Middle School
The boy started Middle School today. Two days after he was supposed to. This past weekend, he came down with strep throat. We went all summer with out a scratch or a cold or a belly ache. Two days before his middle school experience, and he comes down with some junk. So today he ventured out into the new world. I think he probably could have stayed home for a few more days to heal, but the damaged middle-schooler in me, kind of made him go. He was really excited, albeit weak. Ok and has a junky cough. And looks a little scary in the face. But jeeze, he would have missed "locker day" today, if he stayed home. No one wants to miss "locker day". Also, he is not contagious. Whereas the child who was contagious at "Open House" did not stay home, thus giving our child the strepacaucas ..
I brought him to school with his 10 pound backpack and his percussion instruments. After checking him in with the attendance office, I whisked away..not wanting to be the annoying mom. He looked pretty fragile walking to the cafeteria. I boldly went out the front doors and did not look back. I did not want to have a meltdown at the Jr. High, like in my past. Not every Middle School/Jr High makes me shake, just the memory of it does.
My first year of Jr. High was spent in Utah. A little known fact in my life. Something I try to block out, seeing that I was the only Catholic girl in the school. My only friends were the little red haired shy girl with glasses and the only African- American kid. All of us, outcasts. I had wiry hair and glasses. And yes, of course I ate a lot to feed my loneliness, so I was a bit over-healthy. Or if I was a boy, I would be called "husky" at that time. So. Glasses, wiry hair, catholic, chubby. Strike four. "Dittos" did not look good on me. Nor did the "Gloria Vanderbilt" colored jeans that were starting to become popular. I was 12. My family moved to Utah because my dad was in the banking industry in Southern California in the late 70s..that took a bad turn. So he had to find work. Utah was beautiful and open and clean and fresh. My dad got a great job and bought us a big house. Much bigger than our little house in California. I had no idea at the time, that we were struggling and HAD to move.
My mom loved it. She met wonderful friends and decided to become super healthy. She lost 90 pounds and seemed so happy. My younger brother loved it too. He would ride horses with the neighbors, found some fun friends and picked watermelons from the garden, behind our house. My older brother and I had a tough time. I don't recall all of the trouble he got into, but I think he got into some. I was just flat lonely. I would find happiness and some peace under my huge headphones, listening to Dolly Parton, EmmyLou Harris, Linda Rondstadt and a fake 8 track of Olivia Newton John's greatest hits. It wasn't even her singing them..it was like the Asian Olivia Newton John bootleg. I'm not kidding. It had "I Honestry Rove You" on it..
It was also the year that "You Light Up My Life" was a smash. I loved the song. I was 12, people. Debbie Boone, before "Lifestyle Lift" (which by the way, I am so doing when the time comes). I remember rare occasions when I was home by myself. I would crank up the top 40 radio and pray that Debbie would come through and sing, so I could too. I would walk down our fabulous stair case, pretending that I was singing to a big audience. It healed me. The singing. I remember the talent show at the Jr. High where a young lady was brave enough to get up and sing in front of the whole school. She sang "You Light Up My Life" She sang MY song. She did not sing it well. She was shy and pitchy. I knew that even at 12. It made me burn. I knew that I could sing it a lot better. I knew that the people would love my version more. I do not remember much from my Jr. High in Utah, but I remember that moment of clarity. I also remember the fabulous salisbury steak and mashed potatoes from the cafeteria. But back to my singing career.. So I knew right then what I wanted to do with my life.
After about a year and a half, my dad really was concerned about my brother and I disappearing into the unknown and withdrawing from the world. He searched and searched and finally found another job in Southern California and moved us back. We purposely lived in the same school district from where we moved. So, it was like we just took a year and a half off. I reunited with some friends from elementary school. It was good for me, and my dad and mom knew it. I think it was good for all of us. It was more balanced and diverse. It was still tough, but it wasn't lonely. I joined choir. I joined band. I did every sport that would take me. I liked going to school.
So tomorrow Luke has to face his locker. Turn the numbers twice past the first number, land on the number, then one whole rotation the other way, land on the 2nd number and then back to the last number. Easy, right? I still have nightmares about forgetting my locker combination. I hope he has a better day. I hope he can find comfort in a friend or two. I hope can relax enough to look around and see that it is a really cool place to learn. I hope they have salisbury steak for lunch. I hope will feel special, even among the masses. I hope he wears those bright colored socks he bought with his own money. I hope the 8th graders do not make fun of his socks. I hope tomorrow he finds the strength to make it through the day, knowing that he will be OK.
