The 70’s by Jodi Decker jodidecker@msn.com
One of my favorite songs from the 70’s is Seals and Crofts’ We May Never Pass This Way Again. Whenever I hear this song, (usually on an “oldie’s” station), it evokes my high school memories. It was a popular song from that time, and our prom theme, yet it certainly was an accurate description of the bittersweet high school years.
I don’t remember hating high school, exactly, but dealing with the class strata, I think, almost brands you into always thinking you are part of a particular caste. I suppose some people escape this; people such as Bill Gates, a high school drop out who became the richest man in the world.
It goes something like this. The highest level is of course the jocks and cheerleaders. They are beyond pale. They only dated within their own caste. These are the ones that become politicians and politician’s wives.
Then you had the attractive braniacs. These were the ones who were smart, not athletic, but outgoing enough that they were still popular and respected. Sometimes you had a particularly sickening combination of DNA roulette: a jock or cheerleader who was also a braniac. These were the ones who won the game, won the homecoming king and queen, and won all the scholarships. Despicable, yet likable, all in one fell swoop. These people became attorneys and doctors.
Then you had the middle caste, which I think I fit into. I was smart, I played tennis, I wrote for the newspaper, popular people sometimes acknowledged my existence, and I wasn’t a complete moron or loser. Teachers liked me. And, I did manage to get and keep a boyfriend, enabling me to attend the social functions at school that mattered. People like me ended up being teachers.
The lower caste, sorry to say, consisted of the freaks. The freaks all hung out across the street and smoked during school breaks. This, of course, is no longer permitted in high school. But in my day, it was. The freaks were the academically unprepared, the misfits, the druggies, the stoners. They wore army jackets and long straight hair. Today we know that these kids grow up and commit school massacres, such as at Columbine High School. However, our freaks were largely harmless. They didn’t carry guns and knives. These people probably became mechanics or carpenters, because they did well in auto shop and wood shop. That’s where I usually saw them; I’m not trying to stereotype. We call them “visual learners” these days. I think the girl freaks became hairdressers and nail technicians. I could be wrong, though, maybe some of the freaks are internet millionaires today. That would be justice. Some of the freaks were in the art classes, so I think some of them ended up being graphic designers or computer animators.
Then finally, there were the geeks. These were the kids that somehow had no clue of how to dress to fit in. Whereas the freaks purposely dressed like outsiders, the geeks were the type that didn’t know that polyester pants aren’t in vogue regardless of the century, wore military style glasses (birth control), and short hair cuts. The girls would wear braids, in high school. Some of the girls wore those skirts and dresses that went below the knees. These kids always seemed like they came from another decade. Many of them were smart, though. They were also, for the most part, funny and nice, but sadly unnoticed. I think I talked to some from time to time, but I never got close to any. They usually stuck by themselves or sometimes gravitated to another geek. You didn’t cross caste boundaries; it just didn’t happen. I think that these people are probably managers and accountants and scientists and computer programmers now. Once in awhile a girl geek and boy geek would get together. They usually ended up dating exclusively and getting married.
I did date one geek when I was in high school. I don’t know why. I think I did it out of not wanting to reject him. His name was Dwayne. He wore polyester pants. He lisped when he talked. He lived in a trailer. He took me out to the movies. I’m not sure how I dumped him. He was nice enough, but he looked like the geek kid on “The Simpsons.” He talked like him, too. He’s probably a dot com millionaire today with a trophy wife.
Some of the geeks were the theatrical type. They were a little more accepted because you couldn’t miss them! They were loud, funny, boisterous types who were semi-popular due to their entertainment value. They got most of the character parts in the school plays, because of course the jocks and cheerleaders got the lead parts. They would dress outlandishly and all hung out together at lunch. What made them different from the alter-geeks was that the theatrical types knew they were weird, acted weird, and enjoyed themselves. They at least had other geeks to bond with, so they weren’t so lonely. These were the ones who were never afraid to say or do weird things in class. I admire them for that. They were like the court jesters of the kingdom. I think this type tends to flounder for awhile because if you can’t break into the performing arts, you eventually have to go out and get a real job. I hope they at least ended up in something befitting their quirky personalities, and not stuck in some corporate cubicle somewhere. Maybe they make it to behind-the-scenes endeavors such as video or t.v. production, but I bet some of them become writers and of course the obligatory English, speech, and drama teachers.
Yes, we will never pass this way again. But perhaps all of us, to one degree or another, still carry a bit of that high school person inside of us.