What a roller coaster ride! The school year got off to a sad start for Dan. He saw Michael in every hallway, in every classroom, everywhere he turned. He heard him, felt him, saw him in the Principal's office, saw him shooting spit balls on the bathroom ceiling, and he even smelled the sardines that Michael put in the candy machine for his last year’s senior prank. Our Teen Angel was all over the place. Dan couldn’t cope and he tried to quit school 4 times, and 4 times we hauled him back. He had his classes changed over and over, and was transferred to one special program for kids with problems after another for the first half of the year, and did poorly in those. He was constantly interrupted being called out for counseling, interviews with investigators, police, and the DA’s office, you name it. Yes, my kid was now considered “damaged” or “troubled.” Yea, you think?………The only one that he would ever listen to and could help was gone,…..or was he?
Somehow, eventually, things settled down enough so he was finally able to return to his normal classes. He was given tremendous support from the school faculty and his friends. His grades picked up after Christmas vacation and went, way, way, up. His exam scores were great. We were blown away. Each report card got better and better after that.
Senior week is finally over! I think, I hope~Senior dinner, senior party, senior breakfast, senior party, senior honors night, senior party, senior picnic, party, party, party……Dan liked the camping trip the best. Of course, it involved mud. He entered the 4 wheeler muddin contest but sank miserably! Good thing they had a tractor there to haul all the stuck ones out. What is it with kids and mud? I think the girls are worse than the boys and the teachers are worse than all of them! But the way I see it is it’s a whole lot better than kids out there drinking and doing drugs so let the muddin begin!
Graduation night was horrible, from a mother’s standpoint that is. It’s like your little kid’s first day of school in reverse. No more school bus stops. No more science fairs to work on. No more tests to cram for. No more building props for school plays. No more football games or marching bands. No more making pony tails for the giggling cheerleaders. No more meetings with teachers. No more PTA meetings. No more shopping for school clothes and school supplies. No more listening to how bad the school food is. No more lunch lady calling me to say that Dan swiped double Jell-O again and she didn’t charge him for it. Saying “goodbye” is not one of my strong points, then or now. What’s a mother to do?
The sound of the band playing Pomp and Circumstance sent me back to June of 1971, my teary-eyed graduation night. How come we always hate to get up to go to school, skip classes, skip school, but then hate to graduate? Teenagers, don’t make much sense sometimes, huh?
Then, just one year ago, they called his name while the same music played. Seems like it was just yesterday. Seems like it was an eternity ago. Seems like I’ll never get that night out of my mind. The entire school gave him a standing ovation and seemingly endless cheering because they loved him so much. You don’t get much more popular than that; and a few days later he was gone forever. The Class of 2006 was full of amazing, loving, kids with tears gushing down their face, who didn’t want to graduate either.
So here we were once more for the very last time. The music got to me right away; and when the Class of 2007 came out single file, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the place. Sniffles all around. He was near the front of the line, being a “G” in alphabetical order. I could see his face turning pink. I was thrown back to last year for a split second, and saw Michael in that line too. Then whisked back to the here and now; this was Dan’s night, all his, with his brother right there watching him in the shadows. I wondered when that little freckle face kid hit 6’2? Well, no matter, he’s still “Little Dan” to me, always has been.
We were so proud. Lots of tears, tons of memories. What a school! What a faculty! What great kids! And mine, who overcame the worst of obstacles that were thrust in his way and none of his doing, and he came out a winner despite it all. Over one million dollars in college scholarships were awarded this night and Dan was a recipient of one! Who knew? We were floored. For now he’ll work in the family business until he figures out what he wants to study in college. What a night to remember. Time to fire up the grill again; I hear we’re having another party.
The top picture has Jerry in the background and the bottom pic has Michael's girlfriend in the background.
Dan Muddin U TUBE
Somehow, eventually, things settled down enough so he was finally able to return to his normal classes. He was given tremendous support from the school faculty and his friends. His grades picked up after Christmas vacation and went, way, way, up. His exam scores were great. We were blown away. Each report card got better and better after that.
Senior week is finally over! I think, I hope~Senior dinner, senior party, senior breakfast, senior party, senior honors night, senior party, senior picnic, party, party, party……Dan liked the camping trip the best. Of course, it involved mud. He entered the 4 wheeler muddin contest but sank miserably! Good thing they had a tractor there to haul all the stuck ones out. What is it with kids and mud? I think the girls are worse than the boys and the teachers are worse than all of them! But the way I see it is it’s a whole lot better than kids out there drinking and doing drugs so let the muddin begin!
Graduation night was horrible, from a mother’s standpoint that is. It’s like your little kid’s first day of school in reverse. No more school bus stops. No more science fairs to work on. No more tests to cram for. No more building props for school plays. No more football games or marching bands. No more making pony tails for the giggling cheerleaders. No more meetings with teachers. No more PTA meetings. No more shopping for school clothes and school supplies. No more listening to how bad the school food is. No more lunch lady calling me to say that Dan swiped double Jell-O again and she didn’t charge him for it. Saying “goodbye” is not one of my strong points, then or now. What’s a mother to do?
The sound of the band playing Pomp and Circumstance sent me back to June of 1971, my teary-eyed graduation night. How come we always hate to get up to go to school, skip classes, skip school, but then hate to graduate? Teenagers, don’t make much sense sometimes, huh?
Then, just one year ago, they called his name while the same music played. Seems like it was just yesterday. Seems like it was an eternity ago. Seems like I’ll never get that night out of my mind. The entire school gave him a standing ovation and seemingly endless cheering because they loved him so much. You don’t get much more popular than that; and a few days later he was gone forever. The Class of 2006 was full of amazing, loving, kids with tears gushing down their face, who didn’t want to graduate either.
So here we were once more for the very last time. The music got to me right away; and when the Class of 2007 came out single file, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the place. Sniffles all around. He was near the front of the line, being a “G” in alphabetical order. I could see his face turning pink. I was thrown back to last year for a split second, and saw Michael in that line too. Then whisked back to the here and now; this was Dan’s night, all his, with his brother right there watching him in the shadows. I wondered when that little freckle face kid hit 6’2? Well, no matter, he’s still “Little Dan” to me, always has been.
We were so proud. Lots of tears, tons of memories. What a school! What a faculty! What great kids! And mine, who overcame the worst of obstacles that were thrust in his way and none of his doing, and he came out a winner despite it all. Over one million dollars in college scholarships were awarded this night and Dan was a recipient of one! Who knew? We were floored. For now he’ll work in the family business until he figures out what he wants to study in college. What a night to remember. Time to fire up the grill again; I hear we’re having another party.
The top picture has Jerry in the background and the bottom pic has Michael's girlfriend in the background.
Dan Muddin U TUBE
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