Author:
Rabbit Teal
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Date Posted: 04:26:32 03/31/03 Mon
Howdy everybody!
Rabbit Here. Originally, I was not planning on attending this get-together. When I graduated back in 1979, I made a promise to myself that I would never go to a high school reunion. That promise was intended for high school reunions in general. I didn’t fit in with the “socialite” crowd and wasn’t voted best “this” or “that” or most likely to do anything of any significance. I might have been voted least likely to succeed if the category existed.
But then I realized that this group of people, who also probably would have voted me least likely to succeed (lets face it, I put a lot of effort into goofing off), was the nucleus to my entire high school career. If I could ever swallow my pride and break my long-standing promise to myself to never go back, it would be to see this group of people.
Then, of course, I had to overlook the natural fear of feeling uncomfortable upon returning. I haven’t kept up my appearances. I’m no longer svelte. Oh, I’m not obese, but I have filled out just I little. And my hair, that long flowing mane that I once had, I seem to have misplaced it. Yes, I’m balding. Not bald, balding. It’s a work in progress. It doesn’t bother me though. When you lose one hair a day over so many years it’s really hard to notice.
The next thing is people asking, “What are you doing these days?” The word that has been used in recent postings is “average”. At first glance, I’m sure most of our lives could be labeled “average”. I’m sure that’s what most people would think of my life. But that’s just the view from a distance. If a person really spent some time and got to know me and all the silly little details that make up this life of mine, I’m sure the conclusion would be that my life has been an interesting trip if nothing else, a trip that’s been worth taking.
For the last eight years I’m been working for the State of Texas, TxDOT to be exact, the Texas Department of Transportation. My title is Engineering Technician. I review plans for roadways. I also do some graphics on Microstation. Prior to working for the TxDOT, I worked for two different structural engineering firms as a Draftsman for a little over ten years. First doing hand drafting, and then switching over to CADD drafting. Prior to that I went to school at TSTI in Waco and got an Associates degree in Architectural Drafting and Design. Upon graduating from TSTI in 1984, I landed a job in Austin, TX and have been here ever since.
Lastly and most importantly, there’s the question of marital status. I am happily married. I did a bit of casting before I found the woman who would play the role of Mr. Teal. It didn’t happen until 1991. Her name was Mary Alice Mendoza; she worked for the CPA firm across the courtyard from where I worked that handled the books for our company. She was a single mother with an eight-year old son at the time. We got to know each other. One thing lead to another and yada-yada, we were married in 1992. We are coming up on our eleventh anniversary this June. Her son Chris, whom I consider as my own son, is now twenty and has a four-year old son of his own. (You do the math; it wasn’t supposed to happen this way). We tried to have children of our own but it wasn’t meant to be. So Chris, Jr. is actually an incredible blessing. I’m only forty two-years old and have a four-year old boy calling me “Grampa!” I love it.
Alice and I will be coming to the reunion. Funny thing is, I really haven’t shared many of my stories of the band hall days with Alice, so this will be like opening doors that have never been opened. I must say that if it weren’t for my sister coming all the way from Vermont with her husband Charles, I probably wouldn’t have gotten up the nerve to attend. But now I’m ready and I think this should be fun.
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