Hope Heads South
Title: Indian Creek Pathfinder
Authors: The yearbook staff (and autograph givers) of Indian Creek Junior High School
Date: 1971-72 school year
Discovered at: 2nd Chance Thrift,
63rd Street and Troost
The cover promises: Let the sunshine in!
Representative autographs:
You are a really nice person. I hope you flunk so you can stay at Indian Creek. — Mickey
May all your ups and downs be in bed. — Doreen
As the school year winds down and Tweeting, Facebooking sext messengers take to penning “autographs” in the back of “books,” here’s a warning: Handwritten words can’t be deleted easily. Imagine the boy who spilled this across a page dedicated to ninth-grade autographs:
Hope,
I don’t know why you don’t like me but if your ever in need and do really want to get involved with someone I hope just hope you will try to come to me and maybe just maybe we could get together.
(Because we do have a shred of decency, some names in this piece have been changed.)
Anyway, not only did that poor fellow have to fret over what to write when he got his hands on, uh, Hope’s yearbook. Not only did he have to face leaving a needy autograph to be reread all summer. Not only does he have it turning up now, almost four decades later. He also suffered the indignity of having it mentioned in other autographs.
I see Steve got to your 9th grade page. I hope to see you this summer. But I don’t know if I want to see you. Don’t get too involved w/ Dave too much. Kevin wrote something really sweet in here. I can’t believe it but Kevin and I might get back together for the 3rd time. He is lots better than Joel and John because John is a senior. I hope you and Peter hit it off.
Such a stew of boys and romance! What hope could poor “maybe just maybe” Steve have had?
Meet Hope
Popular, desirable, flush with the excitement of pending high school, the yearbook owner seems to have savored her last year before hitting Shawnee Mission South. From the autographs, we learn that she was a Madrigal, a good lab partner and “always so happy.”
Among the more revealing comments:
To the smartest girl in Geometry from a smarter one! We really gave those problems problems, didn’t we?
I know you always switch boyfriends a lot, but I know it’s easy with good looks and all.
To bad you weren’t very noisey in this class because I never knew when you were here.
You can say Wormington’s a fat f – – – – – r but he introduced me to you and I’m glad!
Shocking Detail
I proclaim the author of the following endless autograph one of the world’s great assholes.
Bet you didn’t think I would sign this! We had fun (didn’t we?) but I just don’t think we hit it off too good . . . We both have our problems, so I’m not blaming it all on you. But I’ve got some advice:
1. Don’t sneak out at 3:00 AM more than three times a week.
2. Watch out for the missletoe (?)
3. Don’t get high on nature too often (the hangovers are terrible.)
4. Don’t get hung up on Greg (I know him real well and he’s not your type)
5. Don’t turn freak (stay away from Wormington and [ILLEGIBLE] )
6. Watch your figure or nobody else will.
7. Watch out for wandering hands.
8. Stay away from beds (when offered.)
If you ever decide to go against my advice in #s 2, 7, or 8, call (or tell) me (just as friends).
Highlight
I proclaim the young, fresh women teachers at Indian Creek Junior High in 1972 the peak of natural beauty. Why were these boys excited about the move to South? Whatever, KC. Stay cool and have a great summer!
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