knew we skipped out for me, we still didn’t get in trouble! (Because I was the level headed one, dammit!) I tried and tried to get in real trouble to prove something until I finally grew up.
BTW – The actual formative decade for me would be ’77-’87 I’d say.
Jac,
Sloe gin fizzes…you party animal!
My baby brother got caught all of the time while in high school…skipping class, drinking during lunch, making out with his girlfriend in the school elevator, and smoking in boys’ room…whatever he did-he was caught. Nowadays he’s a lawyer in NYC and a father of two small sons. Amazing how a job, and two children can cure you from your wild high school days.
The worst thing I did in high school was to walk off of Farmington High School campus and walk to a store to buy a can of Coke…but I made it back in time for my sixth period class.
Oddly, I was able to get into trouble despite having the reputation of being a “good kid.” I’d like to think that my trouble was quite creative, that I was breaking new ground, but probably not. And I did absolutely everything I’ve ever done that was stupid when I was stone, cold sober. Do I at least get points for that?
I’d have to hear the specifics on this “trouble” you speak of in order to decide on extra points. I’m not buying it, DJ. I was looking for trouble and found it while cold stone sober or not. Either way, and didn’t get caught.
“12 years old vs. 18 years…that’s too big of a maturity gap.”
I remember a senior walking through the hallway punching kids in the stomach to clear a path for himself. I still remember his name, Paul Fader! Probably a Doctor today! It was a great school. Not many problems, but back then, it was a different world!
Paul Fader is probably a prison guard now, or a WWE rassler.
I just came back to say junior high and high school were crap for me, and apart from the wonderful grades, I don’t want to relive those years. EVER.
That is true for many of us, Neu. And I didn’t even get great grades, although I graduated #13 out of a senior class of 102.
I never want to return to junior high, myself. I couldn’t stand junior high, though I did learn a lot.
Unfortunately, you will! Wait until you have those dreams of not being able to get to your class on time, or you can’t remember your locker number (#238) or combination (05-38-10) or my favorite, you are missing some article of clothing while walking to school!
I only recently stopped having that dream where I’m on a hill and I’m telling myself, “I really HAVE to go to military sociology at some point this semester.”
3rd-6th grades were hell for me (except I loved my 5th grade teacher) and I never would want to return to those years. In comparison, Jr high & Sr high were much better…or at least I found outlets. I did find my sense of humor in Jr high and that was helpful. Rebelling in high school was to escape the pain inside. neu, you are in the midst of some tough years…of finding your place in the world. If you’re like a lot of us, your place will change throughout your life. My kids are teens and I am going back to school to reinvent myself. The possibilities and endless.
What are you pursuing now Jac?
Nursing. My first degree was in engineering.
I was going to say that this last decade was the most formative even though I will turn 75 in January but a lot of you beat me to it. Oh well what the Hell, it has been. Retirement, European travel, changing chuches, loosing parents, cousins, peers etc, finally getting active in politics and so forth.
That’s a very busy 10 years. I can’t even tell you what happened in the previous decade. I think it was fun, but the detals escape me. And happy early birthday!
That’s a very busy 10 years. I can’t even tell you what happened in the previous decade. I think it was fun, but the detals escape me.
The end of my pleasure reading days will be tomorrow-ish since I’ve gotten my first week’s reading assignment of over 30 CHAPTERS of textbook reading!!! Classes begin in less than 2 weeks. I think I might rent out a room at the library.
Wow. How much reading do you do in a week, once classes start?
I don’t know what to expect on a regular basis. I hear it’s intense since it’s an accelerated program. This first assignment is scaring me!
Altogether now: I know I can. I know I can. I know I can.
Okay then, it’s time to get off the computer so I can hit the books! So long for now.
Buh-bye! Happy reading!