Steve Clendenin:
CLASS OF 1983
Riverbank High SchoolClass of 1983
Riverbank, CA
Steve's Story
Life
Truly known by only a handful, tolerated by many, misunderstood by most, and really disliked by a few. Such would by a summary of my days at good ol' Riverbank High.
The years have transported me to a new being, a new creation, a new outlook. A product forged by the hammering of time and tempered by maturity; guilding reflecting lifes crossroads traversed and pitfalls survived. In other words, yeah I'm still a strange dorky kind of guy that is full of B.S.
However, I'm a dorky guy that has managed to stay out of trouble ( surprised?!), done more than I could have even contemplated in 1983, and get this, my receeding hairline hasn't completely abandoned my scalp. What more could I ask for?!
In 1984, a I met my wife to be Karen, and we married at the age of nineteen. Despite convential wisdom and the many naysayers, our marrage has lasted and we're about to celebrate our 22nd aniversary.
This year, despite testicular cancer I had five years ago, we're expecting our first child, a daughter. We might be a little slow on the joining the child rearing bandwagon, but we have a lifetime of companionship, experience, and love to draw upon for this life changing experience. And yes, trust me, I do have an idea of what we're about to embark upon. Karen and I have watched while alot of friends and relavtives have brought up there own children over the years. Hopefully, we'll be able to apply what worked and what didn't, at least from our perspective.
My greatest surprise ( besides being able to attract a woman that was willing to marry me....) has been the turn around in my life that occured right after high school. I think it would come as no surprise to anyone that my life during and immediately after H.S., was without direction with the possible exception of downward. While I wouldn't recommend it for most in similar situations, the fulcrum that leveraged my life upward, was the marriage to my wife Karen. Responsablity like that, will either make or break you. Fortuantely for me and Karen, in my case it was the former.
My greatest active passion for the last five years has been skydiving. Karen and I began skydiving in 2001. She has about 400 jumps under her belt and I'm approaching 500. There is nothing like having your own life in your hands and the actions you take depdent on whether you continue to enjoy it. Of course that's not all there is to it. It's just that part that sounds really cool to say to those who don't jump and watching as there eyes widen and their demeanor changes indicating that they honestly consider you insane.
The freedom one experiences while skydiving is incredible. Believe it or not, you feel like your flying rather than falling. The dreams of being Peter Pan become realized.
If for no other reason, I'm indebted to skydiving for one memory (actually several as I've performed this scenerio several times). I've had the incomprehensable pleasure of staring into the eyes of the one I love (Karen), sharing a kiss, holding hands, and staring at a sunset over the San Francisco bay,from the vantage point of 10,000 feet above the ground, falling at 120 M.P.H. feeling completly weightless and completly at one with her and the moment. Again, what more could I ask for?!
Remember Dan and Doug Beard, the twins? Well so do I. Primarily because dispite my personality, they are still very close friends of mine and I see them at least monthly if not more often.
Speaking of the Beards, ladies out there that are currently single, will one or two of you please seek these guys out and get them off the bachalor list. I'm sick of them living together like "The Odd Couple". They've been together so long they behave like an old embittered married couple. Please, for my sanity and theirs, hook up with 'em.
As I was saying, I'm still very close to the Beards. They are the only people from RHS days that I still keep regular contact with.
Sch...Expand for more
ool
As aluded to in my "Life" bio, my experience at RHS was rather paradoxial (sp?). I was certainly not part of the "in crowd" yet there were few people that didn't know me (of course coming to school with orange hair and make-up does make you stand out a bit....).
I took college prep courses yet was so involved with drugs and partying that I don't think I actually cracked open a text book my entire senior year ( probably applies to a good portion of my junior year also.).
My biggest regret now was my lack of self-dicipline and focus. I made up for it later on going to college but, you can never recover squandered time.
I lacked self-confidence during HS and dealt with it by doing what I did best at the time, rebelled. I rebelled against most things, school cliches, studying, and even myself.
That rebellion manifested itself in the cliche that my closest friends and I created, our version of "new-wave/punk rock".
The Beard twins, Dan and Doug, Jerry Saldana, and James Cropper were my closest friends in those days. Were it not for the popularity of the Beards, and Jerry, I think our little group would have been have been outcast from even the normal "outsiders". While not really accepted, I think we were tolerated and if nothing else, served to bemuse and amuse to rest of the school.
The instructions for this bio suggest talking about cruches, why not. Prepare yourself ladies, just knowing that I had a fancy for you will likely creep you out. If you're faint of heart, read no further. You've been warned........
My earliest crush, at least during HS would have been Sally Snow. Never did anything about it. Then when Dan and Doug Beard got in a tissy with her around our Jr. or Sr. year, all bets were off; guilt by association.
Lisa Cabrara. Now this was one that went on for some time and I actually attempted to do something about it. I asked her to the Senior Prom but, got shot down. She had the hots at the time for "what's his face". Ah, his name is right there, just can't formulate it now. I'll edit this later if I recall.
BTW, I was so enamored with Lisa, that I developed my signature to honor her. To this day, when I sign my name, the cross in the "T" of Steve, is a looping stylized "L" in honor of Lisa.
Joann Pires. Who didn't have a crush on her? Looking back on it in retrospect, I think I actually could have developed something with her. Ah but that lack of self-esteem blinded me to the signs that she might have been receptive. It was only later that I realized that had I only acted on my feelings, something might have developed. Joann, if your out there, feel free to chime in.
For the rest of you ladies, I hear your sigh of relief that your name wasn't mentioned. However, I'm not letting you off the hook that easyl Bear-in-mind, the names listed above, are my official longstanding crushes. Being a typical teenage male, I think I experieced a crush for the minute evertime I passed paths with a resonabley cute girl in the hallway.
Steve, why haven't you mentioned Heather? Well, Heather wasn't a crush. That was love, perhaps immature and a bit perverse, but something well beyond a crush. Fortunately, for her and I, she dumped me shortly after HS. We were both way too immature for the commentment I was wanting of her.
Eeek, I'm reaching my charecter limit. Gotta wrap this up.
Favorite teachers? Mr. Montgomery and Mr. Edwards. Mr. Edwards had such a profound impact on my life. Not so much during HS, but later in life. The values he instilled in me, especially with regards to pushing myself, guide me to this day. He was the most father-like figure I ever had. Of course the irony was that during HS, I made every effort to appear as if he had little or no impact.
Oh, Ms. Lawrence too. Not so much for the inspiration but for displaying disappointment. She really brought home to me, the state of mediocracy I was setting myself up for.
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