I hope for you the same things. Bright colored socks, good friends, peace and strength.
And I hope "You Light Up My Life" or that Asian Olivia Newton John comment doesn't come back to haunt me.
Wednesday 11:58 pm August 28
I brought him to school with his 10 pound backpack and his percussion instruments. After checking him in with the attendance office, I whisked away..not wanting to be the annoying mom. He looked pretty fragile walking to the cafeteria. I boldly went out the front doors and did not look back. I did not want to have a meltdown at the Jr. High, like in my past. Not every Middle School/Jr High makes me shake, just the memory of it does.
My first year of Jr. High was spent in Utah. A little known fact in my life. Something I try to block out, seeing that I was the only Catholic girl in the school. My only friends were the little red haired shy girl with glasses and the only African- American kid. All of us, outcasts. I had wiry hair and glasses. And yes, of course I ate a lot to feed my loneliness, so I was a bit over-healthy. Or if I was a boy, I would be called "husky" at that time. So. Glasses, wiry hair, catholic, chubby. Strike four. "Dittos" did not look good on me. Nor did the "Gloria Vanderbilt" colored jeans that were starting to become popular. I was 12. My family moved to Utah because my dad was in the banking industry in Southern California in the late 70s..that took a bad turn. So he had to find work. Utah was beautiful and open and clean and fresh. My dad got a great job and bought us a big house. Much bigger than our little house in California. I had no idea at the time, that we were struggling and HAD to move.
My mom loved it. She met wonderful friends and decided to become super healthy. She lost 90 pounds and seemed so happy. My younger brother loved it too. He would ride horses with the neighbors, found some fun friends and picked watermelons from the garden, behind our house. My older brother and I had a tough time. I don't recall all of the trouble he got into, but I think he got into some. I was just flat lonely. I would find happiness and some peace under my huge headphones, listening to Dolly Parton, EmmyLou Harris, Linda Rondstadt and a fake 8 track of Olivia Newton John's greatest hits. It wasn't even her singing them..it was like the Asian Olivia Newton John bootleg. I'm not kidding. It had "I Honestry Rove You" on it..
It was also the year that "You Light Up My Life" was a smash. I loved the song. I was 12, people. Debbie Boone, before "Lifestyle Lift" (which by the way, I am so doing when the time comes). I remember rare occasions when I was home by myself. I would crank up the top 40 radio and pray that Debbie would come through and sing, so I could too. I would walk down our fabulous stair case, pretending that I was singing to a big audience. It healed me. The singing. I remember the talent show at the Jr. High where a young lady was brave enough to get up and sing in front of the whole school. She sang "You Light Up My Life" She sang MY song. She did not sing it well. She was shy and pitchy. I knew that even at 12. It made me burn. I knew that I could sing it a lot better. I knew that the people would love my version more. I do not remember much from my Jr. High in Utah, but I remember that moment of clarity. I also remember the fabulous salisbury steak and mashed potatoes from the cafeteria. But back to my singing career.. So I knew right then what I wanted to do with my life.
After about a year and a half, my dad really was concerned about my brother and I disappearing into the unknown and withdrawing from the world. He searched and searched and finally found another job in Southern California and moved us back. We purposely lived in the same school district from where we moved. So, it was like we just took a year and a half off. I reunited with some friends from elementary school. It was good for me, and my dad and mom knew it. I think it was good for all of us. It was more balanced and diverse. It was still tough, but it wasn't lonely. I joined choir. I joined band. I did every sport that would take me. I liked going to school.
So tomorrow Luke has to face his locker. Turn the numbers twice past the first number, land on the number, then one whole rotation the other way, land on the 2nd number and then back to the last number. Easy, right? I still have nightmares about forgetting my locker combination. I hope he has a better day. I hope he can find comfort in a friend or two. I hope can relax enough to look around and see that it is a really cool place to learn. I hope they have salisbury steak for lunch. I hope will feel special, even among the masses. I hope he wears those bright colored socks he bought with his own money. I hope the 8th graders do not make fun of his socks. I hope tomorrow he finds the strength to make it through the day, knowing that he will be OK.
I hope for you the same things. Bright colored socks, good friends, peace and strength.
And I hope "You Light Up My Life" or that Asian Olivia Newton John comment doesn't come back to haunt me.
Wednesday 11:58 pm August 28
Love it.....I sent my girl off to Jr. High on Monday...and my other one to college...Mom was a bit weepy. I might have loved to hear Asian Olivia Newton John that day.
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