Here is my face as I entered my summer before senior year of high school. It is clear to see why I am known for all of my joy and optimism. I am not sure why I was so particularly grim this June in 1976. The only thing that may have played a part in this sullenness is my embarssing defeat at the polls while running for senior class office. I was so sure that my Elton John-based campaign entitled, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” was going to be a sure fire hit. I even had the platfrom shoes and wild sunglasses to pump up my image. I had my hand-held cassette player blasting out (as much as its 3 inch speaker could blast out) the greatest hits of Elton John as I walked down the hall. Hell, I even had the very hard to find “Goldfish Platform Shoes” made fame by Sir Elton. Yes, there were actually live goldfish in the clip off clear heels of the shoes that one flipped off to feed and to fill each night. No cost was spared.
Elton John failed me. I didn’t win senior class president and clearly the high school regrets this some 40 years later – at least they had better . . .
Here’s to the illegal bitter wine of high school.