After the Great America trip all that was left was graduation. I remember in that period of time me and Danny went to go see Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade with his dad Al, and my brother-in-law, Greg. The film opened on May 24th, 1989 and it was a warm spring evening when we went to see the film. I recall that it was better than Temple of Doom, but not as good as Raiders of The Lost Ark.
When graduation arrived, I just remember being happy. The graduation ceremony took place at the Gospel Outreach Church building that was located on Lawrence avenue just a few blocks east of Pulaski. The house of the Lord was in close proximity with the Admiral Theatre and the L’Amour Bookstore, a strip club and a pornographic bookstore. I wonder if the church elders ever tried ministering at either establishment 😉 My mother and all four of my half-sisters were in attendance. All six graduates were on stage and our ceremony was held in conjunction with the high school graduation. Aside from Rochelle I’m not sure there was another high school graduate. Steve, who had served as the grade school principal and Pastor Tom were on stage with us and awarded us with our diplomas. There are a couple of pictures of me and Danny after the ceremony. We were on top of the world and the pictures convey that happiness.
It is very disappointing that my daughter is not going to have the same opportunity to enjoy a traditional graduation ceremony. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she and her classmates have missed out on what is in many respects the best part of 8th grade: Those last couple of months when the pressure is off and the atmosphere is more relaxed. Childhood is reaching it’s natural conclusion in many respects. You’re ending a journey with classmates that you’ve known for years, most of whom will go separate ways. It’s significant.
8th grade stands out in my memory as such a fun and formative year. I think back to the outstanding British documentary Seven Up! which follows the lives of several children from various backgrounds based off of the assertion that, “Show me a boy when he’s seven and I’ll show you the man.” The documentary follows these children starting at age seven and checks in with them every seven years to track their progress. It’s a fascinating documentary and I think it largely validates the premise that inspired the project.
Looking back at myself at age 14, two of the biggest drivers for me were sport and music. I can clearly identify that those passions were established when I was a boy aged 7 in Ireland. These interests were also completely organic as I didn’t have anyone pushing me in those directions. I see the parents who push their children and I do wonder where I would have gone under those circumstances. But it didn’t happen, and it doesn’t do much good to fret about what might have been. That doesn’t mean the pangs of regret don’t bite every now and then. They do and they probably always will.
My penchant for calling attention to myself through sport and some of the grandstanding was a precursor to my interest in performance and theatre. My love of laughter and instigating situations that I thought hilarious have stayed with me as well. All of those traits were present in 8th grade and I’m glad to say haven’t diminished in the least. Thankfully, my overinflated opinion of myself has subsided to some degree as perspective and time has helped quell those delusions of grandeur.
Looking at my classmates and seeing where life has taken them has been fascinating. Most of them seemed to have found their place and appear settled. I’ve reconnected with some that I haven’t had contact with for over 30 years and that’s been wonderful. Some of them are in places I wouldn’t have expected. We were a small group in very unique circumstances. Few of us came from traditional backgrounds and some of us grew up in dysfunctional situations that left wounds that are still painful to this day. While I’ve painted a less than flattering portrait of Gospel Outreach Christian School, there were some genuinely good people involved who had the right intentions.
The school year of 1988-1989 was the apex of my childhood and cemented perhaps my oversized sense of self-importance that would never completely dissipate. But to my ongoing frustration, I would spend the rest of my teenage years in many ways trying to recapture those feelings. There was very little genuine teenage angst at that point. While I was always rather sensitive and self-aware there wasn’t a lot of self-reflection at that time. That’s ok, the following years would provide me with plenty of opportunity to look inward. The summer of 1989 transitioning into high school was a real turning point and that story is a very different tale.
What I experienced that school year at Gospel Outreach left a mark on me that has always remained. This is my fond look back to that bygone era of youthful innocence. The Chicago group Ten City released, “That’s The Way Love Is” in early 1989. Ironically, I totally missed this song when it was originally released. I happened upon the song when revisiting an old mix by Julian “Jumpin” Perez from spring of ’89. The track goes some way towards capturing the soaring, intense emotions mixed with the aching sadness of a time long since passed that meant so much to me.
Special thanks to Danny for sending me the yearbook photos!
Gospel Outreach School and High School Memories 1988-1992 