Girls

Peace on Earth (you MUST listen to this song)

Contrary to popular belief, I wasn't very popular with the girls as a teenager. In fact I wasn't very popular at all. Looking back with thirty years of perspective, I really was in my own little world and it is no wonder that my circle of friends was so small. One of my siblings (I think it was Greg) told me once that I was much more interested in cars (or my lab) than I was in girls. When he said that, my first reaction was that it wasn't true. I always wanted a girl friend and if you'd asked me then how important it was I would have put it right at the top of the list. In reality though, it must not have been all that important because I never really did anything to get a girl friend. I always thought it was because I was too shy but I wasn't THAT shy. I was just way too distracted by other things and to top it off, I realize now that my people skills were practically non-existent. I learned later that there were actually several girls who were quite interested in me but I was just so stupid that I didn't see it.

I didn't miss any of the stake dances however and I did dance at all of them. They were very different than the dances the kids go to now. Back then they didn't have any "group" dancing. All dances both slow and fast were a boy and a girl. That meant I had to ask a girl for every dance. Talk about scary. It was especially crushing when a girl said no but that really didn't happen all that much. The sad thing is that everybody would just stand on the sides until the dances got going and that usually took over an hour. I was NOT going to be one of the first ones out on the dance floor. I waited until people were dancing and then I'd go. What was really tough was if the girl I wanted to dance with was standing in the middle of a group of other girls. I really didn't want to be turned down in front of a group so I usually waited until I could nab her alone. It is a tough life being a teenage boy.

So, not withstanding my single kiss from Christine Hunter, I had no serious relationships with any girls in school. I was casual friends with several girls but nothing beyond that. Some of my friends who happened to be girls were, Pam Hunter, Diana Palmer, Shirlee Watson, Cyndi Cameron, Claire Henn, Debbie Jones, Andrea Spackman, Linda Marsden, Susan Olsen, Cathy Matkin, Joan Ockey, Sandra Fox, Marie Carslon, Christine Hunter, Debbie Jones, Diane Olsen, Jennifer Smith, Joy Bowlby, Rita Bunnage and Sandra Fox. I probably missed some and I hope no one is offended if I did. I pulled out my 1975 year book and scanned some pictures just for laughs. Just so you can put a name with the face I've listed them at the end of this posting.

My first date was with Andrea Spackman very shortly after I turned sixteen. Her dad had been called as a mission president somewhere and I knew her before they left on their mission and then she moved back just before I turned sixteen. I think they spent time in Waterton during the summer and that is how I got to know her a bit better. Other dates I went on were with Debbie Jones and I know there were a few others but I don't remember who. I guess that shows just how important dating was to me.

I did have a few crushes but the girls I had crushes on would have no idea that I ever did since I never acted on my crushes. The two girls that come to mind are Cindy Cameron and Pamela Green. When it came to our graduation dance of course we had to have a date. I ended up asking Doreen Card to the graduation dance. She wasn't a friend and I didn't really know her but I thought she was pretty. It was obvious that she did not want to go with me and we hardly talked the entire night. I believe it was at our graduation dance where we had a streaker. That was exciting. If it wasn't graduation it was at one of the school dances. A streaker in a Mormon high school caused quite the stir and to make it more exciting I believe it was one of the bishops kids. I think he was a Shaw but I can't remember his first name and I'm not so sure about the Shaw. I would hate to slander anyone. It was exciting to be to a dance with a girl rather than going stag but it could have been so much more fun if I'd gone with a friend who happened to be a girl. I can tell you one thing for sure, if I could go back in time knowing what I know now there are very few things that I would do differently but how I treated girls and how I related to them is one thing that I would change for sure. All I can say is that I'm really glad that Lisa did not know me as a teenager.

Andrea Spackman
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Cathy Matkin
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Christine Hunter
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Claire Henn
---------------------------------------------Cyndi Cameron
------------------------------------------Debbie Jones
------------------------------------Diana Palmer
----------------------------------------------Diane Olsen
-------------------------------------Doreen Card
---------------------------------------Jennifer Smith
----------------------------------------Joy Bowlby
----------------------------------------Linda Marsden
----------------------------------------Marie Carlson
----------------------------------------Maurine Webster
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Pamela Hunter
-----------------------------------------Rita Bunnage
------------------------------------------Sandra Fox
-------------------------------------------Shirlee Watson
------------------------------------Susan Olsen
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