The Yearbook: Lauren

 The year was 1982. We danced to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album and watched “E.T.” on the silver screen. John Belushi died and Prince William was born. We exercised  to Jane Fonda video tapes and never missed watching “Dynasty” on TV. Gas cost 91 cents a gallon and a stamp two dimes. We were spooked by the Tylenol scare and held our breath as the recession began.

It was a year of promise and pain, of sweetness and sorrow.

But it was OUR year. 

We were the Class of 1982, and we were ready to take on the world.   

Lauren (Yearbook post)

Gina,

To a very close friend of mine that I hope will stay close to. This year was kind of rough for us all, with the problems we had, but I’m glad everything has worked out. Never forget the good times in English.  Stay the way you are (your sweetness, personality, and looks) and you will have many friends. Take care and we’ll all have to get together over the summer.

Love, Lauren

P.S. Get psyched for the prom 

..........................

2/24/12

Lauren and I didn’t stay close. We lost touch after graduation. It was probably my fault. I was too wrapped up in Mike and spent most of my free time with him. School was the magnet that drew us together and when it ended, so did many of the friendships. It wasn’t an instant thing, more like something that happened without me realizing it. Like summer slipping into fall. I woke up and thought about Lauren and realized I hadn’t talked to her in weeks. The weeks became months and the months became years and the more time that passed the harder it became to reach out.

Kind of sad when you think about it. I had gone to school with Lauren since she moved into our district in second grade. We were in a lot of the same classes over the years, and we were members of the same Brownie and Girl Scout troops.  

I forgot about the big blowout our senior year until I read her yearbook post. Two of our friends liked the same guy and the guy was a creep playing them both. It all came to a head one day at lunch and our group split into two. It wasn’t long before the guy started seeing a girl from another school and my friends realized how dumb the whole thing had been.

I heard Lauren was doing well. Anytime Mom reads something in the newspaper about someone I went to school with, she cuts it out and sends it to me. Over the years, I’ve gotten a ton of newspaper clippings. She sent me a newspaper announcement about Lauren’s engagement and about her wedding. She looked absolutely beautiful. I was surprised at how long her hair was because all through high school she wore it short. She married someone she met in college. She taught first grade, which is what she always wanted to do. I was happy for her.  And sad that we had lost touch.

Other posts in this blog series


Julie

J.R.

NOTE:  Each Tuesday and Friday meet another member of the Class of 1982.