The High School Years

Since few people who read this blog knew when I was in high school, I thought this little Q&A (which I found on a friend of a friend's blog) might be interesting. Feel free to steal it and post your answers. I'd love to know if the our favorite monkey was flinging crap in high school, too, for instance...

What were you like in your last year of High School?

1. And the year was....1988/89.

2. Your three favorite bands were...The Who, Foreigner, The Police. (I didn't really get into Billy Joel until my first year of college although I have loved the 52nd Street album since I was 10. )

3. Your favorite outfit was...I pretty much wore jeans and a t-shirt all the time. Sometimes a button down shirt. I do remember buying a pair of black mocassins the summer before senior year and I wore them (without socks) all the time. My friend Carter also had a pair, although his were slightly different.

4. And the hair? I had long hair in high school, but not that long. It got much longer, ponytail long, in college.

5. Best friends? Paycjeck, Carter, Devo, Mark, Melissa. Paycjeck and Mark are still my closest friends although I rarely see them. Devo and I didn't stay friends after that last year of high school, although I've seen him since and exchanged hellos. Melissa has faded out of my life. I wish she'd google me sometime and find this blog and say Hi. I've googled her, but have had no luck. Carter was killed a few years after he graduated high school.

6. And after school, you did, what, exactly? Geek Alert! We played Dungeons and Dragons and other roleplaying games. Of course, we also had access to a car so we would just drive all over the suburbs, just enjoying being young and free. And what's really geeky about that is we actually thought about that idea when we driving around being young and free. Carter, Payecjeck and I would also spend hours at this restaurant called Beef and Brandy's. They were open 24 hours. We ordered chocolate shakes and talked and talked and talked. I learned about myself through those talks.

7. Bus or? I walked to school, rode my bike around town, or borrowed the parents' car whenever possible.

8. So who floated your boat? I had a few girlfriends in high school. (Yes, even roleplaying geeks can get girlfriends. We just don't tell them about the roleplaying...) I briefly dated a girl named a Meagan and we were a huge disappointment to each other. I was relieved when that ended. I also dated a girl named Carrie for a few months. She was tough, she smoked, and she wanted to be a fighter pilot. I have no idea why she liked me, but she did. I can't remember why we broke up, but I don't think I was that upset about it. And, of course, there was Kathleen, my first love. We were on and off through the beginning of college. It ended finally and badly. I hope she's doing well. I did write a play very loosely based on that experience. I should also mention that all through high school, I had a million crushes on girls I never spoke to. Are you a female who went to Lyons Township High School from 1985-1989? I probably had a crush on you.

9. And did you fight the parents? Yeah, a lot. I wasn't the best kid in the world. But I still think they could have done some things differently that would have made things a lot better for all of us.

10. Did you smoke? Not in high school. I despised smoking. I hid my brother's cigarettes. I was a pain in the neck about the subject.

11. Did you lug all of your books around in your backpack all day because you were too nervous to find your locker? No, I knew where my locker was. I did have a heavy backpack, but there was a lot more than school books in there.

12. Did you have a 'clique'? Not really. I hung out with some friends. During school, I was able to drift from one social group to another pretty easily. I mean, there was some groups that shunned me, but I was able to hang out with a number of different groups. I think being in plays helped me a lot in that area.

13. Admit it, were you popular? Nope. But by senior year, I wasn't thought of as a total geek either. (That was freshman year...)

14. Who did you want to be just like? Oh God. I have no idea. Probably my older brother John.

15. So what did you want to be when you grew up? A writer. Or an actor.

16. And where did you think you'd be at the age you are now? I don't think I ever really thought about being 33 when I was 16. I did think I'd have published a novel by the time I was 30, but that hasn't happened. I did think I'd be married with kids. Got that one right.

17. And your favorite story was? As a senior in high school? I have no idea. Maybe Hamlet. Or Alan Moore's The Watchmen. How's that for two very different works of art?