Class Pictures

A few weeks ago, I saw my third grade teacher at a local Panera. We had a nice chat. “How have you been?” “What are you up to now?” You know - all the usual stuff.

My teacher also asked about my mom. When I was a third grader, the two of them hit it off. Over the years, they’d occasionally run into each other – at the mall, at the grocery store, etc. and they’d catch up.

We all exchanged emails so we could stay in touch a bit easier.

Coincidentally, last weekend, my folks were cleaning out some closets and planning to put some old photos into photo albums along with my sister and Holly helping. In the process, they ran across some old photos of me. They also came across  class schedules and report cards. My mom sent those myriad items home with Holly and we put them away, here, for safe-keeping.

Part of the cache included two class pictures – one from third grade and one from fourth grade. You can see my third grade teacher on the far right in that particular photo. I think that must have been her first year of teaching. She was quite young.

And she was a wonderful teacher – one of my all-time favorites.

Also check out the dapper looking fellow in the yellow shirt in the back row, second from the end (on the far left of the photo as you look at it) – between dudes with white and black shirts respectively. Nice.

Gotta love the wacky raiment of the ‘70s! 

The problem is that apart from my teacher and a couple other random folks scattered throughout the photo, I don’t remember any names.

I have a similar issue with my fourth grade pic (at least I improved my sartorial display with a UT Vols sweatshirt as you can see in the back row of that composite).

I just don’t remember many of these classmates. 

Now, let me say as a disclaimer, I have been blessed (cursed?) with a tremendous memory. I guess that comes from my mother, who I jokingly call ‘The Smithsonian’ because she remembers EVERYTHING!

I remember the birthday of the kid who lived across the street (October 24), I remember our street address from the house where we lived when I was a little tyke growing up in Memphis (2172) and I could even tell you the phone number of one ex girlfriend from my high school days (except she probably wouldn’t appreciate me doing so…come to think of it, Lisa might not approve, either). 

I can tell you the winners of all the Super Bowls and many of the final scores and I’m pretty good on World Series winners (at least back to the 1940s).

The Cowboys won Super Bowl VI by the score of 24-3; the Cardinals beat the Red Sox in the 1946 World Series. I promise…I did NOT just look up those details! Promise!

My point is…I have a GOOD memory.

Where it comes to these class photos, I guess I have what you’d call a brain cramp. None of my close friends are in the photos. Further, I don’t even remember that a majority of these classmates went to the same high school.

Lisa once told me her mother suggested she write the names of her classmates on the back of the photo so that, many years down the road, she wouldn’t forget them. Boy that would’ve been a good idea. I didn’t write the names and sadly I’ve forgotten them. 

So, I’m enlisting your help. For anyone out in the blogosphere, any readers of the Coach Jeff Blog, if you can identify some of my classmates from either the third or fourth grade photo, send me a note. You can reply to the question below.

The girl in the plaid jumper; the guy in the striped shirt; the girl with the big smile; the guy who is looking off to the side. Any of ‘em.

Let’s fill in the blanks; help me write the names on the back of the photo.

JG

Question of the Day: Do you know the names of any of the kids in the photos in the blog above?

Originally posted 9/5/2013