High School Yearbook Autographs

It's amusing and somewhat horrifying to go back 31 years later and read what people wrote in my high school yearbooks. It kinda makes me wonder what I wrote in theirs, which is not something I really want to give much thought to.

For the next few days, heading right up to the day of #1 son's graduation, I thought it would be fun to examine some of what I found. And on the last day, you'll get to read what I'm quite confident is the single most embarrassing note ever written in a high school yearbook - for me certainly, and I hope for the person who wrote it, if she even remembers. More I cannot say, but trust me that it still sends shivers up and down my spine. But at the same time, it's absolutely hysterical.

My Freshman and Senior years, our yearbooks came out late, so mine from those years are - mercifully - relatively clean. So today, let's begin with the Decamhian (stands for "Del Campo High Annual" - get it?) from 1976 - my Sophomore year.

[Note: last names left out, to protect the innocent and the clueless]

Let's start with the basics:

"Have a good summer." - Jon

- Hard to go wrong with that one, really. Incredibly dull, but at the same time embarrassment-proof. And Jon was a good guy; I saw him at the 30-year reunion last fall. So we'll give him a pass.

"Thanks for making the conversation more lively in General Business." - Will

- Yep, that's me; livens up every room he walks into. Although that doesn't sound too hard to do in General Business.

"To the bowler with all the troubles. Better luck next year. Have a nice summer." - Tim

- I really don't get this one, because I was a pretty good bowler. Must have been an early version of trash talk.

"To a good but quiet friend." - Greg

- I guess he wasn't in the class where I livened up the conversation.

"So mad you didn't do better." - Ben

- Gosh, I'm really sorry about that, Ben. I wish I could remember what the hell it was you were talking about.

Next edition: Girls drop hints that I don't pick up on.