scattershot thirteen, high-school reunion edition

1. Our tenth-grade English teacher gave a really wonderful talk, during which she read from some of our essays about music (circa 1985-86), including a little chunk where I earnestly discussed my admiration for the band Chicago. I was topped, thankfully, by the QB who wrote about his preference for Lionel Richie.
2. During that talk, someone's cell phone rang, and the ringer was "Danger Zone" from Top Gun. This was not a special reunion ringtone, I don't think.
3. Pour Some Sugar on Me, why don't you?
4. A woman I've known since fifth grade (and who I adore) came up and shouted enthusiastically, "I used to have big curly hair, and now I have big straight hair!"
5. A classmate informed me that it's obvious I had moved "up north" when I used the word "commute." (As in: "You work in Knoxville and live in Greeneville? That's quite a commute!")
6. The refrain: Classmate: "Do you have any kids?" Me: "no..." A sampling of responses after a slightly awkward silence: "Is that because you don't want to, or can't?"; "At least you have a life!"; "Well, you better hurry!"; "Dogs?" 
7. R.C.'s homemade pickles! 
8. "Oh my goodness! I didn't recognize you!" (Usually not a good thing to have to say.)
9. "Oh my goodness! You haven't changed one bit!" (A bit better, except when there is a mullet involved.)
10. Business in the front, party in the back! (hat tip to JM; c.f. the lead image.)
11. Someone asked our classmate, who is now a highly regarded pediatrician, if he went through a late puberty.
12. My h.s. bff, who is a full foot shorter than me, got mistaken for a child. [for the record, 11 and 12 both go in the !? category.]
    
13. The Lionel Richie fan in #1, who got voted "most athletic" with me our senior year and who now, besides owning a wildly successful engineering firm also does a little coaching on the side, asked his daughters to guess who I played ball for. One daughter shouted,  "Coach Ricker!" (our famed high school coach). Their dad said, "Yeah, and guess who else?" There was a long pause, and then another daughter shouted, "You!"

Comments

[Amanda Jane]

Danger Zone: http://www.pajiba.com/the-cheesiest-soundtrack-singles-of-all-time.htm

[spen]

oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah!