FFA Topic: Memories of Junior High (repressed or otherwise)
Let’s just face it – the Junior high years were not my best. My hair had suddenly gone curly (so I had no idea what to do with the frizzy mess), I had braces until 8th grade, and I was taller than most of the boys until about 9th grade. There was friend trauma, boy trauma, and probably just a bunch of made-up trauma because frankly, that’s what junior-high age girls do best.
So here are some of my best/most horrific/confused memories from the good ol’ days at Spanish Fork Jr. High:
1. Singing Valentines – this is definitely a favorite memory of mine. Every Valentine’s Day, the Drama Club made tons of heart-shaped sugar cookies which people could purchase and have delivered to the person of their choice, along with a little Valentine’s ditty. We got to skip classes most of the day, so that we could take these cookies around to the different classrooms. We’d sing ridiculous lyrics that we’d made up to songs like “Lollipop” to the poor, unsuspecting Valentine recipients.
2. Gym class – really need I say more? The absolute horror of having to take showers in the locker room with only a dishcloth-sized towel to cover you up after was almost enough to make us all a little neurotic. And who can forget Mrs. Perkins’s lecture on using deodorant?
3. The “snack line” at lunch. For some reason, the school district felt once we were in junior high, we were now old enough to have some choices at lunch . . . the favorite of which was the infamous “snack line.” The food choices in this line included a big pile of greasy fries with a greasy burrito, greasy cheeseburger, or greasy slab of pizza. Um, yeah, because kids this age are notorious for making healthy food choices . . .
4. Sewing class. Most of the girls took sewing and cooking classes while the boys took wood and metal shop. I’m still confused, though, as to how we’d benefit from learning how to sew a stuffed animal pillow, the most hideous jacket known to mankind, and a nightgown (okay, I actually wore that one for a while . . .). Even more confusing, though, was the day Mrs. Benson showed us a video with Christie Brinkley showing us how to put on makeup. Um, huh?
5. For some reason, Jenni and I decided to convince Chad Vest during Algebra class that Jenni’s middle name was “Liberty Bell.” I’m not sure whether it reflects more on our powers of persuasion or his, um, common-sense that he believed us.
6. “Going with” someone. Junior high kids didn’t date. We would “go with” someone. Go where, you might ask? Well, that is a very good question. I never really found out. I used to really like Scott Christensen until the fateful day that he asked me to “go with” him. For about a week, we painstakingly avoided talking to each other or crossing paths in the halls at all costs. Then we broke up. It was a short-lived but highly dramatic relationship.
20 comments:
Oh, I ALMOST posted on Ms. Perkins and the showering in gym class thing. Matt and I had a big old discussion not long ago about showering in gym. I think it stemmed from Carillisa's unfortunate experience in the locker room with the older ladies at the gym. But I digress...
Have you seen the movie Juno? Everytime I see that kid that they named Liberty Bell....well, I think - hey, Jami and I thought of that first!
One more thing - there was an entry from Todd Bradford in my yearbook that said I should quit going by Liberty Bell - even if I was dingy (and I think he meant dumb as opposed to dirty) enough to get away with it.
Chad Vest? VEST? ...Any relation to Jason Vest, the Provo tellerline teller? Mmmmm... that red shirt/duck tie combo still live in my memory. Dude was HOT! (Jen, back me up here.)
Jami... lovin the post. I'm jealous beyond reason that you got to go to the greasy fries/burrito phase of your lives in junior high. In our school district, we had to wait until high school for that. (Lucky ducks!) And, oh yes, "going together". Of course that was never my drama (my drama was making up names for my would-be lovers, and/or following then around campus in a desperate attempt to get them to notice me), but I do remember the days... Oh my gosh, isn't it great that we out-grow junior high? (And adolescence in general?)
HILARIOUS post, I loved it!
Jen, you're not a bit dingy (or dirty, for that matter). And what does Todd know, anyway? He pegged his pants and had a mullet FAR longer than was culturally acceptable.
Laurie, I'm not sure about the Jason Vest relationship there, but maybe Jen knows. Chad was pretty hot (even if he was gullible). And yeah, I didn't have much of the "going together" drama, either. I mostly lived vicariously through my best friend who ALWAYS had a boyfriend, and I just sat timidly in the background wishing that I did. (I mentioned the braces and frizzy hair, right?)
Jami, you nailed it. Believe it or not, I had actually forgotten about Mrs. Perkins's lecture on using deodorant. Have I ever told you that I saw her in the temple a few years back. She was in my session, and if my memory is right, she had a tattoo on her wrist.
You know, when I was in 7th grade, I was going with Todd Bradford. Yeah, we rarely talked or even made eye contact.
Oh, singing valentines. I am sure we came up with some of those together. I even remember what I wore one year to celebrate the special holiday. A red shirt with pink overall shorts. Oh how I wish I had a picture of that to laugh at now.
I'd totally forgotten about the snack bar. Probably because I remember buying a Caramello candy bar and Dr. Pepper everyday for lunch. No wonder I have so many snack habits now.
I'm pretty sure that somewhere in my basement, I still have the folder that the two of wrote all over in jr. high. It said things like, "Save water, shower with a friend," and "Make love, not war," and had a bunch of peace signs all over it. We thought we were the best hippies.
And of course, I'll never forget sitting behind you in some class (geometry, maybe?), grabbing all of your hair, throwing it in the air and yelling, "fireworks".
Jr. High. Those were the days.
