Dear Jimmy Clark,
When I saw your comment on my blog yesterday I went back in time, past my flannel and ponytail stage in the early nineties, past my mullet and rugby shirt phase in the late eighties, all the way back to a cold cafeteria at Rice Elementary School in Tyler, Texas.
There I sat on a plastic seat welded to a long table, my feet stretching to tap impatiently on the white asbestos tile below.
Then you ascended the stage. And you spoke hope into our lives, Jimmy Clark.
You promised me change. You promised me a Coke machine and Pac Man if you were elected, Jimmy Clark. You promised, Jimmy Clark.
For days I passed your Pac Man shaped campaign posters in the hallways, inspired by your vision of my future, one soon to be infused with joy by an abundance of caffeine and ghosts with “inky” names.
I cast my ballot and you were elected our student body president. I brought a roll of quarters to school every day after that, Jimmy Clark. A roll of quarters, Jimmy Clark. But there was no Pac Man or Coke machine to digest my currency and dispense wonderment into my wee life, Jimmy Clark. Not one.
I forgive you, Jimmy Clark. I forgive you for carelessly tethering my hopes to your unrealistic dreams of a grade school utopia. I forgive you. You were only eleven and I’ve since learned that caffeine gives you cancer and PacMan was boring.
Good to hear from you, Jimmy Clark. Say howdy to your folks for me. And the next time I’m in the neighborhood we should grab some TexMex and talk music…or politics.
Sincerely,
Shaun Groves
Rice Elementary ‘85
.
Shaun,
Thanks for sharing this. Brings back a lot of childhood memories for me on this end too.
Shaun, I picture you having narrowly averted a Citizen Kane-like life. In your death, you would have whispered ”coke, PacMan”. Glad you dodged that bullet.
Whoa, “coke, PacMan” may have made for a good movie.. but “rosebud”… It may be because I watched it in a high school class, but that movie was not enjoyable for me.
Bitter! Table for one . . .
That’s hilarious man. I’d make him provide you with a roll of quarters for your suffering.
I just looked up to see if caffeine causes cancer because I had never heard that…apparently there it’s not true.
pac man is not boring…i love playing pac man…
*these comments were not made by an offended person. just someone who likes pac man once in a blue moon =) hehe
I beg to differ with you.
yikes, thanks for the article, I had looked at the American Cancer Society Page. (which illuminated many other bad habits of mine….yikes!)
I did always love Pac-man though.
Wow, I feel really old now, since I had already graduated high school several years prior to ‘85.
“Shaun, I picture you having narrowly averted a Citizen Kane-like life. In your death, you would have whispered ”coke, PacMan”. Glad you dodged that bullet.”
Heeeeeey. Nice imagery, ahem.
Shaun,
You lived in Tyler, Texas? I lived in Van (if you know where that is) around ‘76. I remember Tyler not being to far from there.
I love the towns around Tyler – it’s like they ran out of letters: Arp. Van.
Yep, we were neighbors…when I was three. Man, you’re old.
Yes I remember you!
Well I was only four!! Your old too…. lol
Yep! I’m getting out my cane now. I graduated (from college) in ‘85. Remember the little lost brother theory I told you about earlier? I think I’m right.
Beth
All you yunguns are really rather hip.
So if I got this straight,
Jimmy broke his promise (just like every other politician in the history of mankind.
Cancer is caused (maybe) by caffeine, but if you get cancer you can rub caffeine on it and it kills the cancer.
And pacman is still around?
WHOA – I feel old
I’ve been informed that my comment lacked proper citation. I shall repeat:
Shaun, I picture you having narrowly averted a Citizen Kane-like life. In your death, you would have whispered “coke, PacMan”.[1] Glad you dodged that bullet.
Better?
Ha! I suppose that’ll do. Although, I prefer 2 or 3. 1 is too stressful and reserved for citing sources of real significance.
Or you could say, “thus Sayeth the Ward.”
You’re lucky. I was generous – I could have just said “it is well known” and not cited you at all.
(Footnote: I am currently working on a paper, due Friday. I hate gathering all the proper sources to cite, as it takes longer than actually writing the dern thing. I’ve got around 20 sources it what will be a 10 page paper. Not a ton, but likely twice as many as any other paper for this conference.)
Thanks for sharing this. It may be because I watched it in a high school class, but that movie was not enjoyable for me.