High School and Beyond 

In high school I was asked to only one fancy dance.  It was the ROTC ball.  The gentleman who asked me was about 3 years younger than I. 

He wore his Marine uniform and I wore my blue choir dress because it was the fanciest dress I owned. The night went fairly well until we started playfully teasing one another. It was at that point he pulled my elbows back behind my back.  I was wearing a front close bra that popped open during this little manauver.  When I tried to politly dismiss myself for a few moments he wouldn't let me go without knowing why.  I don't know who was more imbarassed him or myself. 

My freashman year I got the chance to learn to use a video camera to tape a class assignment.  Unfortunately, I had a doctors appointment and missed class that day.  The teachers involved were unwilling to work around this little problem, so I ended up another face in the crowd in the production. 

 It felt like fate had played a cruel joke on me that day.   I really was interested in television production then. 

Because I was 2 years behind in school I didn't get to take drivers education until I was 18.   My driving group consisted of 3 boys and myself.   On the final day when the teacher puts you though the test, he told me to turn onto a one-way street.  The only problem was we were headed the wrong way.   I believe the only thing that kept me from flunking the test was that, even though the teacher appologized, I told him it was my fault I should have been watching the signs. 

By-the-way, I was the only one in the car to pass. 

In my junior year I went to the tolo.  (The dance were the girls ask the guys to the dance.)  I wanted to go with the one guy friend I had since junior high school, but I waited too long to ask him.  He had already been asked and accepted.  I went with a guy with the same first name instead.  We had an alright time.  But it wasn't very memorable. 

Though out high school I was in the pep club.   I got lucky my freshman year.  We had a program called the guardian angels.   Each person in the pep club picked someone from the team to give extra good care of.  We would make signs and give them special gifts that no one else on the team got. 

The reason I said I got lucky is because I got the one football player I knew on the team.  His sister was one of the friends I mentioned earlier in my grade school days.  The other reason, I believe he was the only one from that team that made it into the NFL.  He played 2 seasons before an injury made it impossible to play. 

At the end of the season there was a big party where the players get to meet their angels.  It is the time to give one more present.  I gave him a scrapbook with all the newspaper clipping I could get my hands on.  He loved it!  A couple years ago his wife told me that he still takes it out and looks at it. 

After high school I got my first job. It was at the newly built fast food resteraunt. I was one the first people to be trained there.  The others were trained at other facilities. 

I remember working for a year and half before I took my first vacation.  It wasn't because I wasn't entitled before then, it was I was waiting for someone to tell me when vacation was like in school. 

I worked there for almost 4 years.   I'm really glad that I worked there first. They treated the workers like human beings with lives of their own.  You also learned what earning a living was. 

 After that there were several different jobs: phone sales, janitoral, countrol counter staff, night manager for a carpet shampooing company and management jobs at other resteraunts. 

During the times that I was working I also tried to continue my education.  My biggest problem was I didn't really know what I wanted to do.  I took a couple classes in business management.  A couple more in office skills and technology.  Finally, a few years ago (1994) I got an associates of arts and sciences degree in computer aided design and drafting. 

Personally I think it's kinda cool to legally to be able to sign my name Janice L. King A.A.S.!  I just haven't gotten into the habit of it