School Daze

Essie works at the Middle School with a kid who has a behavior disorder. He is in the 8th grade, and they rotate through a daily class schedule. Essie says it is like being in 8th grade all over again, which would scare the hell out of me. Kudos to her for her tenacity... Honestly, I couldn't do it. So I was driving her to school this morning, and she mentioned to me that it was Picture Day! I laughed. "You are going to be in the yearbook, sweetheart! Aren't you excited? " "No..." She said. "Well... Yeah. 'Cause I'll get all the kids to sign my yearbook!.. So yeah, I am excited!" This instantly brought back memories of my own self clutching my yearbook tightly as I squandered down the Junior High hallways seeking out pretty girls to sign my book. I looked at Essie, and made a silly juvenile face. "Love Ya!" I shouted. "Stay crazy!" Essie laughed. She knew exactly what I was talking about. Virtually every girl who signed my yearbook wrote 'Stay crazy! Love ya!'. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that if you went to Junior High and had classmates sign your yearbook, something very similar was written in yours. (I cant vouch for Middle School. Things may be different these days.) I have strong memories of several pretty girls who wrote this in my yearbook, each of whom I had maybe said two words to all year long. That seemed odd to me then, to have them tell me that they loved me, and it seems odd to me now. I am anxious to see what is written in Essie's yearbook. Have kids evolved, as it seems they have? They do seem much more grown up to me now, at least from what I remember myself being when I was in the 8th grade... The girls dress way sexier than I remember them dressing when I was at that age, and the boys seem taller and stronger. I wonder if their brains have evolved as well... I hope that there is a kid in there somewhere.