Guess Who?
Anyone know this guy? Here's a couple of hints:
1) He's a little on the quiet side
2) In high school, he was involved with music
3) He's still involved with music
4) And, Dr. Steve, this guy has his own collection of ex last names (NOT to be confused with exlax names!)
5) He served in the Air Force
6) He has a business degree "Computer Management Information Systems".
7) He has 3 children and 5 grandchildren
Our Mystery Guy was reflecting on the popularity of the blog and asked me a question that maybe some of you can answer for him. What makes a classmate care about someone now - 35 years later - when, they probably didn't care while we were in school together? I have my own answer for this but truly want to hear yours first.
Let the guessing begin!
posted by LindaWright @ 8:11 AM
10 comments
10 Comments:
if i name the mystery guy, will i get a prize? and i have always cared about everyone all of the time.
I think we DID care. Of course, we all have some less than perfect memories from school and we all suffer with some of the same insecurities and issues. Best thing is to focus on the positive and approach the reunion as an opportunity for a walk down memory lane and some good old nostalgic fun! Class reunions are a good way to reminisce with and renew old acquaintences, and to gauge your own transformation through life. Browsing through the school yearbooks is a good way to get yourself in the spirit of the reunion, and sharing memories of days gone by on the reunion blog is another. Its difficult to look through your high school yearbook without being nostalgic. And who doesn't enjoy that moment when they realize that a new friend or acquaintance has a connection with a high school classmate? "Oh, you know Brent Augustson? I went to high school with Brent! Great guy!" "Small world," as we always say. There's a connection there, whether you realize it or not. Hope to see you Labor Day Weekend, Brent. As close as we live to each other, its a wonder that we don't bump into each other somewhere!
Over this past year (can you believe that I've been in your faces for a full year now?), I've had the pleasure of getting to know some of my high school classmates. Like Harold Schaaf and his wife, Christie. I don't remember speaking to Harold in school or even having a class with him but I'm awfully glad I know him now.
I was pretty full of myself back in high school and was really self-conscious about a lot of things in my life. I was fairly blind and refused, for the most part, to wear my glasses. Also, had a broken tooth in the front of my mouth during senior year and didn't smile a lot. Some folks told me they thought I was stuck up. I hope I wasn't. I was just embarrassed about my teeth and unable to recognize people in those long, dark hallways without my glasses!
I also don't remember speaking with Brent since grade school. But, I'm gonna bug him to death now!
Brent and I discussed this at The Eagles' Nest. I used to think that if anyone really wanted to keep in contact with someone from high school, they would. I did for awhile with a couple of gals but we grew up and our lives got busy and we all changed - hopefully, for the better but not necessarily with those same close friendships we had in high school. Thankfully, all our life experiences combine to make us be the extraordinary human beings we are now. And, we really ROCK!
Anyway, how could I truly have had a deep relationship with another person back in high school when I didn't even know myself then? Wow - that explains Divorce #1...
Brent - you're stuck with us now!
Linda you make excellent points! I think one of the problems with being young, is everyone is always working "something", either to get to someplace, or become someone, or get something and it takes so much time to get there, that we didn't take the time to get to know or enjoy what was around us. As we get older and we realize, we pretty much are where we are, and we are who we are going to be, we slow down and start finding out who all these people around us really are. Linda, I think you said it pretty well. I sometimes now find myself talking to perfect strangers, and come away thinking why haven't I done more of that? The answer is, I had someplace to go and something to do and it didn't include all those people getting in my way all of the time! Wow that's pretty sad, I missed out on so much. Now that I am older, I begin to figure out that these "other people" really are important. Everyone of them I talk to usually teaches me something or makes me appreciate something.
How many times can you get thrown into a room with hopefully a hundred or so people that have a common background of from 1 to 12 years, that now have 35 years worth of "other" experiences to share? It only happens a few times in our lifes if we are lucky. (We can always get thrown into a crowd of people we know nothing absolutely nothing about.) Hopefully everyone takes advantage of the opportunity the reunion provides to bring us "back together" to share the 35 years worth of "other experiences"!
Brent I remember you from way back, you were always one of the nicest kids around, I bet you still are! (Well obviously not a kid anymore!)
And I really think if you give Dr. Steve a prize...he REALLY does care!
