It came blasting out of nowhere.
It was the second semester of Grade 12, in the spring some time. I had an afternoon spare and was sitting in the lunch room at Kate Andrews High School just across from the entrance to the gym closest to the stage.
The Phys Ed 20 class was going on and suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, some Grade 11 girls appeared with a ghetto blaster, moving to the music.
They were playing “Keep Me Hangin’ On” by Kim Wilde, and it just reminded me of a simpler time.
End of the line
I only had two classes in second semester – Math 30 and Math 31. I initially started with four – including German 30 and Biology 30 – but dropped those as the realization came on me that I did not need them either to graduate, or for university (or so I thought, but that is another story). I also had the encouragement of Chris Vining, my best friend of the time, who was seeking some company for his spare.
I only had two classes in second semester – Math 30 and Math 31. I initially started with four – including German 30 and Biology 30 – but dropped those as the realization came on me that I did not need them either to graduate, or for university (or so I thought, but that is another story). I also had the encouragement of Chris Vining, my best friend of the time, who was seeking some company for his spare.
By then, high school was winding down, and the finality of that was just beginning to sink in.
I also had experienced a bit of a re-birth. I started hanging out with some pretty cool Grade 11s, who were actually my age because I was a year ahead in school. And, I grew some courage and started asking some of those Grade 11 girls out on dates. One said no, and one said yes. The bigger disaster was the one who said yes, actually.
At that same time, I was writing a movie script, which later became a stage play, about my time in high school. I had written it in first semester, but now had started the process of trying to produce it on my own, so I was re-writing the screen play as a stage play.
I did some of that upstairs in the school library, but also downstairs in that lunch room.
To be honest, I had developed a crush on one of the Grade 11 students, and I spent time down in that lunch room hoping to “accidentally” run into her.
That happened maybe once, but it was enough to “Keep Me Hangin’ On”.
The song
I had forgotten “Keep Me Hangin’ On” was covered by Kim Wilde. It was first recorded by the Supremes in 1966 and went all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
I had forgotten “Keep Me Hangin’ On” was covered by Kim Wilde. It was first recorded by the Supremes in 1966 and went all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Wilde released it in 1986, and her version went all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 again – in June of 1987.
Parting thoughts
“Keep Me Hangin’ On” will always take me back to the lunch room at Kate Andrews High School in Coaldale in 1987. It really was a time when I worried more about whether a girl liked me than what I was going to do with my life. The reality that high school was ending, and I was heading off to university was sinking in, too.
“Keep Me Hangin’ On” will always take me back to the lunch room at Kate Andrews High School in Coaldale in 1987. It really was a time when I worried more about whether a girl liked me than what I was going to do with my life. The reality that high school was ending, and I was heading off to university was sinking in, too.
When I saw those Grade 11 girls dancing and having fun with that ghetto blaster in the lunch room, I remember having one particular thought. They were so lucky they had another year of high school. They didn’t seem to have a care in the world.
How simple life was back then.
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