Jason Vest might possibly be related to Chad Vest, but I'd have to check their family group sheets. Isn't everyone in Spanish Fork and Salem related to each other?! Inbreeding, I tell you! But, uh, no...they're not brothers or anything.
Going with? Well, in 6th grade (for me) it was Troy Palmer. (Yes, he bought me blow up lips at Lagoon.) 7th grade - Heath Bloomfield. But not too long before Lagoon, we broke up. So, I hastily hatched up a relationship with Mike Healey. I mean - you CAN'T go to Lagoon alone. Who is going to buy me the stuffed animals?! By 8th grade, I sortof started to come to my senses. Although, I do remember hanging out at Lagoon with Justin Johnson that year. By 9th - well, boys were stupid. I don't know why it took me so long to figure that out.
This year? I went to Lagoon with Matt. He didn't buy me anything but a 23 point pizza. And he wonders why I don't put out.
LOL! Jen, are you kidding me? I didn't realize you went with all the cool guys! Seriously, I had such a crush on Justin Johnson. And yeah, I never did figure out that boys were stupid. I just kept longingly hoping they'd notice me one day . . .
Yeah, I went to Lagoon alone. Sigh. No stuffed animals for me. Maybe that's why I have such an abhorrence for stuffed animals now, and I'm always trying sneak some of my girls' stash of them to D.I. I blame jr. high for a lot of things . . .
And Amanda, I'd forgotten about you and Todd Bradford (sorry about the snarky comment about him before, if you still have any tender feelings there . . )
By the way, on my 8th grade yearbook, I have all our totally cool "hippie" sayings written all over it, and when I was flipping through it, I found your entry -- only 4 pages long! It's hilarious! You kept continuing on other pages. I'll have to let you read it sometime. In fact, let's get a bunch of us together and all bring our yearbooks and have a big reading party! Could make for some good entertainment.
Oh man, a "reminiscing junior high party"? I have a hard time thinking of anything more absolutely painful although my therapist (were I seeing one) would probably highly recommend it. Amanda, did we hate each other at some point in Jr. High, because I remember "going with" Todd for a while, too! I wonder whatever happened to that guy. I also remember doing the thing in gym class where you pulled your shirt through to make kind of a midriff-top and watching the ninth-grade boys class... I must have been WAY TOO boy crazy. I ate twix bars for lunch and always at the chocolate first, then the caramel, then the cookie, and I remember there being a big fad where people made each other pass out just for fun. Weren't we cool? :-) Jami, I would have traded a million boyfriends for good girlfriends any day of the week, and figured that out WAY too late, for what it's worth.
Jami, I have to mention here that Jason Vest is my brother-in-law. I don't know if it's the same one -- originally from CA? Too funny if it is. I sure enjoy reading your blog!
Oh Jami!
You bring a huge smile to my face everytime I read your blog.
Maybe you should email me sometime!
This has been a great post! But all of your posts are great! They always make me smile and want to have a better day! No....they make me want to MAKE it a great day! You're the best. Ever!
I must have missed the time Mrs. Benson showed the Christie Brinkley make-up video, because that seems to be something you'd remember. I still have the blue jacket I made, and the pillow. It's a pencil, and it's in my basement on the futon.
I think I blocked out the deodorant talk as well.
Perhaps I've blocked out most of junior high. It seems to me there was a salad bar in the cafeteria. That's pretty much all I remember.
Oh, and I award you 600 points for teaching your child to say Crud Ira.
This was too fun reading this stuff! Thanks:)
Sorry for spying Jamie. It was fun to read this post. I have repressed memories of Jr. High but you have helped me remember the good times. Holy cow, you have cute kids. One reminds me so much of your husband when he was little :)
That was one of the best comment sections I've read in a long time. The thought of Jenni not puting out because of the lack of Lagoon gifts was just too much for me.
We MUST get together and ponder on the good old days. Everyone start gathering yearbooks, photos, etc, etc. When's a good time for everyone? Let's do it, serious. I'll email you all.
Love your guts!
I just wanted to drop in and say how glad I am that you are back to blogging, I really do enjoy "spying". I also hope that it was O.K. to have shined the spotlight (so to speak) on you ladies and your FFA blog. Thanks and here's my memory... I remember how badly I wanted to get a pair of overalls so I could wear them with just one of the straps hooked up and the other left hanging (what was that all about?) and don't even LET me get started on the my favorite pair of white guess jeans... it was all about the clothes with me!
Well, I was wondering about the sudden influx of visitors, but it was pretty entertaining to get everyone else's memories from SFJHS.
I've got to post stuff like this more often just to get all the great comments!
Oh, I am so sad I missed Jr. High in the good ol' town I graduated from. I will forever be scarred by all the moves, but whatever.
Jen, I had no idea you went out with Mike Healey! He was one of the first boys who ever talked to me when I first moved in as a sophomore, but you REALLY don't want to know what he said. Poor boy. Has no idea that I have never forgotten his imature, potty-mouth comment from way back when...
And even though I missed the whole Jr. High scene with you great gals, I hope you'll let me come to your party anyway!
...Sounds like Todd made his way around town.
Hilarious post Jami! Your sewing class memory brought up a long repressed memory for me. We also made sweatshirts and I made the horrible mistake of actually wearing mine- yes to school. I blame my mom. She guilted me into it with all her talk of wasted money on fabric. Sigh. I was a pariah for quite some time. Your family is darling, it was fun to see what you've been up to!
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