Michael Tan:
CLASS OF 1983
Gladstone High SchoolClass of 1983
Covina, CA
Michael's Story
My Life:
Most, if not ALL of what you'll see I've written is from the mind of a COMA-VICTIM(myself:(), but I will gladly revise anything I have written if you'd like me to, so please consider THAT when you read ALL that I will write!:
Back in 1988 I was the victim of a brain damaging motor-cycle accident, so my memory of my whole life before 9/88(the year of my accident) has been pretty "cloudy". But I will do my best at trying to remember all I can of my life before that day:
I remember that I was born in Camden, New- Jersey. And we moved from "Jersey" to Chicago, Illinois. Where I attended Kindergarden (and the 1rst grade, I think?!?), just for a couple of year's. From Chicago we then moved out here to Southern California. And we lived our first couple of month's here 'So. Cal.' in Baldwin Park w/my mother's younger brother. From there we moved to Hacienda Height's, where we rented a house, we only lived with my uncle for about a year.
From my uncle's house my father found a house to rent in "Hacienda Height's". Where we lived briefly, until my father found our current residence in AZUSA, CALIFORNIA. I think I was in the 3rd or 4th grade at the time. And after elementary school I went to my Jr. High school at "Center-Intermediate", and after 7th & 8th grades, I went to "Gladstone" High-School in 'Covina' California(a neighboring city of 'AZUSA').
I turned 17 and wanted to join the Marine Corps.
To be in a "Sea-Service" like my Father and Brother were. Because both my father and older brother were in "Sea-Services" too.
After boot-camp I went to a school for my M.O.S. (Military Occupational Skill), an avionic's-school down in Memphis, Tennessee. And after my school down in MEMPHIS was finished I got stationed in San Diego, California. Down at Camp Pendleton.
From Camp-Pendleton we went over to Okinawa, Japan. After a short time in Japan, we went to PoHang, South-Korea. And after another short while we went over to my father's country "Subic-bay" in the "Phillipine Island's". I dont know why, but my memory of the 4 short year's I spent in the Marine's has been 'unusually-clear'(considering my brain-injury).
But I've never lost my faith in "the lord"(though it has been shaken quite a bit), and I believe I can still live the life I've alway's dreamt of living.
I may be a bit "slow" at a few thing's. But I don't think it's anything that cant be 'surmounted'!
The only real problem I still feel I'm having(since my accident) is that I still haven't gotten my driver's license back yet.
It's not as though I have forgotten how to drive, I'm just (NATURALLY) out of practice.
I still remember HOW to drive and everything, I just don't have as much 'faith' in my memory that I once had. Mostly for the written part of the test.
But I've got "blind-faith" that GOD will have me driving again if he think'...Expand for more
s I'm ready!
My memory up until this point, has been 'fairly decent'. But after I was discharged from the Marine Corps back in 1988. I'm told that I got a job at a local high-school(my cousin's High School as a co-coach for their football-team{which turned out to be the best job I could have asked for!}).
They tell me that one day after practice on my motorcycle the my way home from the school, I had an accident with an elderly lady.
The accident broke my right-arm, my right-leg, it made me comatose for I'm told about 28 day's, which gave me the brain-damage. And after I came out of the coma, I quite literally had to learn how to walk, talk, read & write. I even had to learn how to eat, sleep, and drink all over again, and it distresses me that I'm still having the insomnia!!!!
It's almost been 20 years(it will be 20 years in september, and I feel like I am just about maybe 25% back to the 'OLD-MIKE', because I still haven't gotten a driver's-license back yet. Because I felt that having the ability to drive was a privelage, I would say that it's at least 75% of anybodie's life.
I think that once I could start driving again, I would be able to get a job, start dating again, and hopefully then maybe meet a prospective wife/bride. And then I could get married, and have the "alotted-2.5 children":).
If that doesn't surprise ALL at a reunion, I don't know what I could say that would!
If I could see any teacher again, I guess I'd like to see Mr. Carter(our Band-teacher,{yes I was a "BAND-GEEK"}).
Being a "B.G." the only real "wild-thing" I think I did was ditch-schoool.
Actually I was only seeing one girl in H.S.. "Claudia H.". Beside's her, I kind of had a secrect crush on "Andrea A.".
I heard that Claudia is married & lives in Vegas, but I haven't heard anything about Andrea.
I hope my old friend's remember me as the "unpretentious" person that I'd like to think I was in school.
To be "truly-happy" I'd be in GERMANY(deutschland-in GERMAN) to see how far I could get using the "DEUTCHE" I learned in HERR. THALMAN'S class-(I think in my junior year{11th grade}). And then "I would die, to be married to Christie Brinkly"!
Well... need I even descrube my biggest- surprise?!?
If I had just one "do-over", I think I would be some kind of a leader in society; that could outlaw cigarettes, because that's what left me 'MOTHERless'!
Beside's delivering paper's in W/MY OLDER-BROTHER in "CHICAGO" I guess my wierdest job would have to be when I worked for AZUSA-roofing.
My memory of the past, has been a 'little-shaky'. But we moved from my state of birth"New Jersey". To "Chicago Illinois". And from there we moved to "Hacienda Heights", in "Californoia" up until I think the 3rd grade, when we came to "Azusa, CA.".
And that is our current residence/and my FATHER say's, where he will die!
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