KIQQ – The Real Don Steele – Billy Pearl – January 18, 1974 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
It’s happening – you’re heading into senior year and suddenly you don’t care about anything. Your parents look strange, your teachers act strange – everything is way too corny for you to get involved with. You don’t know why you’re still sitting in school. It’s boring and pointless. All your friends are older than you and they’ve already graduated. They’re out doing things, seeing the world, having adventures. Not you.
You’re stuck. Days crawl by so slow you don’t even know what day it is. January’s not even over and your life doesn’t get started until June. That’s an eternity away, especially now. Your best friends are already off to college, all the way across the country. They said they’d write, but they haven’t yet – they probably won’t. Out of sight – out of mind. Well . . it has been two weeks.
You just want it to be over already. High school was fine, up to a point. When you were hanging out with the cool people life was great. But all your cool friends are gone now – all that’s left are the geeky ones. You can’t talk to them – they aren’t your friends anyway – acquaintances, people you nod to during passing period or get answers to tests from.
Your mom says it’s a “phase” you’re going through. Everybody is cynical when they hit seventeen. How would she know? Your parents were never your age – they couldn’t be. You’ve seen pictures of your dad – he looked in his 30s – he’s said he was fifteen. You don’t believe him. You don’t believe anybody.
Maybe if you slept through all your classes. No. Your teachers would think you’re loaded.
Five more months – five endless, door-nail dying-dead months before you get to escape.
Maybe if you started counting the minutes . . . .
To ease the boredom there is always The Real Don Steele to occupy your mind – just as he sounded on KIQQ on January 18, 1974.
