Clinton Hendricks:  

Class of 72 Graduated in 74 Is your life interesting? What is a high point in your life? Would you like to share your experiences? (Naw , HELL, NAW, yall ain't got nutin to say) Opps, lord, help me, yall so crazy! Please Stay Tune For My New Book! Okay classmates, after lots and lots of research I'm embarking on a project to help the youth of today. We are experiencing lots of problems with connecting with our young people. So I have dedicated a great deal of my time to bring us together. The youth of today and the youth of yesterday. We are all young, to someone. Each day I make contact with the youth of today, I can't help but think of the youth of yesterday. What I hope to write this book about is, who we really are. In the big picture of today, where do we fit. I ask myself a question. Clinton, what have you learned from your youth? THE STORY BEGINS I'll start with today. As I write this book, I'm working with my wife, supporting her in her business. I didn't plan things this way, who ever plans, I mean, really. Some of the best made plans sometimes go a rye. In the middle of the battle we sometimes have to add more gear. It fits just fine for now. I have a little time to do something important for those I love. It all started while working for my wife (Insurance Agent) in the city of San Francisco. I was placed in the middle of the hood. I believe that there, is where I learned to be me, the beloved Square. Meaning the hood, not just San Francisco, but Hartford, Los Angeles and countless of places I have lived and worked over the years. NOW LETS GO BACK I started by being kinda shy. Yeah I didn't want to get too involved in stuff because I didn't think I was good enough. I thought all my friends were better then me. They had good grades, more friends and looked better then me. They got the good looking girls. I remember even in kindergarten how the girls would choose the other boys when it came to liking someone. I remember how my friends would joke about it. They would tell me about the girls who liked them and the girls they liked. I have to admit, it didn't bother me enough for me to give up but it made a little difference coming from fellas who told me different stories. Yeah even in kindergarten. As I got older, I began to understand what it was like to have a girl, like, me. The cute little look. The smile when I said something. The look outof the corner of her eye. All that stuff meant that the girl liked me. At least until I worked up enough nerve to say something. Of course I didn't know what to do about it. All I knew is that I got distracted enough to cause me problems in school. I started to care more about what they thought of me (the girls). It was important to me to have friends and be liked by others. I had a low opinion of myself. I was the youngest of six children in my family. I was never really secured in that feeling. I felt at that time in my life, I was the forgotten child. I hung onto the relationships I made with other families. I would spend time with them for hours even sometimes days and nights. It was all good because I always had a wonderful time with my other families. As I began to get older. I noticed that I was spending longer periods with my other families. I felt like I could do whatever I wanted to. That kind of thinking got me into a lot of trouble. FRIENDS: Macky, Ricky, Titi, BabyAnn, Marky, Douglas, Butch, Skip, Martin, Randy, Sylvester, Pauline, Abraham, Charles, Niaomi, Gerald, Paul, Trevor, Debbie, Linda, Cynthia, Dorinda, Sharon, Billy, Patty, Lizzie, Rusty, Crystal, Rufus, Gellian, Keith, Vecey, Becky, Andrea and Annette, Geraldine, Tony, Anthony, Dennis, Jackey, Joey,Sarah, I'll add more names as I remember. We had a good time with one another. I mean I thaght them, somethings and they thaught, me somethings. Most of the friends I made were real friends to me. I mean we knew how to respect one another. I had great fun with the fellas and the girls, well, that is another story in its self. I valued my friendships. Each and every one of them. Some of them took advantage of me and I took advantage of them, of course I, not knowing any better. Well I guess they didn't either. We were just kids. One thing I know I really treasured my friends. I remember Miss Shannahan at Arsenal, she kept me back a year. The was the year I was trying to get to know a young lady name Debbie. She seemed to like me and I was really excited about her. Well, it turned out to me that I really wasn't the apple of her eye. Years later, I came across her and what memories. I mean the whole thing came back. I realized this was the first girl I felt love for. I still care for her till this day. Of course we have gone our separate ways, oh what a waste, she still is as charming as ever. Hi Debbie, I know I disappointed you but I hope you understand I couldn't be someone to you that I wasn't to myself. I had to get it right. No it still is a work in progress but I want you to know in my heart you are still a dear friend. Employment: City of Hartford Parks and Recreation, St Francis Hospital, Lewis Fox Middle School, United Airlines, CommuniCom Cable TV, Pacific Coast Limo, Vox Populi, Roseville Mazda Subaru, Swift Transportation, Travel Be, (Nissan Motors, American Honda, Barclay College, Dollar Rent A Car, I mention my employment at this point because somewhere in this story I will touch upon how it has effected my life. Stay tuned. TROUBLE We all know our pass and we know what we did and didn't do to get by. I tried to keep it real before it was a term widely used by the youth of today. I was trippin, I admit in some areas of my life but I always had the best interest of my friends in mind, as well as my own interest. The guys that really knew me would co-sign that. Anyway I allowed myself to go off into things that set me back a l...Expand for more