Things people wrote to me in my high school yearbook. Part I

Recently I found my lost high school yearbook. It was missing for close to a year and with all of these little reunions I've had recently I was really itching to look at the pictures and see what people wrote to me. It's a fun and good way to see what aspirations you had at the time, where people thought you were headed and even see where your friends and enemies were like at the time as well.

Here are some excerpts along with my commentary- (please note I am only using first names and last initials to spare google search embarrassment)

Brian, you are one of the funniest and wittiest persons I know. Good luck in college.- Joe G.

Okay, so this didn't tell us much, but my ego needs a good stroking before we get started.

Brian, well this is it!! You're a great and charming and witty guy!! I'll never forget our sexual talks!! You did great in Beauty and the Beast and a fantastic job in Jan. 16th!! Never forget me!! Call over the summer (leaves phone number)!! Love, Heather

Apparently Heather really liked to use exclamation points!! It was nice that Heather enjoyed my acting parts in the drama club, but I really was a bad actor. The fun thing here is that she knew me for always chatting about sex. I was quite the open and blunt person about it and still am. I would listen to Dr. Ruth on the radio a lot as a teen and would be quite the sex expert among my peers. (despite the lack of experience) Looking at the undertones of the message, I wonder if Heather was hoping I'd call for sex over the summer. Hmmmm....I guess I'll never know since I had a girlfriend at the time.

Brian, I think you are a creative mind. But I wish you worked harder.- Mrs. L.

Ouch! This English teacher hit the nail on the head. She was one of the few teachers that I disliked in high school but I regret feeling that way now. I think if I could back in time I wouldn't have cut her class so much and paid attention. I really could've done much better. It really is the story of my entire school career. I had so much wasted potential back then.

Brian, Bonne chance a un eleve unique! C'etait mon plaisir de t'avoir dans ma classe malegre le fait que tu n'as pas continul avec le francais!!- Mme K

Ummm...?? What?!! Is that French?! I'm embarrassed to this day that the reason that I took French was because a girl I had a crush on at the time we had to sign up for electives said that French was cool. How I wish I took something useful like Spanish.

Brian, I am glad I got to know you over the past year. You are a real nice guy. I will always remember your wacky T-shirts- especially the one with the tongue on it. Good luck in all you do- probably as rubber-band salesman. - Michelle K

Michelle was in my homeroom and speech class during senior year. We had basically ignored each other for 3 years in homeroom but public speaking class forced us to work together on many projects and my sense of humor and zany T-shirts (I was such an unabashed attention hound!) eventually won her over as a friend. I was able to cross clique lines like that frequently. I made casual friendships with the jocks and cheerleader types like Michelle because I didn't take things seriously and made them laugh. Note that Michelle was the only person in my yearbook who accurately guessed my future profession. (she remembered that I had a 5 ft rubber band that I brough to school)

Finally I'll end this part with what Mr. Odney wrote me-

Brian, I remember the first time I saw you...it was a stormy summer night...NO!!...it was at the Night of Jan. 16th auditions. Rememeber?! You said I'd get the part of the gangster because I looked like I had a broken nose. Remember that? Huh? Huh?! No really, Brian. You've wised up since then. You're a good kid Brian. Seriously, after everything that's happened I consider you to be one of my true real friends. And that means a lot. Good luck in life/work/humor/art/love/death. I hope that everything goes well for you. {snip- a bunch of catch phrases we used at the time} Be Good- Andy B

Getting back in touch with Andy has been wonderful as I always have missed his sense and take on things. His story of how we met is true and is actually not uncommon with many of my friends. I often come off as rather obnoxious at first and some people (including my wife) actually didn't like me at all at first. But I grow on people like a fungus.

That's it for now, I will revisit this later this week as I'm still astounded how people thought I was going to get my own HBO special.