Bill Conrad's Blog - Posts Tagged "kids"
Marco Zirino
I attended May Scott Marcy Elementary School in 1976 in San Diego. Was it really that long ago? Seems like only a few years. Education was challenging, plus I was an awkward kid. Fortunately, grade school was a stepping stone, and those lessons (inside and outside the classroom) helped me to become the man I am today.
One of my classmates was a kid named Marco Zirino. We both were interested in electronics and became friends. He was brilliant, and I admit it. Marco knew ten times more about electronics. That is still a tough admission, given how much I was into electronics at the time.
The nearby Junior High (middle school) was called Standly. In the sixth grade, our grade school class took a field trip to Standly (while they were in session). The idea was to introduce us to what middle school was like. Was it adequately supervised and organized? Of course not.
About an hour into the tour, some kid had a problem with me and started a fight. Because the kid was tiny, his punches were utterly ineffective. We both ended up in the principal’s office. The principal knew all about that brat and had somebody escort me to the bus, where I sat awaiting my classmates to conclude their tour.
At the time, the San Diego school district had a magnet program. They bussed kids all over the city to “integrate” (yes, they used that term) races and economic classes. I attended Alexander Graham Bell Junior High because they had computer classes (only one other school in our district had computers at that time).
Bell was far away, and the bus ride was long. Plus, the local kids did not take kindly to the invaders. It was a harrowing experience for an awkward kid like me. However, I knew computers were my future and persisted. Was getting attacked also motivation? It was huge, but thinking super high level, I must give myself credit for leaping computers. Good job, Bill.
Because I went to school across town, I lost touch with everybody from Marcy Elementary. Later, I attended Morse High School across town and went to college out of state.
Since grade school, I ran into two classmates. One, Annie lives a block away, and our daughters became friends. We have had several terrific conversations discussing our childhoods.
When I was about 30, I walked with my friend in Pacific Beach. We had come from a local bar, The Tiki where our other friend, Tim, was a bouncer. I spent every Friday evening at the Tiki doorway for about eight years. I rarely drank, but Tim was a fun guy to talk to, and watching all the Pacific Beach craziness was always entertaining.
Suddenly, somebody yells, “Hey, Bill.” It was one of my classmates from Marcy Elementary, and he recognized me. It turns out that this kid (now a man) had the superpower of recognizing old classmates.
His name was Danny Nicklas, but we called him Froggy. So, we launched into a twenty-minute discussion. Of course, we were guys and talked about the cute girls. Plus, I wanted to know all about attending Standly Junior High and the local University City High School.
It turns out that my decision was far better than I imagined. Both schools had fights and did not stress academics. Fashion, goofing off, drugs, cars, and doing the minimum were all that mattered.
The police arrested one of my University City High School classmates for making fake identifications. And Froggy was still friends with him. Wow, this blew me away.
Our conversation turned to Marco, and I wanted to learn about his wonderful accomplishments. Froggy became sad and told me Marco took a deep dive into drugs. He could not remember if Marco graduated from University City High School. But he ran into him years later on the beach in Santa Monica.
Marco dressed in dirty rags, slurred his words, and rested in the shade. Froggy suspected he was homeless and drug abuse had severely damaged his body.
The news shocked me. I was sure Marco would have been a super-scientist, owner of a mega-corporation, or a revered professor at a massive university. Sadly, no.
This encounter gave me a lot to think about. What would my life have become if I had attended Standly Junior High? Would Marco have dragged me into that dangerous crowd?
My science, math and computer skills would have been lacking at the very least. I probably would not have had the grades or foundation to attend a good college. And my writing? It’s doubtful that I would have the minimum skill or interest to attempt anything.
What if Marco had attended Bell Junior High with me? Would we be best friends today? Bell also had a big drug problem. Was his path set, and there was no avoiding it? Could I have saved him? Is the lesson that hard work pays off? Is the lesson that society should do more for stoners?
The big questions. Is Marco happy being a beach bum? Did he use his superior mind to figure out the correct path in life? Would I be happy if I had followed in his footsteps?
