Growing Fourteen

The October Memoir and Backstory Blog Challenge continues...

The World at Fourteen
The eighties were well underway. CD players came out this year and record players start heading the way of eight-tracks. Michael Jackson releases his Thriller album and music video. The song is great, but I'm more impressed with Vincent Price and the zombie dancers.

The last episode of M*A*S*H comes out and I set up a goodbye party. Only my family shows up, but we have a good time. It's gotten to be my after school habit of watching the reruns and have gotten pretty hooked. The writers do a great job summing up the entire series, the sorrow and tragedy of war mingled with the joy and happiness of friendship.

President Reagan announces the Star Wars Missile Initiative and I think it sounds like a good idea. I can't figure out why anyone gets upset about a defense system designed to shoot down missiles shot at us. Either way, it's named Star Wars... so I approve.

South Cache Junior High
With the construction of the new high school, this will be my last year at South Cache. We're asked to vote on the mascot and colors. We're going to be Mustangs and wear blue and orange. There are good and bad things about junior high, but I'm looking forward to getting into high school.

My locker partner keeps calling me chubby and I repeatedly want to punch him. I still haven't hit my growth spurt, but my body keeps holding onto a little padding like it's going to happen any day now. Someday I'll be six feet tall and pound him in the ground.

Ed note: Okay... I only make it to 5'6" and was glad to get there. My growth spurt came between my sophomore / junior year and I shot up four inches. I gained another two after high school.

For the first time in my life, I get straight 'A's in English, thanks to the teacher allowing extra credit for reading and new vocabulary words. I like unique words and as my books stack up, my grades soar.

There's no school play that year, but I pick up some minor roles in our church musical, State Fair.

Schools Out!

The beach at Hyrum Dam (Reservoir)

When the last day of school comes, I jump into my swim trunks. Being June 2nd, my friends and I have planned to head to the beach at Hyrum Dam after we sign yearbooks. Maybe we'll even go jump off of Big Toe (view the film--it's cool). When I look out the window though, I'm stunned. There is at least two inches of snow on the ground.

Heh. Well, I think, it'll all be melted by noon and then we can hit the beach. Most of the snow does melt by noon, but it's still too cold for beach babes.

It's the last day of Junior High, but I'm already moving on with life and dreaming of high school.