Saturday, July 29, 2006

How Much Have You Changed Since High School?

Went to NJ this past week to be with my Mom for a test. She was having some weirdness going on with the colon, so she was scoped to see what was going on. Thankfully, everything turned out OK and the doctor says she'll be fine.

While I was in NJ I went into my old bedroom and picked up my High School yearbook. I paged through it and remembered some things. Damn I was really awkward back then. I totally did not know what the hell I was doing. Sharkey and I have talked before about the "old" days and she always said she'd go back and do it in a heartbeat. Not me man. No way!!! I just never felt like High School was the greatest or best time of my life. Not even close. My time came in right after college when I landed my first real job and was all the way across the country living in Bend, Oregon. That's when I totally felt like I knew who I was and what I was about and that I had "arrived" where I thought I should be. It's a good feeling when you find your place in the world.

But I also found this picture recently and I thought I'd share it since Suzie already outed Sharkey and I to the virtual world!!! =) Here's my NJ driver's license picture, circa 1987. Yes, that was 19 years ago, I'm old now, I get it.... And if you look at Suzie's site, you can compare then to now, which is even more drastic! But also, Suzie wanted to see a JP spikey hair picture and this is about the best I can do, even though my hair was growing out a bit at that point and wasn't gelled up. And thank GOD, I straightened my teeth and gained some freakin' weight (and muscle...er...yeah, muscle... that's it....ppppfffttt)!!! Anyhow, Suzie this one's for you...

Like the 80's pinstripe shirt? Just listen to "Heart and Soul" by T'Pau when you are looking at this picture and you'll be immediately transported back to 1987!!!!!

5 comments:

The Q said...

Sharkey SAID I could "out" you guys on my blog, I swear!

Um, yah.....you didn't have the total 80's hair going on in this particular picture, but I can kinda see the whole 80's vibe thing (with the striped shirt).

High School was no big deal for me, I kinda coasted through. Not the most popular but certainly not at the bottom. More of the middle....could go in and out with all kinds. Lets put it this way, I was a (mostly) straight "A" student who was also a jock. If I could go back, I'd probably lighten up a bit. Maybe partied more ;-)

You look much better now, I must say. I'm not sure you would have snagged such a pretty wife if you hadn't put on some "muscle" ;-)

Character Builder said...

Wow, you look so different from that picture, but at the same time, so much the same. Does that make any sense at all?

I loved high school and didn't want to leave when graduation came. Don't think I'd do it over though.

What's the drawing over on the right side of the picture?

Character Builder said...

Oh, and I'm really glad everything with your mom turned out OK. By the time I got to the end of your post and saw your picture from HS, I had totally forgot about the first part of your post. It's a great memory I have.

JP said...

suzie I know you have Sharkey approval. I agree with you though. I was pretty uptight in HS. I was also in the middle. I was invited to both the cool kids and "normal" kids parties but could switch off between the two. I think I would've done a lot more fun stuff and played some different sports if I could do it over again!

cb You were the Homecoming Queen!!! Of course you never wanted to leave!! You were with all the cool kids!! =)

Anonymous said...

You people are making me feel od, here. When you were the skinney kid in HS, I was more than half way through college. *Sigh* You aren't the real culprit. Of my wife's three working students, one was BORN in 1989 - the year I left college - and the oter two are younger still. When did I grow old and why didn't somebody tell me?

On the up side: I have changed alot since HS. Then I was the nerdy fat kid who had one good friend in a graduating class of 750. In the nexf five years I put on 40 lbs of muscle and maybe 20lbs of... well, other stuff. I was completely unrecognized at my 20 year reunion.