High School Memories

So through my job, I received an email from someone who had a name matching an old friend of mine who I went to High School with. His name always stuck with me because it is the same name as a famous singer. But based on the email address, I assumed it wasn't either of these people. I responded with the business info he was looking for and he then responded asking if I went to the same high school as him.

We then got to talking and he apologized for something he did when he was drunk around the time of graduation. If you can imagine, he made it sound like some sort of scene between Andrew McCarthy and Judd Nelson in St. Elmos Fire. I had no idea what he was talking about but his apology sounded all step #8 of the 12 step program. It turns out that he is now a minister living in northern Saskatchewan. He is about to move his family to Mexico to help with an orphanage. It was just nice to hear about someone I went to high school with actually trying to make a difference. I actually felt guilty about the irrelevance of my own job.

Top 5 Movies about High School
1. The Breakfast Club
2. Say Anything
3. American Graffiti
4. American Pie
5. Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Speaking of high school, I am still torn about this "marriage" between Mary Kay Letourneau and her student-now-husband Vili Fualaau.

If you remember they first met when he was in her grade 2 class, he was 8, she was 28. She was again his teacher when he was in grade 6 and they started a sexual relationship when he was 13.

At first, I was thinking like Bill Clinton's Secretary of Labour Robert Reich said, "where were teachers like her when I was in school?" But now, as I am older, I see it purely as manipulation of a child by an adult woman who must have some serious problems.

But now, I am even more confused. So she was arrested for statutory rape and was sentanced to over 7 years in prison. The term was suspended and she only had to go to a county jail for six months. After that smaller term was up, against the terms of her probation, she was found in her car with Faulaau again. She was then sent back to prison for the full sentance.

She was released on parole in August 2004. Literally, that same day, the now adult aged Faulaau applied to the court to lift the no-contact order and it was granted. They married in May 2005. So this is either a sad, sad tale that continues and effects her four children from her original marriage (that she has no contact with) or the two kids they now have together. Or maybe this is the greatest love story in the history of the planet. Something that will be written about centuries from now.

Anyway, they recently had their one year anniversary and their PR machine has been in full swing lately and they have been interviewed by everyone from Larry King to Dateline. I am not usually fooled by such obvious public relations tactics...but for me...this time it worked.