The Good Old Days???

Yesterday I was going through some pictures and papers and bust out laughing when I found some notes from high school. I believe I have confessed in a prior post that I am a pack rat much to my husband's frustration. I do try to D.I. a few things every couple of months but unfortunately I'm accumulating quicker than I'm getting rid of things.

Anywhoo, I thought I had a crystal clear memory of high school which was one of depression, long hours of staying up late trying to figure out math only to go to bed crying, 3 years pining after a guy in high school who was also a good friend etc. etc. What I had forgotten was writing notes back and forth to one very smart classmate Shaun Sayers. I specifically remember Shaun in English class having all the answers and he was funny and always smiling. Apparently we exchanged a lot of notes because yesterday I was laughing as I read them. Here is one example of a note he wrote to me:

CAUTION: The following events, characters, and statements are fictional and are definitely not to be taken seriously. Any similarities between this crap and real life events are coincidental. Really.
WARNING: This is only a joke.
NOTE: Not to be taken personally.
IMPORTANT: I strongly urge you not to read this if your name is Robin, Dweebo Jones, or any combination or similarity thereof wherein, hitherto.

Let's begin now....
This is a survey conducted to discover the views and opinions of the world on the subject of Robin:

Question - What do you think of Robin?

And the response:

"Oh, she's really nice. And interesting, yeh. Um considerate, really considerate. Uh interesting, did I say she was interesting?"
-Shaun Sayer-

"She's ... interesting. Oh - uh - different. And nice, too. Really, really, really nice. " - Vicky Woods - "Really."

Question #2: Yes, but what do you really think? Keep in mind you may remain anonymous.

And the response:

"I really can't say. She'd break both my legs" Vicki Woods -I mean.. anonymous

"She wouldn't be so bad if she had a chin" - anonymous -

"Well, she's gross, but don't tell her I said that." - anonymous -

"She's boring and redundant but don't tell her I said that, she'll break my legs." - anonymous-

"a sweet and wonderful human being" -Robin Crouch-

"She's a rascal, that one is. I'm telling you, the first slip up she makes, the first chance I get and she'll be out on her.. uh, behind." "A real trouble maker" - Mr. Robb- (high school principal)

"Who's Robin?" - Andrew M.- (my high school crush)

"Talk about wimpy" Medwin Meyers III - head of the chess club and computer club, president of the library club (I was also a member of the library club)

"I think she's beautiful" - Woody Allen -

"I just want her out of the country. That's all OUT!" - Brian Mulroney- (Canada's Prime Minister at the time)

"Ah yes, Robin, she enlightens the room with her glittering charm and rare charisma. Such an intelligent person.. did I get it right, Bonzo?" - Ronald Reagan-

"No you idiot you got it backwards." - Bonzo

"She's too religious." - God-


Shaun and I bantered back and forth in our notes with sarcasm, teasing, high praise, low jibes, and flourishing words. After a long summer he sent me a note in English class entitled ESSAY: Why Robin is a goddess, and how we can cope with being her slave.

I always was more comfortable with guys as a teenager and they saw me as their "buddy" who helped them with their girlfriend problems. Shaun was no exception apparently because I have a note from him thanking me for helping him with a girl.

Sometimes I think I'm crazy for keeping things but I'm so glad that I kept these notes and other notes that I found from friends to remind me that there were some good moments and some things and some people that did make me smile. Sometimes we let the moment overshadow all of our moments. I let my whole teenage years be painted with the same dark brush of depression and loneliness that lasted a significant amount of time but not the whole time. There were moments of happiness and there were things that I enjoyed... theatre arts, dance classes, church dances, youth leadership, hanging out with Jen, Rick and Andrew in the cafeteria eating fries and gravy and writing notes to Shaun instead of listening to my English teacher who hated me.

I wouldn't go back to being a teenager. But perhaps it wasn't so bad after all. Maybe as I go through more of my notes and things it will change my perspective on my teenage years even more.

I'm so grateful for the life I have now and the perspective I have now. It too needs work on some days but I have a great husband with an incredible attitude that sets me straight when I'm going off-track.