The Best School Year – Sophomore Year

Sophomore year just has to be the best year of high school, or at least it is in my memory. You are no longer the "fish" and you have yet to become the "snob" of your senior year. FREEDOM seems to describe my 10^th grade of high school. Continuing on my journey to post my youth with Mommy Piggy Tales.
The school year 1976 to 1977!

The first year of Steppers..now check out those guns in my house...wonder why the boys were  afraid of my dad?

With hand-sewn and custom designed uniforms, the "Steppers" would make their debut the fall of 1977. We were allowed a limited number of football, assembly and basketball appearances the first year. We were small but determined and I had found my niche. I would cherish, and in some ways "mother" these girls. With our volunteer sponsor, we would bring a new tradition to the old establishment. Our first football appearance was a hoe-down with hay bales. My "older brother" (future husband) would attend this game and help to get the hay on the field. He would stay in the stands with my friend Kathy, whom he called "string bean". Watching with "older brother" pride, he would watch me step onto the field. (Now remind you he had dated a UT twirler and was then dating a UT cheerleader, as he finished up his senior year at UT)

I would continue to ride the bus to school (until I got my license) and was only allowed to drive to school if there was a reason for me to be early or late. Having a car at school meant you could leave for lunch. We were allowed to leave on our own or with other drivers…this became the objective of the day... to see how you could get away for lunch. Since my parents only allotted me enough money for the school lunches, I would save a day or two of my lunch money in order to be able to eat out.


School meant classes and something you had to do. My grades would remain high, allowing me to continue in leadership over the drill team. PE requirements would be obtained through drill team preparation classes that I would lead. Other than taking tennis my freshman year, I never took another PE class, other than dance.

My father would continue to coach the church basketball teams. My future husband would continue to play and the all the guys would make regular visits to our house. I established some very dear friendships with different guys on the teams. Youth would continue with Bible Study, Revivals, All-Night Lock-ins and Sunday School. This was the time when most churches felt if the kids were at the church building, they were less likely to be involved in drugs. Youth leaders were hired to fill the calendar with activities and an old personage was turned into the youth building.

January would bring my license and age "16"!!! Now when you finally get your license, your whole world changes!!!!!!!!! My father, in his engineering mind, made sure his first born daughter knew all there was to know about a car. I was required to know how to change oil, change my own tire (neither of which I have ever done in 33 years of driving) and learn to drive a standard. The family car that I would speed  uh, drive around town in was a 1977 Honda Civic, which would carry me 50 miles on a gallon of gas. So, the fear I had in junior high of never driving didn't come true. Figuring out excuses to go somewhere became a full time job. I fell in love with driving and just chilling out behind the wheel of my little "can" orange car. At church the guys were known for taking my car and turning it sideways in between two parked cars!!!


Wednesday night at church, I would receive an "older brother" birthday talk from my husband-to-be.  It was not unusual to spend the time between church supper and the service sitting beside him while he played the church piano.  This Wednesday night, I would sit on the piano bench while he sang and then listen as he offered his "grown-up" advice to his future wife on her "16" birthday.

Age 16 also allowed me to legally date, (yes I did sneak out on a date one time…and got caught) which didn't matter much since, I would only date about a half a dozen times before seriously dating my husband to be, even though I would spend time with different guys through the year. This was the age that you swore the whole world of girls had countless offers each week and you were the only one who stayed home…some things don't change. I would fill in my weekends shopping on Saturday with my dating girlfriends and finding different options for group entertainment. Movies would be a big departure for those of us who weren't being asked out.


My family would start to deal with some of the same struggles as other families during this time...my sibling would chose to become involved with alcohol and drugs.  Her decision would bring strain on our family, at the same time it would challenge my faith.  I would learn to take what I believed and make it my own through times of prayer for my family's struggle and Bible reading.  This struggle would continue until after I married.

Summer between my sophomore and junior year would bring a mission trip and DRILL TEAM CAMP!!! Life was just great!!! New adventures every day and just the joy of growing into a young adult brought me continued fulfillment.  Even with struggles at home God would continue to give me a place of refuge in Him and other outlets.