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Every morning, I watch Good Morning America while getting ready for work. It's a ritual that keeps me up to speed on the latest breaking news, the day's weather, and all the goings on in the world before I get started with my day. I've become personal friends with Diane, Robin, Chris and Sam. We're on a first-name basis, ya know. And this week, Sam Champion, their weatherman, was on vacation and they had this new guy substituting. Well. . . he was new to me. He's actually from their ABC News affilliate there in New York City just filling in to do the weather.
Anyway, I heard them announce this new guy and I swear my first thought was "Aawwhh! Who did they bring in? WHO is this clown? Where is Sam?" They announced Bill Evans and he went about his weather report quite efficiently with a very disarming smile. I guess I knew he would do a good job because they wouldn't really bring in a clown to sub for Sam. The new guy did alright - quite personable and all. As I was watching though, there was something that was needling me about him. You know, not just cuz he wasn't my friend, Sam. . . but like this new guy was familiar. My immediate reaction was "This guy wouldn't possibly be familiar to ME", but the feeling kept needling me and needling me. I thought, "Well, I knew a Bill Evans once in Kindergarten and First grade, but there are millions of Bill Evans' in the world." But I started looking at him and looking at him and a little voice kept going "Well, maayyybbbeee - he DOES kinda look like him. He's about the right age."
Well, this guy, Bill Evans, was doing his weather report and there was this big weather system in the South along the Gulf Coast and he pointed out to Robin Roberts that "their" home state of Mississippi (MY home state) was getting the brunt of this system. And my eyes opened wide and again, I thought "Naaaaaah".
Then came his second segment in the program and he was pointing out this same weather system again in more detail and pointed out that Meridian, Mississippi, his HOMETOWN!!!! (MY hometown) was getting slammed. Me - I was like "HOLY CRAP!" No, actually, if I'm going to keep it real, I really said, "SON OF A BITCH!!" outloud in my bedroom by myself.
Since I DID just receive that 30th Class Reunion invitation and was thrown for a complete loop about how far out of touch I was with my life before children and work, I had my yearbook from high school handy and I looked him up. And there he was, YES indeed, it was the same guy that I went to high school with. . . in the little Southern hicktown of Meridian where they grow Rednecks that drive big trucks that go huntin' and fishin' on weekends - not nationally reknowned weathermen.
Well, my friends, the story doesn't stop there. No. You see, I really didn't KNOW him know him in high school. We just happened to graduate the same year at the same high school. The real story of how I know this guy comes from Kindergarten and First Grade.
This is a picture of my First Grade class back in 1966-1967. And Bill Evans, Meteorologist, is in this class!!
Now anybody that really knows me could obviously tell which kid I am. But for those of you who don't know me, I'm the little white-headed, fat-headed girl on the far left. And the famous weatherman from New York City, Bill Evans, is behind me sitting beside the teacher. I was blocking his head shot from the camera. (Who knew how much camera time he'd really get in his lifetime)
Anyway, I had the biggest crush on him back then!! (Well, as big a crush as any five year old can have) To the five year old me - he was my boyfriend. But sadly my family moved when I was in Second grade and I didn't see him again until high school. By then, we'd both grown up and grown our separate ways. He didn't even remember the little big-headed girl that sat next to him in Kindergarten and First Grade who had a five year old crush on him. We never had any classes together in all four years of high school, so we never got to know each other again. Oh well.
Nonetheless, I still remember him from 1966 when he was known as Billy. He's all grown up now and apparently has done quite well for himself. And I have no idea how to tell him "Hello! Do you remember this picture from 1966?"
This is Bill Evans, Meteorologist, ABC News, New York NOW.
I had scanned his Senior portrait to show the before and after, the likeness, but thought he might not like that very much (being famous and not authorizing it and all). I didn't want to cross any boundaries or anything.
However, I really should be fair to some of the other people in this class because I DID know them all the way through high school too. Robin Fears, the tiny little girl on the back row with the pixie hairdo - knew her too but not sure what she's doing now. Mark Farrior became an archietect and moved to Houston. I lost touch with him after college and haven't seen him in 27-28 years. He's a great guy and we were good friends. He's sitting two boys in front of me with the adorable crooked smile.
I had not thought about these guys or my friends from high school in forever and a day. My life has become SO far removed from that time. I'm a whole different person now. All grown up. Moved away. Been around the world. Maybe I WILL go to my Class Reunion afterall. I doubt that my famous First Grade crush will be there, but still it might be nice to see how well everybody has done for themselves. I mean, I'm not the ONLY one that grew up afterall.
Comments
Have a great weekend Donna ;)
Hi Donna,
This is Mark the architect in Houston!