I think when you're young, you simply don't have the sense to take advantage of getting to know all the people you have the opportunity to. You're not real sure of yourself and it's just easier to stay with the people in your comfort zone. I don't think I ever thought that I didn't WANT to know someone and I don't think many people would feel that way. It was just easier to stay with my usual group of friends. Doesn't make me proud and I know I missed out on meeting some really terrific people (as evidenced by the writings here on the blog and the profiles)and enriching my teen years, but I think it's just a function of being a kid. I really can't remember anybody intentionally shutting others out of any group, just being kinda ignorant about the whole thing. I agree with all of you that "if I knew then what I know now" I would have lived differently and I think I do now, but back then, it was easier and less risky to put ourselves out there, as they say.
I can say that I really can't wait to get to the reunion to talk to some of these people that I didn't really get to know while at CMHS. Should be FUN and I'm looking forward to it.
We have matured and are wiser (hopefully) than were were in school. I don't think it was that we didn't care about others but that for most of us we were immature and were not secure with who we were at that time in our lives.
As we are older many of us have realized a sense of our own mortality and we want to reach back into the past to grasp onto something that is familiar and comforting. Regardless of whether we were popular, a nerd, a geek, a brain or an athlete, we all have a connection to that familiar class that we were a part of...class of '72.
Many of us went to school together from kindergarden through high school. It has been great to reconnect with old friends and classmates. I feel I have discovered a treasure trove of some pretty darned nice folks through this blog. The past is just that, the past. How we may or may not have treated people back then is irrevelent now. It is what we do today, tomorrow and the days to come that matters.
OK, enough of the editorial. Let's have fun. :-)
I do remember you Brent. I remember a drive to the bus station...Was it Edwardsville, to pick up a special friend of yours from camp. Remember???
How did you manage to keep all that hair and with so little gray, too.
That is a much more pleasant memory than you pinning me to the mat in gym class.LOL
Good to hear from another "Fly Boy". Me too, '74-'78.
As far as the question you asked...I have had those same thoughts and come to the conclusion that it just doesn't matter any more. I think we all handled those growing processes the best we could. Regrets...yes! Being a part of the class of '72 at CMHS was only a small part of the growing process of my life. I am no where near the person I was back then. If I were able to attend the reunion I would certainly be there and I am sure I would enjoy it...as the person I am NOW.
Brent, shoot me a mail sometime, it would be great to hear from you.
cookiemann@charter.net
Rich Hendrix
i remember quite a few pals from early grade school days. mike griffin, mike woody, stan medley, dennis talkington, jeff graser, larry hartsock, and rick williams to name a few. but the first sleep-over i can remember (actually, the only one i can remember) was at brent's. i remember that he lived in a two-story (or 1 1/2-story) white house on walnut. he had a room upstairs with a sloping ceiling. the next morning, we had waffles, i think. the reason i remember is that i'd never seen a waffle before. and i'd certainly never seen anything as fancy as a waffle iron. i thought brent was rich and his house a way cooler place than i was ever going to live. i wonder if brent remembers that?
Brent was and is a great guy. It was great seeing you last year, Brent, and I hope you come to the reunion.
Like I've stated in the past, that if it wasn't for this blog, I probably wouldn't have been interested in going to a class reunion. The blog tweaked my interest. I was pretty shy in high school and I didn't really know what group, if any, that I belonged to. I was the tall nerd that played some sports and pretty much kept to himself. I too believed that if I had wanted to keep in contact with someone from high school, that I would have. I'm thinking now that I've really lost out by not doing it. I've probably kept my independence to a fault throughout my life. After speaking with a few of my classmates the past few months I know it was a mistake leaving everything behind because I've discovered that there are some pretty nice people out there that I never took the time to know. My point is, if you are still wondering whether or not you should bother going to the reunion, please go. Chances are you may discover or rediscover a good friend. We are all older and hopefully wiser. Give it a chance. If it doesn't work out at least you had an open mind and gave it a shot. I look forward to seeing everyone reunion weekend. Just look for the tall nerd in the beer tent Friday night.
"What makes a classmate care about someone now - 35 years later - when, they probably didn't care while we were in school together?"
You know we were ALL young and insecure in some areas, and many didn't know how to approach a shy quiet individual. I know we talked routinely, since a few of us were involved with music through our choir groups, etc. We went on band trips together and had classes together. I'm not sure people didn't care; they were somewhat self consumed. Most kids today are still that way. I hope our 35 years have seasoned us enough to look beyond our own little worlds and get beyond the surface. If nothing else, curiosity should make you want to come and see how we've all changed. Look forward to seeing you at the reunion.
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