1988-1992
Ok, I didn't have the best of times at the high school from which my father graduated in 1969 and his brother before him in 1966, but everyone in the four years of high school went through one sort of awkward stage or another. Not fitting in, liking girls, playing on a sports team. Me, My awkward stage lasted almost the entire 4 years. For one reason or another, I never felt at home at the school. But hey, they did provide me with great memories.
1988-89:-Ahhhh, my freshman year of high school. It seemed like such a giant maze the first couple of days. I'm lucky that a friend of mine named Tam knew the way to the gym or else I would never have been in the class! I really got under the skin of my global studies teacher, ROLAND Ficken, and I loved it! It was here that I learned just how good I was at art. In April, I got into my first and only fight. It involved a bigger kid named Dave Maher. I was about 5'2 at the time and very skinny. He was very husky. Anyways, he decided he didn't like the shirt I was wearing. Something in me just snapped and I just wailed on him. For the rest of my years at the school, he treated me with nothing but respect. But I did get suspended for one day!1989-90-My sophomore year.....hmmm. I was in homeroom with a childhood chum. Learned about drafting. And made a model of a cell using dog food! It was a pretty crappy year until the summer. I did stick a middle finger up at a teacher during final exams, not thinking at the time. And then I did something that would be my start to independence and boost my confidence. That is when I took up driving lessons (YES KIDS, I DO KNOW HOW TO DRIVE). The mornings that summer, I spent in a class,learning mot how to kill people on the road, as well as goofing off with a couple of underclassmen, trying to figure out new ways to kill a man PAINFULLY. My afternoons, I spent driving. Of course that was fun.1990-91My Junior year:This year, I started the turn around. Sure, I felt like no one really wanted to be my friend. Sure I thought that everyone hated me. But something inside just pushed me to change my thinking and do something I never would have ever considered: Go out for winter indoor track. I don't remember why I did it, but I will never forget the experience. The practices were tough, being a fresh starter, but as the days and weeks went by, I got better and stronger. Sure, we weren't the greatest team, but I just wanted to participate, that's all! That spring, I decided why ruin a good thing, so I ran Spring track. We were 6-0 League champs! Yipee! I went to the junior prom, I went alone, no surprise since I am so shy, but I had a good time anyways.1991-92My Senior Year: I went out for the football team in order to hone my running skills a bit more. It was just brutal to start with, since I was in unfamiliar territory. But I did get used to it and, even though I NEVER started, I did play in a couple games, if you call two minutes the entire season playing. I sat with a groupl of kids during lunch, for the first time ever. I don't know why I never did it before because I actually felt for once that I belonged. It was the best, cracking jokes with the guys, making them laugh, just talking made me feel good. I didn't run winter track for some stupid disciplinary reason, but I did run in spring track. I vastly improved over my performance last year and was long jump captain, even though I wasn't the best, but still a leader. I wasn't sure I was even going to the Senior Ball at all. I mean, I knew that I wouldn't get a date, so why even go. But people just egged me on "come on, go, you'll enjoy it" Hestitantly, I did decide to go. But I got myself to go with a group of friends instead of alone for once. But I did enjoy myself and it just seemed that there was no end to girls wanted to dance every slow dance with me. There was a dance where the court would recieve a rose. The person I danced with got one, so I offered up congrats. Then I was notified I got one, I couldn't believe it. At first I thought maybe I was mistaken for someone else, but how could I be? One of my best friends immediately told me, since he was dancing next to me with someone, that he voted for me. Sure I was fourth runner up to be king, but in my own way, I was king!.....Hail to the king, baby! Hey look, pics from the senior ball of 1992! 10 years later....
WESTHILL HIGH
