The Yearbook: Bill

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.    

Bill (Yearbook post/1982)

Gina,

To a very special girl that I think about a lot and I will never forget you as long as I live. I have many memories about you that I wouldn’t trade for the world, and I’m sure you have some memories too and I hope you never forget them. You made this past summer something very special and something to always remember and I want to thank you for that. I’m sorry what we had together had to end but it seems like it’s been for the best. I’m really glad that you and Mike found each other and I hope your relationship always lasts. I don’t know Mike very well but it seems like you two were made for each other and I’m really happy for you. You deserve the very best that life has to offer and I hope you always get it. Best wishes and please take good care of yourself. Love, Bill

..........................  

4/6/12

I dated Bill the summer before I started dating Mike.  I learned how to make out and French kiss hard and deep. We never went the whole way. We were both too scared. And while we knew we liked each other a lot, maybe quite not enough to go that far. So we had a summer romance filled with fun days and steamy nights.

I was the one who broke it off. School started and we weren’t spending as much time together, and I realized that I didn’t care that we weren’t spending as much time together. And then I started to look at Mike and, well, it was only a matter of time.

Just being near Mike made my heart tingle. It never tingled with Bill. And then one day Bill came around the corner at school and saw me talking to Mike. Later that day, he mentioned it and said how I had a smile on my face that he had never seen before. He told me that he wished I had smiled at him like that. That was the day I broke up with him. I think we both knew it was coming. The summer was over.   

Other posts in this blog series

Julie

J.R.

Lauren

Brad

Karen 

Tom

Bob

Ray 

Diane

Peter

Cookie

Margaret

Ellen

Lynn

Joe