Sometimes I forget who I am, but not that often. But often, I forget who I was. I can barely remember that kid from the bland unimaginative Houston Suburbs.
Recently, I had a flashback in the form of social media informing me of an old high school friend who died. Richie was a year younger than me, and he was that kid who made everything happen.
Fun things. Activities. Parties. School band events. He was a ringleader, but not in an overt or charismatic way. Instead, he just started talking things up amongst people. Then he’d go make things happen. And we’d all follow along, as if the idea had been all of ours to begin with.
Richie invented “The Boomer”. And therefore he invented the art of “Booming”. The Boomer was a large three-person operated slingshot. The middle was a pocket from discarded blue jeans. The pocket was tied with shoelaces to surgical tubing. Surgical tubing is the material used to make a turniquet, like a large rubber band. After numerous experimentations with material size and functionality, Richie fashioned some cut-out bicycle handle grips to the Boomer, one on each side.
The operation: two people to hold the Boomer with the bicycle handle grips (one left, one right). And one person to launch from the middle. Water balloons were the best arsenal.
The Boomer could successfully launch a water balloon into an outdoor restaurant courtyard of people from diagonally across a busy Houston intersection while behind a wall of shrubs. I know this first hand.
We had our trajectory perfect after two or three balloons. We could hear the people scream from across the traffic lights. Then the restaurant manager spotted us. A high speed chase ensued. I remember directing my friend Neal (the getaway driver) down a street that became a dead end. But somehow we got past the chasing manager.
As a tribute to this late friend, I wrote a sort of letter to Richie on social media. In it I explained how we only saw each other once since high school in the late 1980s. What I didn’t write about was how I almost did not recognize him at that 2003 meeting.
Richie had always suffered from some kind of kidney disease. He may have needed dialysis or something. He never talked about it, but somehow us kids knew. When I saw him years later, he looked like a semi shrivelled up old man. We were in a crowded store where I was supposed to meet him. I’m glad he walked up and started talking to me because I recognized his voice. Otherwise, I may have not figured out who he was.
I never inquired how he died. I just figured his kidney thing finally took him down. He became a school band director, which didn’t surprise me. He taught in a depressed area of Houston (Pasadena). His students adored him. He changed lives. I’m still not surprised.
My letter to Richie was also posted on a private media page for all of our old high school band cohorts. Due to that, I got one social media friend request from an unknown person, with no mutual friends.
I didn’t recognize the name. At first glance I took this to be a “Boobie Chick”. That’s what I call the fake social media accounts that try to lure you with some scantily clad female profile picture. I’m sure they’re all some creepy scammer guy trying to steal my identity or sanity.
Then I recognized her a bit. “Jennifer*?!? Jennifer Jacobson*?!? No freaking way!”
Jennifer was my Band Banquet date from my senior year. I had no idea what ever became of her. No one did.
It was 1989. It was my year. And I was on top of the world. I was juggling something like four girls somehow:
a prom date
A girl I met on a choir trip
A summer camp girl
And this unknown girl I asked to band banquet.
I was an 18-year old gigolo.
Jennifer was two years younger than me. She was cute and no one knew anything about her. And no one was paying attention to her.
So all of the guys were figuring out who they were taking to band banquet. I figured if no one was taking Jennifer, then I would.
If it weren’t for the two photos in my album from that 1989 Band Banquet moment, I would have forgot all about her.
Over private message, Jennifer and I got caught up on each other’s lives.
She studied Chemical Engineering. She became a rocket scientist, working for NASA in Houston for over 20 years and now works for Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin in Florida. She competes in body sculpting contests and is some sort of model. She and her husband have been on reality TV shows. They have 5 kids.
You can’t make this stuff up.
My band Banquet date became a Rocket Scientist, competitive body sculpting, supermodel.
Top that.
Thanks Richie. You were the gatherer of people in High School. And somehow you’re bringing us all together yet again.
- Name changed to protect the guilty (or innocent?)
Band Banquet Date
Sometimes, you know exactly how people will turn out.. Sometimes, you don't. Glad you got to exchange greetings with girl #4 from high school.