Patricia Stoltey

Author

The Whole Truth

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Yesterday I fulfilled my obligations for the Creative Writer Blogger Award. Here are the six “facts” I listed about myself:

1. I played violin with the school orchestra. Senior year I was first violin.

2. When I was a senior, I performed in my first (and last) play — as Penny in “You Can’t Take It With You.” I was a victim of terrible stage fright. Although I remembered all of my lines, I couldn’t recall one second of the performances after they were over (both nights).

3. My senior year of high school I was President of Student Council and Vice-President of the Senior Class.

4. I only skipped one class in four years of high school–a physical education class–and I got caught.

5. My husband and I were friends in high school, although we did not date. We became reacquainted about the time of our 25th class reunion.

6. I graduated in the bottom half of my class.

I think I did a pretty good job on this list. Every one of the items I listed were true except….drumroll….

#1. The only time I ever even held a violin in my hands was when an ancient instrument was found in a relative’s attic.

I did take piano lessons for nine years, but I was never very good. I tried to accompany the school chorus for a couple of meetings but they were singing that real fast “Pick a Little, Talk a Little” song from The Music Man and I couldn’t keep up. I didn’t exactly get fired…let’s just say I gave up the idea to avoid humiliation.

A few guessed that #2 was a lie because it was too elaborate compared to the others. Sad to say, the statement is true. I can give speeches, appear on panels, teach a class, do readings, enjoy a couple of hours of talking to customers at a bookstore signing…and I remember it all. Maybe today, with all this new experience, I could perform in a play. But we’re unlikely to find out.

So now I suppose you’d like an explanation of that #6 — graduating in the bottom half of my class.

The truth is, I attended the lab school for the University of Illinois my four years of high school. I wasn’t bad at my studies, I worked hard, and I received very good grades. However, more than half of the members of my class were brilliant. Most of them had taken seventh and eighth grade in one year. Honestly, these kids wiped up the floor with my soul in math and science. I had to focus on English, economics, and history to survive. It’s pretty amazing to be surrounded by those kinds of smarts, and I suspect I was a better student because of the competition.

Our class will hold its 50th high school class reunion in September. Fifty. Unreal.

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Comments

  3. Have fun with your reunion. Me, I was a slacker in school. Sat in the back of the class and socialized. And it was fun to read these truths about you. I feel I know you just a bit better now.

    Stephen Tremp

  6. I was fooled! It was an interesting read too. I got the hint that things might not be quite straight forward with the word “facts” being in quotation marks.

    Good for you for getting a keyboard. We often get caught in our comfort zones and become afraid of any change. When we do that we lose (in my opinion) ourselves totally in the world that keeps us bound. My own grandmother learned something totally new every decade of her adult life (platform diving in her 50s, archery in her 60s, snow shoeing in her 70s, etc.) – that’s a good way to stretch and continue to grow and explore who we are and can be!!!

  8. That explains that! Math and science were what held me back from being in the top 20 of my graduating class of about 250–I was ranked #21 so didn’t get my picture in the annual the following year.

    Last year was my classes 40th anniversary but apparently nobody cared enough to organize a reunion. Have fun at yours if you go.

    Lee
    Tossing It Out

  10. I had a lot of fun trying to fool everyone…in a way, I guess that’s what mystery writers love to do most.

    This thing about time getting away from us gets worse as we get older, you know. You young folks need to treasure every moment.

    And for those who kinda wish they had a piano again, I solved my hankering by buying a Sony keyboard. Got it for $99 on sale at K-Mart a couple of years ago around Christmas. I use it just enough to make it worth the purchase, but not enough to warrant buying a full-sized piano.

  12. So you and your husband go way back as friends. I like that one the best. I played piano too, and violin, but not as well as piano. Don’t do either anymore, but it was all fun at the time. Sounds like you’ve had a fun life, challenging, interesting. I almost went to a h.s. class reunion. Hope your enjoy yours!!

  14. Stumped me as well, patricia. So interesting to learn these little tidbits about each other. I’m out of high school 44 years. Who can believe it?
    Karen

  15. Patricia – I was totally off-base with my guesses! I was thinking about how fast time goes by. It’s been a year (or two, or three, or…. ; ) ) since I got out of high school, but it just simply doesn’t seem that long. Odd, isn’t it?