On His 8th Grade Graduation

Wolfie,

In 8^th grade, my best friend was a kid named Frank Pavlick. I had met him in the middle of 7^th grade when we moved from Virginia to Pleasanton, California. I’ve mentioned him to you before. He’s the guy we called frog because he could jump really high and he could also do endless pull-ups. He was also fond of dark-colored corduroy pants and tank tops.

We graduated 8^th grade on a Friday in June of 1982. Both of us wore brown polyester suits with button-up silk shirts and brown leather shoes with a 2-inch heel. The suit was called Wildfire (yes, the suit had a name), which was a knock-off of another, more expensive suit called Angel Flights. John Travolta wore Angel Flights in the movie Saturday Night Fever and, it seemed, pretty much the rest of American men followed suit (no pun), even 8^th graders.

The graduation ceremony ended at dusk, followed by a graduation dance in the gym. Neither Frank nor I had ever been to a school dance, so we vowed to go -- even if we just stuck our heads in and said hi to friends. And that’s what we did: stuck our heads in, turned around and went home.

In our Wildfires, we rode our bikes home in the dark. We went to Frank’s house, played guitar and listened to music. At the time, music was still somewhat of a rebellious act. Not all kids were into music. I know, it’s hard to believe. Frank and I were known for the bands we liked and our guitar playing (Frank was voted best musician in school and class sweetheart. The latter is another story, though. I’ll tell you about it later).

At midnight, we watched Alice Cooper’s Welcome to my Nightmare (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgPqZmrJ380) on TV. It was a perfect ending to 8^th grade. I left his house around 2 am and rode home. That was the end of 8^th grade and the beginning of high school.

As you embark on high school, I can’t express how proud of you I am. You’re engaged, you participate, you’re passionate and you’re a good, kind, and gentle human being. The world needs more people like you.

Always remember to show compassion and empathy toward others and remember the golden rule. Your future has no boundaries and I can’t wait to see the great things you accomplish. Be great!

I love you so, so much and I will always be here for you. Happy graduation.

I love you, Dad.