to whom i owe it all

Found: Garfield bookmark in my dad's old copy of Ivanhoe that now resides at my sister's house. I tried to read Ivanhoe sometime in junior high . . . the bookmark was found on page 20.

In 1988, my totally cool 3rd grade teacher, Mr. P, loved Garfield and so I loved Garfield too. That was a transition year for me. My family moved from LA to Orange County on Saturday November 5, 1988, exactly three years to the day after the greatest time travel event in the history of film. It was a devastating turn of events for my sister, but I seem to remember thinking it would be cool to be in a new place near the ocean, and I didn't have the attachment to my friends that she did. Put me on a little league team and watch me go was my way of thinking. I was not outgoing, but I was also a boy and far from incapable of having fun.
I made new friends and got into a lot of trouble at my new school, as had already become my custom. At one point I was even given detention covering every recess and every lunch over, I think, three weeks. Now, detention in Mr. P's class meant standing in the middle of the dodge ball circle in the unused upper playground normally reserved for the kindergartners. My co-conspirators in the never-to-be-named crime were Randy S and Jimmy S (no relation). They too were confined to the unused upper prison, though just far enough away to make talking impossible. So, to entertain ourselves we mimed a baseball game. This worked for about two days until Mr. P discovered our pastime, put an end to it and tacked on two days to our sentence. The only other memory I have from 3rd grade recess was when I scraped my knuckles on the ground attempting an atomic slider in handball. I suppose I am fortunate to have any recess memories at all, given how often I wasted those hours in detention. Still, considering how valuable recess is to a child and how vividly I remember the 3rd grade in general, it is very disappointing to have a black hole when it comes to recess.
The rest of the school year was memorable enough. I remember reading Superfudge, Mouse on a Motorcycle, Lou Gehrig: One of Baseball's Greatest and Abel's Island. My mom loves to tell everybody how Abel's Island was my favorite book. She pinches my cheeks as she recounts how I re-read it in the 4th and 5th grade (hey, it was short) and she ruffles my hair as she brags about the great lengths to which I went for the book report. In this case, the book report was a first person speech presented to the class. While my classmates were dressing up as Abner Doubleday, Nicky from Frecklejuice or Wally Morris from the Reluctant Pitcher, I had to dress up as a mouse caught on a deserted island. This meant jean cut-offs with a rope tail stapled to the seat, a tattered shirt and Mickey Mouse ears painted grey. I clutched the weatherworn scarf of Amanda, my dearest, and to the amusement of my classmates proceeded to tell about my longing for her love and earnest intentions to find my way back to civilization and her warm embrace. On my way down from the podium, I gave the boys a look expressing just how appreciative I would be of their comments and criticisms.
At recess I earned detention for another week.
As the end of the year and summer approached, the school provided us with popsicles due to the immense heat and lack of air-conditioning. We already had been effected by the disease that most kids contract in the last month of the year that stymies your focus, depresses your will to learn and subverts classroom decorum. It is called by many names but Mr. P called it "Summer-itis." Throw in a few popsicles a week and it's a wonder that the school wasn't burned down. At the end of the year talent show, and in the spirit of the jovial summer-loving atmosphere, Kevin C (I still remember his phone number!), James K, Jimmy S and I performed Kokomo by the Beach Boys backed by my Casio keyboard. We were up against such noteworthy acts as Brianna's drawing ability, Scott's dancing and Danny's impersonation of Mr P. But we won! We came in first in the musical category, just ahead of Chase S who failed to perform. Just kidding. Actually, there were no losers, we were all winners in Mr. P's eyes. Except Chase. He went on to be eliminated on the first question of Who Wants to be a Millionaire.
Given all the happy memories I have from that year, it seems surprising that this bookmark is all that remains. No books, art projects or trophies. No friends remain from that time. Jimmy S was a good friend through high school and I even ended up dating a girl from Mr. P's class after high school, but those relationships have followed the dodo into extinction. Yet, there is one person who still looks out for me all these years after the big move. One person who makes sure I am wearing the nicest coolest clothes. Only one person makes sure I know about all the latest doodads and gizmos. Somebody who encourages me to keep reading, writing and blogging. And it just happens to be the same person who bought me this bookmark way back when.
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Then and now, the funniest person I know.