I still remember walking to school for the first day of our senior year. It was exciting to be a senior but the usual concerns about the school year were still there. Would my grades be good enough to graduate? They were, barely. Would I be able to balance school, sports, and work? I did. Would the one I had a crush on since we were freshmen ever know how I felt about her, and would she think the same? Yes and yes, but I didn't find out until years later! Being a quiet person with not a lot of confidence had its drawbacks. Oh, and don't ask, I'm not naming names!
As the school year went on new concerns came up. Would I be accepted to any colleges? What classes would I take if I did get into college? Will I ever stop questioning myself? The quest continues.
Finals came along, Senior Prom, Class Night, and the we graduated. Now all of a sudden that was forty years ago. A lot has been jammed into that time. I did attend Boston State College, the UMass-Boston. Believe it or not I was studying to be a teacher. Then the police cadet job came up and I took that and have been with the police department since 1983. I met a girl at work - in the Internal Affairs Office. We started dating and eventually got married and had four children.
I would run into classmates occasionally and catch up. It was nice to see everyone doing well. But over time people began drifting away from home as they got married, got job opportunities that took them away from the neighborhood, or just decided to move elsewhere. Then, the internet was created and soon after came social media. We were able to reconnect with everyone from our past. It was great to catch up and see how they were all doing. Our class had a mini-reunion in 2009. One of our classmates, Al, had passed away the previous year. We had a great time that night. We talked about our lives, our families, jobs - just about everything. It really seemed like we hadn't seen each other in just a few days, not the twenty-eight years it had been. I remember telling Greg and John that it was the first time most of us had a legal drink together!
So many of us have been able to remain in touch using social media. In the years since graduating we lost not only Al, but Brian, Smitty, Greg, and David. They will always be remembered by the class of 1981. The hard part is that at some point we saw them for last time, but just didn't know it.
If I could do high school again I would, but I would advise the eighteen-year-old me to pay attention in class, do your work, participate more, and above all else - ask the girl out!