Lunch at the Rusty Pelican

As we arrived families were taking pictures outside St. Mary’s; group photographs.  I was a little late so was worried that I may have been too late.    I wasn’t.   During the ceremony I remember sitting in some pew and looking back to see if I could see my mom and dad and siblings.  I could not.  I may have been able to see my dad.  I am not sure.  They were too far in back.   Going up to receive my diploma via the center aisle of the church I only remember one thing; walking behind Patty Mazarredo.  I guess we were in reverse alphabetical order.  She was wearing a white graduation gown (not too difficult; all of us were wearing the same thing) but she had on very high heels.  When she took the first steps out of the pew she seemed a little unsteady and I kept worrying, what if she falls?   How do I help her?  What do I do?  I kept looking at her praying she did not fall.  Odd that one of the few things I remember about my graduation ceremony is walking behind Patty.

I know Father Lechiara spoke.  I believe he spoke about the two brothers, one who was happy, the other sad.  They were moving to a new town and stopped outside the city….  All of us remember that one.   I remember afterwards having all my friends autograph my cap.   I remember posing for a lot of group pictures.  As usual, after any of these things we had to decide what to do.  A group of us ended up going to Rusty Pelican.  I ended up getting a ride from Rocky and as we were getting off I-95, the song “Kodachrome” by Paul Simon was played: “When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school……..”   Someone in the car, I think it was Rick who said “appropriate”.  When we arrived at Rusty Pelican we were met by Mr. Mederos and joined a bigger group.  We had a very nice time.  

What is amazing is how little I remember about that particular day. 

All of us have memories of our high school experience.  All of us remember certain times; the school bus kidnapping, the time we wrapped the school,  the time we cleaned up after wrapping the school,  Nellis and a group of friends walking strangely in a retreat at Alice Wainwright Park, Karmen Kneivel driving the great Kazoo band in assembly, Blue Moon, certain colorful expressions of school colors on top of the hood of a car, conversations on the sideline in a football game, modern words for a Handel piece (Jose Huevo), imitations of the “Galloping Gourmet” during pre calculus (or was it Physics?), the whole class chanting Brother Ramon (clap clap) Brother Ramon a la Addams Family while the whole class was in detention in Driver’s Ed (and most importantly, seeing brother smile as he walked by, I still have that picture in my mind), Mr. Koziol getting a pie in the face,  Mr. Mederos saying “extra points” and everyone rushing to do the geometry problem and obtaining the coveted +2 on their paper, and I am sure all of you can come up with many more instances you remember, fondly or otherwise.  …….

We actually remember a lot more.  We just do not know it.  We just do not talk about it.  Mentally, I find myself referring to experiences in the past, either from class or from personal interactions with friends, when trying to address difficult situations.  Some of these I do not remember until the situation presents itself.  They may not provide the right answer but they provide an additional point of reference to draw from.   Even when we do not realize it we have built certain skills; social, intellectual and philosophical, where we draw from experiences we do not even remember, but are there.    We have been blessed that we have had all those experiences; together.  Fight on.

-Moose