These last few days have been a veritable plethora of reminiscent moments. I have spent more time laughing, crying and thinking back about my child/teenage-hood than I have in a long time.
It started Wednesday when I visited Todd's blog and found a post he'd written about our glory days back in Competitive Speech. Then he wrote another one on Thursday. Then he continued on Friday by bringing up old SNL skits and competitive speech quotes (that I still use to this day, btw). Tonight I went to his blog and promptly laughed so loudly that Paul paused the PS2. He never pauses the PS2 unless it's to yell at one of the kids or to ask me to get him some food. So I know I laughed extra loud. But you gotta admit....seeing a picture like this is enough to make anyone laugh. Especially when you are the main dork in the picture, wearing a really stupid-looking white dress, sporting really big hair and GINORMOUS glasses, looking like you are about to have your heart ripped from your chest because some dude in a Cosby sweater is about to steal your precious Green Teddy and some other dude in equally ginormous glasses is swooping in behind you for what reason you're just not sure.
Man, those were the days.
Then Thursday night while I was out here on the computer the internet answering machine picked up a call from a cell number I didn't recognize. The message was from a gal saying she graduated with Paul and wanted to get our address because she was rounding up all of their classmates for the Alumni Banquet at our alma mater. I was confused for a moment until she said, "...because it's our 25th year out of school." So I laughed and walked into the living room and very nonchalantly asked my husband, "Who's Kelly Durborough?" No response. Again, I asked, "Honey, who's Kelly Durborough?" Nothing. But I could see he was looking a little uncomfortable. I know that his ex-fiance's (the one that robbed him blind one night while he was passed out drunk because she broke his heart, but let's not go there) name is Kelly and was trying to make him think I was talking about her. It was working. Finally as I stood there tapping my foot he asked, "Why?" I was having too much fun, but instead of making him mad I just said, "Oh she just called. Because you, my dear husband, have been out of school TWENTY FIVE YEARS and she's wanting you to go to the Alumni Banquet."
He didn't even pause the PS2 to say, "Bite me. You'll be there in ten years, smart one."
So I called Kelly Durborough back to give her our correct address, reminisce a little with her and then tell her that yes, we would be attending even though Paul was yelling from the living room, "I am NOT going to that stupid banquet!" Oh, he's going. By cracky, it's my 15th year out of school and his 25th. We will attend that banquet and stand up with our classes and see our old classmates and then quite possibly go get drunk because we'll be feeling really old and fat. Or maybe that will just be me. But I digress.
After my phone call with the lovely Kelly Durborough, I got out his senior yearbook - the yearbook wherein I was in Kindergarten, mind you - and we proceded to spend the next hour and a half walking down Memory Lane, hand in hand, laughing, crying a little and definitely waxing sentimental. Okay, he never cried, just for the record. I teared up once or twice, though.
And dang, I was a cute Kindergartener. He, however, was a shaggy-headed Senior. It's a good thing I wasn't looking for a husband back then, you know, when I was 5. I would've passed him right on by.
Then today I got an email from my first husband's current wife. You know, my first husband Brian Highfill, the one I married 23 times at the school carnival marriage booth in the second grade. Yeah, his wife. I'm glad that if I couldn't have him - because ultimately his father was going to find me a husband - that she could, because she seems really nice. I'm just glad she wasn't emailing me so she could hunt me down and kick my butt for marrying her husband back in the 2nd grade. Some women can be touchy about stuff like that. For the record, Beckie, I never kissed him. That was back when kissing was gross.
I was born a semi-diva. I married a redneck. Through the magic of osmosis or just because of a serious lack of sophistication over the years I have found a balance of the two that make me who I am today. And then I write about it all, much to the chagrin of my mother.
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We....the people
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6 comments:
Ah. The memories. Hard to believe it's been that long (twice as long for me.) Geez, Diva. You married an old man. hee hee
I wanna see that pic where you're directing the band. Please? If you do, I promise I'll...um...find a somewhat goofy old picture of me, and post it...um...sometime before the summer is over. Maybe.
How can you pass up an offer like that?
I bet those guys, however dorky they look in them there outfits, are successful in their careers. It is always the quiet, picked on guys that turn out to be OUR bosses..right!!
OMG, you were in completive speech too! LMAO, I actually have a stack of old VHS tapes setting in my living room floor right now that are all old speech contests that I had attended while in school. Yeah, I use to take the old camcorder with me to competitions. I have been meaning to walk down memory lane and watch them, but I just had not had the time.
Cissy, back when we were young and in love we swore the age difference would never get in the way. Now, on the nights he's snoozing in the recliner by 8:30 and I'm ready to go out on the town, I realize that we were just being silly with that swear. =)
Hillbilly Mom, Okay, I have posted mine. You got some postin' to do, Lucy. I mean, Hillbilly Mom. Or maybe your name is Lucy. We wouldn't know what with you being all covert and secret agent on us.
Cazzie!!, I'm actually in contact with both of those guys. They are two absolute sweethearts! Cosby Sweater Guy, aka Cedric, came to our Christmas party this year with his darling wife and he can still make me laugh till I cry. Ginormous Glasses Guy, aka Cap'n Neurotic, and I just recently found each other's blogs and have been talking. And just for the record, I don't recall either one of them being all that quiet!
Real Kidd, I look back on those tapes occasionally and laugh till I hurt. We thought we were SO TALENTED back then! And maybe we were, but high school drama is always so well, dramatic!
Oh, but I kissed him! Many, many, many times. He was my first kiss, actually. And when I think about how old I was when I first kissed him, it makes me want to lock Shael up this summer and not let her out of the house.
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