I grew up in the rural, farming town of Blountville (near Bristol, Kingsport) TN with only 2 red lights! My family moved to the big city capital Columbia SC for 8th to 11th grade. I attended Dreher High School in downtown Columbia. Dreher had a new Academic/Creative program I was in, the zoned inner city students, the Governor's son, & the 'preppy' students (who had a fraternity/sorority type group). Dreher was a very diverse mixture of ethnicities, social standing, economic backgrounds & academic backgrounds.
Then we moved to East Ridge for my Senior Year 1981-1982. It was an extremely difficult transition!!!
I was lucky to make a few good friends while at ERHS! I worked on the school newspaper. I loved the Blues Brothers! College English was interesting because I'd get an A/F on my papers... A for content, F for grammar. I had all 4 wisdom teeth removed. When I came back to class, Eddie Lovelace didn't even recognize me because my face was so swollen! LOL
My date for the Sadie Hawkins dance came down from college in Boston just for the dance! That impressed a few girls! LOL Greg Callaham was kind & a lot of fun! I admired that he drove the speed limit through school zones when we were dating. I went out with Donnie, who'd dropped out but was a really sweet & smart guy. However, he rode a motorcycle without pipes. The whole neighborhood knew when he left my house!!
Dominic Kotarski & I were supposed to go to the Christmas Dance together!! I still don't remember how I managed to capture his attention! I was thrilled about the upcoming dance & being seen with Dom!! Yet it wasn't meant to be (though we did go out on one date)!!! I only went out with a few guys. But they left me with fond memories.
Unfortunately I caught Mono mid-December & was extremely sick! I missed almost 3 months of school... including the Christmas Dance!
I was able to come back to ERHS for a week in February. But I ended up hospitalized for 5 days due to a blood clot in my leg from the Mono. After that I was couch-ridden for 3 more weeks!
Andre LaRoche was sweet, respectful & very kind to me. He came to keep me company when I had Mono & couldn't go anywhere for weeks! We'd just visit & talk. Then when I'd fall asleep, he'd stay & read until I woke up again!
In school I hung out with the un-cool crowd (Andre) who accepted me just as I was, with no pressure to share in their various 'experiences'.
Andre never pressured me to drink or anything else! At other parties you were expected to drink! If you didn't drink, you didn't feel welcomed.
After a party at a neighbor's duplex, the 2 girls & I were accused of rolling someone's yard because so much toilet paper had been used by the party guests (who were "never there" because there "never was a party")!!!! We apologized for rolling someone's yard even though we hadn't!
Senior Prom was fun! Several of us girls hung out at my house after prom & went driving for Krispy Kreme donuts! Daddy didn't appreciate the donut left in our yard by one of the guys!!
Chris James taught me several years after graduation to stop saying "I'm sorry." He said I was putting myself down, & I was not 'sorry'. He told me that instead, I should say "I apologize" when necessary. Good advice I still adhere to today!
Andre LaRoche called me in 1984 when he got back in town to ask me to get together for lunch. One of my life's biggest regrets is that I didn't meet him to visit! Yet I know he understood & that he's at peace now!!!
Since our 30th Reunion I've rekindled some friendships & made new ones!!!