High School Days
About 3.4 million students are expected to graduate from high school in 2012–13, including 3.1 million students from public high schools and 283,000 students from private high schools. U.S. Department of Education
Every year it comes around and I get nostalgic. I think of a wonderful time in my life; which could be best characterized as best of times and worst of times. Do you remember your high school years, particularly your senior year in high school? Always surrounded by friends and friendly people, always trying to make the most of the fun when you knew that you had so much to accomplish before you moved on to the unknown that awaited everyone. For young men like myself, there was the Draft waiting like a Cobra snake waiting to pounce on us as soon as we turned of age.
Vietnam was not only on everyone’s mind, it was all over the news. Even while eating dinner the conversation always turned to Vietnam or the fact that another relative or neighbor’s boy wouldn’t be coming home. The television news report always included the latest body count, and news of new deployments. Enough about the ugly part in my high school years.
The senior year was a time to cram all you could into a short period of time. The most wins in sports, the last chance to be in the school records. Last chance to attend the school sock hops (dances), Prom. A time to consider breaking up or hooking up with someone. Thoughts of walking away and never seeing everyone or anyone again, so now was the time to solidify your relationships, and make plans and promises to stay in touch with friends. How about going around and having everyone sign your yearbook, even the goofy friends that would write something embarrassing. There was always the ones that were concerned enough about staying in touch to write down their telephone number.
Those times for me were all about good memories and accomplishments, my only fear than was the war, but many years later here I am, and it’s all good. I don’t want to get sentimental, but I did feel a tear or two roll down my face when I walked out for the last time, and looked back. I had wanted so bad for so long to get it over with and now that it was, it wasn’t the happy moment I thought it would be. It became especially hard when fall came around and many of my friends that were now seniors were going back, and I was moving on. I know it’s not a good comparison, but starting college away from home was like starting Kindergarten, without the safety net of going to your parent’s home after school for the love and security that you could count on. Congratulations to all the new graduates, and good luck! You are our future!! The best is yet to come….
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