Your First Day of High School

How clear is that day for you? It’s in full motion video for me.

This week Parker started Amador Valley High School and the memories came flashing back. Many things are changing for high school students today, but the frog I had in my throat in September 1979 is the same sinking feeling I saw in Parker this week.

Growing up in a Catholic family, I wasn’t new to putting on a tie to go to school. For High School though there was no uniform. Today like the 70’s, mom’s still take their kids to get the latest fashions to go to high school. Then it was penny loafers, now it’s stylized Nike shoes…custom for your school colors built by you on the on the interactive website. Then it was Izod and Ralph Lauren and Ray Ban’s. Now it’s QuikSilver, RipCurl, Roxy, Abercrombie, DC Shoes. Levi’s are still a mainstay.

Like Parker, I played freshman football, sported a big tan and growing muscles on the first day of freshman year. We both had the peach fuzz under the nose that drove us crazy. I played center on offense and line on defense. Parker will play fullback on offense and cornerback on defense. He’s about my same height back then but 10 pounds heavier...and maybe a little better looking.

School lockers were cool then, now everything goes into the backpack. Hanging out in the locker room after school getting ready for football was awesome then and still is today. Eminence Front would be blaring in the locker room in ’79 and believe it not Electric Avenue circa 1983 was playing this week.

Clothing – well what can I say. Public School vs Catholic School. Parker dressed very nice but still wore shorts and a t-shirt. For me, it was a checked shirt, a knit tie and probably corduroys.

As for school, the feelings of being overwhelmed that I felt were shared by Parker. My school had 1,200 students, his more than 2,000. It’s not just the scale of campus but all the new experiences – cafeteria, teachers, teachers and of course all the new cute girls you've never seen before.

These coming high school years are going to be great fun. Like going back all over again.