Of course, I do not have the answer to these epic questions, but I know one thing for sure. I miss what my friend used to be.
You’re the best -Bill
September 20, 2023
One of my classmates was a kid named Marco Zirino. We both were interested in electronics and became friends. He was brilliant, and I admit it. Marco knew ten times more about electronics. That is still a tough admission, given how much I was into electronics at the time.
The nearby Junior High (middle school) was called Standly. In the sixth grade, our grade school class took a field trip to Standly (while they were in session). The idea was to introduce us to what middle school was like. Was it adequately supervised and organized? Of course not.
About an hour into the tour, some kid had a problem with me and started a fight. Because the kid was tiny, his punches were utterly ineffective. We both ended up in the principal’s office. The principal knew all about that brat and had somebody escort me to the bus, where I sat awaiting my classmates to conclude their tour.
At the time, the San Diego school district had a magnet program. They bussed kids all over the city to “integrate” (yes, they used that term) races and economic classes. I attended Alexander Graham Bell Junior High because they had computer classes (only one other school in our district had computers at that time).
Bell was far away, and the bus ride was long. Plus, the local kids did not take kindly to the invaders. It was a harrowing experience for an awkward kid like me. However, I knew computers were my future and persisted. Was getting attacked also motivation? It was huge, but thinking super high level, I must give myself credit for leaping computers. Good job, Bill.
Because I went to school across town, I lost touch with everybody from Marcy Elementary. Later, I attended Morse High School across town and went to college out of state.
Since grade school, I ran into two classmates. One, Annie lives a block away, and our daughters became friends. We have had several terrific conversations discussing our childhoods.
When I was about 30, I walked with my friend in Pacific Beach. We had come from a local bar, The Tiki where our other friend, Tim, was a bouncer. I spent every Friday evening at the Tiki doorway for about eight years. I rarely drank, but Tim was a fun guy to talk to, and watching all the Pacific Beach craziness was always entertaining.
Suddenly, somebody yells, “Hey, Bill.” It was one of my classmates from Marcy Elementary, and he recognized me. It turns out that this kid (now a man) had the superpower of recognizing old classmates.
His name was Danny Nicklas, but we called him Froggy. So, we launched into a twenty-minute discussion. Of course, we were guys and talked about the cute girls. Plus, I wanted to know all about attending Standly Junior High and the local University City High School.
It turns out that my decision was far better than I imagined. Both schools had fights and did not stress academics. Fashion, goofing off, drugs, cars, and doing the minimum were all that mattered.
The police arrested one of my University City High School classmates for making fake identifications. And Froggy was still friends with him. Wow, this blew me away.
Our conversation turned to Marco, and I wanted to learn about his wonderful accomplishments. Froggy became sad and told me Marco took a deep dive into drugs. He could not remember if Marco graduated from University City High School. But he ran into him years later on the beach in Santa Monica.
Marco dressed in dirty rags, slurred his words, and rested in the shade. Froggy suspected he was homeless and drug abuse had severely damaged his body.
The news shocked me. I was sure Marco would have been a super-scientist, owner of a mega-corporation, or a revered professor at a massive university. Sadly, no.
This encounter gave me a lot to think about. What would my life have become if I had attended Standly Junior High? Would Marco have dragged me into that dangerous crowd?
My science, math and computer skills would have been lacking at the very least. I probably would not have had the grades or foundation to attend a good college. And my writing? It’s doubtful that I would have the minimum skill or interest to attempt anything.
What if Marco had attended Bell Junior High with me? Would we be best friends today? Bell also had a big drug problem. Was his path set, and there was no avoiding it? Could I have saved him? Is the lesson that hard work pays off? Is the lesson that society should do more for stoners?
The big questions. Is Marco happy being a beach bum? Did he use his superior mind to figure out the correct path in life? Would I be happy if I had followed in his footsteps?
Of course, I do not have the answer to these epic questions, but I know one thing for sure. I miss what my friend used to be.
You’re the best -Bill
September 20, 2023
