Recycling My Yearbooks

It was time to let go of part of my past. It was time to recycle my high school yearbooks. I’d hauled them around for 40 years and that was long enough.

But first, a final perusal.

So I perused and the experience jogged a few pleasant personal memories, historical recollections (the Falklands War!) and speculations to the whereabouts and dispositions of certain people.

I wasn’t really all that interested in the depictions and achievements of my former self. What did interest me was seeing how many industrial arts classes were offered at Oregon City High School circa 1980-82: auto shop, home construction, metals, woodworking, advanced metals, advanced woodworking, drafting, advanced drafting.

There were also courses in agriculture and animal husbandry!

And there was also sewing and advanced sewing, (students made their own ski parkas to save $$!) cooking, typing, ceramics (bong making 101) and silk screen printing

Some student even made a lacquered wood clock!

It’s all gone. Death of the high school lathe, darkroom, kiln and socket set.

We sure have lost a lot as a culture as a result.

But that’s not always bad. For example, Oregon City High School is assuredly today not offering work experience credit to a student for trapping, as in trapping fur bearing animals! The school was in the early 80s because the proof was in a photograph and caption in a yearbook.

There’s not a boy or girl left in Oregon earning high school credit for trapping lovable woodland creatures. Progress!

So long yearbooks.