If Erasure was playing in the background it would capture the entire experience

I saw this meme over at It Coulda’ Been Worse last week and knew I would do it eventually. I had no idea that eventually would be this soon, but after a completely uneventful week that resorted to me telling a 10 year old shark story, and a stellar lack of creativity, here it is. A little walk down memory lane, back to my days at West Brook High School. Let’s hope this time my Liz Claiborne jean jacket doesn’t get stolen out of my locker.

I knew getting assigned a locker in J Hall was just bad news.

1. Who was your best friend? Throughout most of high school it was Jodi Brockhouse. We were inseparable, but had a falling out the summer before our senior year. Sad times. So, I had a close group of friends, but not really one best friend.

2. Did you play any sports? I played soccer. And I use the term “played” loosely. If memory serves I played for two reasons, so that I could have another picture in the yearbook and to have something else to put on my college applications.

Notice that neither of those reasons have anything to do with actual athletic ability.

3. What kind of car did you drive? A sweet, sweet black Honda CRX. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Oh yes ma’am. It only sat two people comfortably, but my senior year we decided to see how many people we could cram into it. I believe we reached a number somewhere around 15.

High school kids are smart.

4. It’s Friday night. Where were you? If it was football season then I was at the game performing at halftime with my batons o’ fire. I’m totally kidding. I cannot twirl and certainly wouldn’t attempt to do so with pyrotechnics. Fire and the amount of Flexnet in my hair would have been a lethal combination. Think Michael Jackson on the set of that Pepsi commercial.

I danced. I was on the dance team. Apparently, they didn’t require a lot of rhythm.

And why yes, I did steal Colonel Sander’s outfit. I can fry a mean chicken using a secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices.

5. Were you a party animal? I don’t know if “animal” is the right word, but I did my fair share of celebrating. Our favorite party spot was at this abandoned warehouse that some guy’s daddy owned and, apparently, forgot he had given his son the keys. Thinking back, I’m not sure what was so appealing about standing in a cold warehouse in the freezing cold drinking Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill, but 17 year olds aren’t really known for their discriminating tastes in social functions.

6. Were you considered a flirt? I feel fairly certain that I probably was, although I tended to get really shy around guys I actually liked for, you know, like more than a friend.

7. Were you in the band, orchestra or choir? No. My days in band and choir ended in junior high when it became apparent that my mouth was shaped wrong to play the flute and my voice was just plain wrong.

8. Were you a nerd? On the inside. For sure. On the outside, I put on a pretty good show of coolness.

9. Were you ever suspended or expelled? Even all these years later, this makes my face get all hot. I wasn’t suspended but I did get detention for saying a bad word in front of the principal. Not on purpose. He overheard me. It was a proud moment made even prouder when I had to tell my mama. I’ll never forget that we were in the Burger King drive-thru when I finally worked up my courage. Her response was a loud gasp as she said, “I didn’t even know you knew that word!”

Proud. So proud.

10. Can you sing the fight song? Not a chance. Although there was a time that I could have recalled some dance team choreography to it.

11. Who was your favorite teacher? Coach Breithaupt. He was my sophomore English teacher and encouraged my love of writing. He also let me go to the nurse one day after my boyfriend broke up with me and I couldn’t hold it together. He had pity on my teen angst.

12. What was your school mascot? The Bruin. It’s a bear.

13. Did you go to the Prom? Oh yes. The theme was “One Moment in Time”. Thank you, Whitney Houston.

14. If you could go back, would you? Oh no. Whitney knew what she was talking about, it’s meant to be just “One Moment in Time”. By March of my senior year, I was ready to be done with high school and I’ve never looked back.

15. What do you remember most about graduation? Sadly, I don’t remember much of anything about graduation. I do remember that the school hosted “Project Graduation” to keep us all safe and sober. My friends and I spent the night fake gambling in a fake casino in the school gym and then the minute they let us out at 6 a.m. the next morning, we all drove to the beach.

That was safe.

It’s a wonder I got that cap to stay on my head seeing as how it had to compete with the mass of hair.

16. Where were you on Senior Skip Day? I skipped school often enough in the spring of my senior year that I didn’t really feel the need to take advantage of a senior skip day.

17. Did you have a job your senior year? I can’t remember if it was junior year or senior year, but one of those years I worked at Bealls’ Department Store in the junior section, which was right across from the lingerie department. I have memories of my fellow workers and me putting large women brassieres on our bottoms and thinking it was hysterical.

18. Where did you go most often for lunch? We had to stay on campus for lunch. I have documented that experience and my love of the a la carte line burritos here.

19. Have you gained weight since then? I don’t think I have. It’s just that the weight has shifted to other areas.

20. What did you do after graduation? See #15. Oh, and in the fall I went to Texas A&M University, graduated in May ’94 and moved to San Antonio. I have worked in financial sales, door sales (not door to door, I actually sold doors), pharmaceutical sales, and most recently, “yes you are having peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch” sales.

21. What year did you graduate? We’re so great, we’re so fine, we’re the class of ’89. Sweet mercy, how do I remember that yet can’t remember to buy dog food at the grocery store?

22. Who was your Senior Prom Date? The boy I dated throughout my senior year.

23. Are you going/did you go to your 10 year reunion? I went to my 10 year reunion and unbelievably, my 20 year reunion is right around the corner. We’ll see. I don’t have a burning desire to go. I wish someone would just send me a book with current photos and biographies. It would be all the fun without all the small talk.

Here’s one more picture I found of myself that I can’t believe I’m actually putting up. However, I feel that the look of total disdain on my face for everyone in the universe combined with the drum majorette style dress a la Michael Jackson, completely and totally sums up my entire high school experience.

Like, GAH, just take the picture. I need to go dance to some Debbie Gibson.

If y’all want to play along, have fun and let me know.

And don’t forget to sign up for prom committee.