The Yearbook: TO STEP BEYOND
One of my High School Yearbooks
Annual
The yearbooks are out today,
with the ink barely dry on their gleaming pages,
the faint puke-smell of the new bindings.
On the bus, shagged and curly heads converge over
the disappointing spread of candid shots
on centre facing pages - random snaps
where everyone who matters is blurred or too tiny
or was looking the wrong way when the shutter clicked,
and after they've each checked out their own
and each other's mug shots,
and those of an acknowledged hunk or two
('Too bad guys, doesn't he look retarded in that picture?')
you can almost feel the thought rise:
Is that it then?
four years reduced to this thin, already-thumbed album of postage-stamp grins
and badly cropped halftones in a grey collage
of moments no one remembers?
Tomorrow they'll tote it back to school though,
to whip from their graffitied bags
in the mandatory feeding frenzy
for autographs — everyone's, please.
Now and only for a second
is let-down palpable in the air,
like a half-formed bubble wobbling
on the wand, then sucked back.
In a moment they'll swarm to their feet
and pull the bell (each at least once)
as they stream for the door,
flashing shoulder-freckles, wrist-bangles,
navels like thumbprints in June-white midriffs,
damp wisps at the nape wafting back a fine vapour
of girl sweat and spray cologne.
by Robyn Sarah
heard on The Writer's Almanac read by Garrison Keillor
This year marks my High School 30th class reunion, but I can't be there.
I'm not the same person on so many levels! I wonder do any readers still have friends from high school? Anyone marry their high school sweetheart? Here are two autographs from my yearbook:
Laurie,
Well here we are big seniors. It seems to have been not to long ago when we were freshmen. I am really sorry that we haven't had many classes together because I would really like to have got to know you better. Well, maybe in the future. You are a real nice and sweet girl. Well I can't think of anything else to say, but no matter how much I could say it wouldn't be enough. Be good and I wish you the best of luck in the future. G.F.
Laurie, You are really sweet and you better stay that way. Friends ALWAYS, R.M.
Comments
Oh, I am so very different from the girl I was in high school, thank the LORD! And I mean that 100% sincerly, "THANK the LORD!" I really have no desire to reconnect w/ former classmates, but if the Lord should arrange a divine appointment, as it were, I would gladly tell how He has changed me . I was a Christian, but walked as close to the line as I could, to my shame. So as scripture says not to dwell on the former things, I don't.
And those autographs? What a joke! How many "2 Good 2 B Forgotten" messages did you get? It's one reason I don't do facebook. I really don't want to reconnect w/ anyone from my former life.
Oh, your "friend" who wrote about being sorry you didn't have more classes together? Looks like she probably got less than a C in grammar class. (I'm sure you noticed.)
No, you're NOT a snob!
We will be going back east{1200 mile}to Dad's 60th class reunion this September. We have attended about 12 since 1949.
It always amazes me how each of us have changed. We aren't close friends due to circumstances beyond our control.We each share fond memories of our younger years, and though some memories we would like to erase, they were a part of our growing up.
We do enjoy our classmates and the sharing of their families and life experiences.Our high school days were happy times for us and 'ole classmates just add to the memories. Love, Mom B.
Please don't correct my grammar!ha
Love, mom b.
It is so awesome to have friends (and relatives) you grew up and went to school with that are still in the hometowns back east! I always loved going back to WV when we would see and hear about relatives, friends and classmates from where you and Dad met and grew up! It was a different time and feel when everyone knew "Johnny and Bubbles", the High School Sweethearts! I remember you and Dad and your siblings talking about the good times and I could listen for hours! It's awesome and I'll miss seeing family this year! Boy, did we used to travel many miles in the car back to WV and combed through the steep mountains and visited so many people. Memories that I'll ALWAYS hold dear! (I remember a few surprise trips the girls and I took back to WV or OH when you and Dad went and didn't expect us!)
Good Times!