The year was 1982. It was my freshman year in high school and I felt like I had waited my entire life to get there. My sister Jackie, was a senior that year. She was by far one of the prettiest girls in school and she was head cheerleader, as well as class valedictorian. She was also single for the first time in her high school career. Those three things combined greatly saved me from most, if not all of the freshman hazing rituals. My sister and I got along really well in those days and she always made it a point to run into me a few times a day to say hello and see how I was doing. Not just at the beginning of the year, but the entire year.
Parker High School was in the small town of Parker Arizona. The town slogan was, "We put the smile on Arizona." Parker is located right at the indentation in the center of the wester border of the state. My house was one mile from the California border. I lived with my family in a ranch style home between my dad's A&W Drive-In and the Chevron Station. We lived in the very small business district of town on California Avenue. Across the street was The Little Brown Jug liquor store and behind us was an alley, train tracks and a junk yard. We had a fenced in back yard with a basketball court/roller skating rink. It was a good place to grow up. Right outside of town was the landmark "P" Mountain. Most Arizona towns and cities have the same thing. The mountain most visible from town has the town letter painted at the very top. Not sure why, but it's kind of cool.
My freshman year was a good one. I was 12 going on 13 and I looked like I was probably 10. Since it was such a small town, everyone knew each other, so it wasn't as daunting going to high school as it was in other bigger cities. The only difference was we had 3 junior high schools that came to our one high school, but we pretty much all knew each other from our schools interacting growing up.
I actually had a girlfriend that year. Her name was Natalie Webster and she came from a big family. If I remember correctly, we were probably brought together through a series of notes passed between our friends and before you knew it, they all decided that Natalie and I were "going together." That's what we called it in Arizona. I'm sure it lasted all of a few weeks. I thought she was very pretty and she was a very nice girl. I'm sure she went onto be a very nice woman as well. We went to my first real high school dance. Holy moly! My sister and I would be at the SAME high school dance. One of the traditions of the Sadie Hawkins Dance at our school was the girl asked the boy and they wore matching shirts, but the boy wore the girl's and the girl wore the boys. I honestly do not remember if we started going together before or after the dance and I barely remember the dance itself. I do, however, remember this picture very well. I was so excited to pick them up a few weeks later only to find that the photographer's film was messed up and they were really dark. On the flip side we got them for free, but they weren't the best. I was upset as this was my first set of pictures from a school dance. I don't even know if they still do this, but when I was a teenager, every themed school dance had pictures and they were basically the only reason you went. I scanned the picture into my computer today and did a little work on it and was able to lighten it up a bit. I think this is one of my favorite pictures from that period of my life. I love my hair in this picture. I don't even remember having hair that long.
Okay, enough with the suspense, here's the picture, along with a few more. Side note: I moved from Parker Arizona to Prescott Arizona between my sophmore and junior year. I also discovered alternative, new wave and punk music.....as you'll see by the hair. Enjoy and know this, yes, you're laughing with me even though you think you're laughing at me! The very last picture was taken at "May Day" the end of my senior year. In the picture, I'm "marrying" Marianne Lezeau (now Marianne Hoogerbeets, an ex girlfriend who just gave birth to twins!) and Renee Doryland.
Above:This is me and Jennie McCause at Homecoming
my Sophomore year in 1983.
Above:Linda Lang (an no, she wasn't a character in Superman) and I at Homecoming my Junior Year at Prescott High School. I had a really bad case of the flu that night but I went anyway.
At the Christmas Dance my senior year with The Homecoming Queen (no NOT me). Yes, this geeky little wannabe punk took the Homecoming Queen to the Christmas Dance. Thanks Christin! You were a good sport!
Senior prom in 1986 with Lisa Hollenbeck. I didn't even know her. My girlfriend Buffy (yes, her real name) had just cheated on me with a buddy of mine so I dumped her a few days before the prom. Lisa's friend Amy orchestrated us going together. I think we met and chatted once before prom. We chatted a dinner with our friends, and once we got our picture taken, I don't remember ever seeing her at prom again that night.Last but not least:
The Marriage Booth! I knew both girls and we were friends,so this one probably means the most!
And below, what I look like at 39 years old.
