Freshman year...

9th Grade

It's Sunday night and I am talking with my aunt about the clothes that I should wear to my first day of school in High School. At the time, I didn't have that many new clothes but what I had I did like because two of the pants where jeans and love to wear jeans. I took the time to make sure that my shoes are nice and clean, laces straight and evenly positioned on the tongue of the shoe. I look through the closet to find a shirt, and notice a new shirt that I have never seen before. It was a really nice dress shirt that my aunt had bought with the little extra money that she had at the time. I was so happy to have a new shirt, so I made sure that I picked that one. It was a little blue long sleeve dress shirt and felt so fresh and crisp. I wore my blue jeans and white tennis shoes with the shirt. Some people would think that blue was my favorite color on that day but blue is far from being my favorite color.


As I lay in bed, I start thinking of how big the campus will be and how many other students will be there. WOW, I am a high school student and I get to call myself a Tulare Union Redskin! Living on the southeast side of Tulare was always fun for kids because we all knew that Tulare Union was where we will all end up. Being able to go to the games at the stadium and other events in the stadium and hopefully someday...compete on the field and track at the high school. Yes I was a sports nut at the time and wanted nothing more than to wear the Redskin Red and Gold uniforms. Fear sets in of meeting so many people that are a few years older than me, but I am good with meeting people. I have never been afraid to talk with people or to be in a crowd, so my fear dissipates rather quickly.

Before I know it, the alarm clock rings and I jump from bed with a smile on my face and a great desire to head to school. I quickly shower, get dressed and eat a very delicious breakfast that my aunt cooked for me since it was the first day of school. I ate so much I nearly made myself sick. I head out the door and started walking north down the street until I get to the front of Lincoln Elementary school. I see several kids from the neighborhood and stop to talk with them as though it is a Saturday in the neighborhood. After a few minutes a few of my other friends come walking around the corner and we all just laugh and talk about things from the weekend.

The school bus arrives and we part ways, the younger kids get on the bus, but the rest of us start the journey up to the high school about 6 blocks north. It is a nice bright late summer morning and the air would be nice and fresh if it wasn't for all of the diary farms surrounding the city. PHEW!!! The cows must be in overdrive that morning! Within a block of the school we start to smell the food being cooked in the school's cafeteria and I find myself getting hungry again! Can't wait for lunch!

As I walk the final few yards to the back of the campus, I lock my eyes on the gym and seem amazed at the size of the gym. Even though I have rode my bike by the campus for many years, it all seemed different that day because it was now my gym. With each step closer to the campus I find myself having tunnel vision. I don't hear my friends talking; the world seems to have disappeared. Time slowed down as I looked down and viewed my foot stepping onto the campus for the first time as a student. I have been on the campus a thousand times, but this was the first time in which my name was officially listed as a student of Tulare Union High School. Can you tell that I love this school?

I walk around the campus and I am quickly amazed at the amount of students all over the place. Laughter is all over the place as people look at other people and start to make fun of people. OH NO, I am a freshman and that means the upper classes just might pick on me this week. I learned very quickly from a few of my older friends, being a freshman, I should never go into Senior Court during lunch, unless I had a class in that area.  The Seniors were mostly in Senior Court and liked to pick on Freshman that would go into Senior Court.  But I had one ace in the hole...I had friends that are seniors and they would defend me because they are friends of the family.  Well at least that is the thought that I had in my mind!  Later in the week I found out how much that relationship didn't make a difference to a few jerks!

The end of my first day and I enjoyed every moment of the day.  I don't want to live the campus because I am afraid that it is just a dream.  It might sound weird but I liked each of my new teachers, especially my PE teachers.  I liked everything so much, that I ran home and burst through the front door to tell my aunt everything about my day.  She sat and listened to me as I talked about every aspect of my first day of school.  She would giggle at me because I was bouncing off the wall with joy.

My first year, and there is so much to learn, so much to experience and so much to remember. Some great times and some terrible times...but all will be memorable.