four quarters

I had four quarters in my pocket today.  I took them out and looked at the year date.  New quarters have a state logo and the year is on the back.  These were all the old kind.  The year is right under Washington’s head. The put them in order by age, oldest first.

The first quarter from my pocket was from 1985. I was a kid in 1985, but I remember it. I was 9 years old.  Coca Cola changed its formula and releases New Coke in 1985. The response is overwhelmingly negative. The original formula was back on the market in less than 3 months.
I remember the Chicago bears won the Super bowl played on January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, following the 1985 regular season. The Chicago Bears won their first Super Bowl by defeating the New England Patriots, 46–10. The Bears set Super Bowl records for sacks (eight) and fewest rushing yards allowed (seven). The Bears' 36-point margin over the Patriots was a Super Bowl record until Super Bowl XXIV (45). The Bears defensive end Richard Dent was named the game's Most Valuable Player. Under head coach Mike Ditka, who won the 1985 NFL Coach of the Year Award, the Bears went 15-1 in the regular season, becoming the second NFL team to win 15 regular season games.

Football was a big deal in our small town.  It still is, especially in Texas high school football.  We had a great team for years in my home town.  The town would close up on Friday nights because everyone was at the game.  In 1985, Electra Tigers won the class 2A State Championship.   Electra Tigers Vs Groveton Indians.  I will never forget it.  We played at UTA Stadium  in Arlington TX.  I was there.  Our family traveled to Arlington for the game. It was my first trip to a large urban area.  Our town was only 3000 people.  It was all I knew. I did not understand how you could live in a city that was so big, that every one was a stranger.  Back home, we knew everyone in town.  Who would have thought that 20 years after this event I would live just miles from UTA in Arlington. 

The next quarter in my pocket was from 1991.  I was a freshman in high school in 1991. I was a dork, and didn’t even know it. I am talking big dork.  I was a good student, I looked up to my older siblings, and did my best in school.  I had dreams of going to college, and having a quote-unquote normal life.  I knew nothing of a gay people or myself being gay.  I was not even aware of it.  1991 was just school and working with my dad on the weekends. 

My next quarter from my pocket was dated 1995.  In 1995, I was a freshman in college.  I had gotten accepted into a  large music conservatory in Boston, but like an idiot, I backed out.  I decided to attend the local university instead.  I was not ready to be out on my own, and the thought of leaving my family scared me. It was a good school.   So there I was in college. I was living in the dorms, and hated it.  The dorms were mostly the jocks.  I was a music geek, we truly had nothing in common.  I made friends with the other music majors in the Fine arts department.  They would come rescue me from the dorms and we would hang out in the Student center.

The last quarter is from 1997.  A lot has changed since 1997.  In 1997 I was working my first real job.  I worked for the state high way department.  I worked there for three years. It was a great job, but hard work.  I was hired, because I had office experience and college hours, plus I was strong and young and could be used where ever I was needed.  If you are flexible, then you can be valuable to the company.  I continue to utilize this at my current job too.  In 1997 I was living on my own; I had bought and paid for my second car on my own.  I was 23 and really enjoyed being single.  As far as drag, I won my first pageant in 1997. Miss Gay Hispanic Amarillo.  My good friend Joe was living in Amarillo, and told me about a pageant. I packed my one good dance costume and my Dillard’s gown and off I went.  I was nervous.  I competed and won.  The local girls there were pissed.  In fact, my friend was packing my stuff in the dressing room, during the crowning ceremony.  He knew those ugly bitches would be bitter,  And he was right.  I drove the four hours back to Wichita Falls with my first crown on my dash.  It was beautiful.  1997 was a good year.