Though you're likely reading this at the end of the summer, the flip-flop-, bathing suit-, and sunscreen-wearing season is about to start as I'm writing. Last week, my girlfriend Linda and I attended an honors ceremony for select graduating seniors at San Clemente High School.
Parents, sisters, brothers, grandparents, cousins, girlfriends, and boyfriends; we filed into the high school's gymnasium and filled the bleachers. The scene was a bit of dj vu for me. San Clemente's mascot is the Triton. There's a big pitchfork, a la Chicken of the Sea-looking king-sized fork mural on the gym's wall, with Triton written in big letters.
My high school was Palos Verdes. We were the Sea Kings. Our high school kicked butt in academics, athletics, extracurricular activities, winning scholarships, and community service. Justine's San Clemente High kicks butt in all of the same fields, and has an outstanding automotive tech department.
Justine was 15 when her mom and I started dating. Maybe because of this, there's a bit of a generation gap and boyfriend-of-mom, not-my-dad strained relationship between us. Had Justine and I met when we were both younger, she might have found me to be car geeky cool, or aging beach bum casual. I know that I'll never be as smart, or handsome, or athletic, or caring, or helpful, or stubborn, or protective, or in any other way measure up to how great her dad is to her. And that's as it should be. Bill is her dad. And I know he's as proud of her as her mom is.
Still, I do hope she knows how proud I am of her. As of this writing, she has earned four scholarships. Justine applied to several others, in which she's still being considered. All four years she took Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes. These classes are geared for the really smart and studious kids who intend to go to college. She ran track and cross-country each year. Her cumulative GPA is better than 3.5. I know this, because she received a gold tassel at the awards ceremony to wear at graduation to signify this noteworthy achievement.
At one point in the awards ceremony, Justine looked up at her mom in the bleachers. Linda began to cry, and so did Justine. I admit it; I had to think of GT40s and 550 Spyders to keep from falling prey to this Hallmark moment. Doing well in school and in life is hard enough when you're part of a dysfunctional nuclear suburban household that stays together. Goofing off in school and blaming your parents' divorce for your lack of success is what many kids might do facing similar circumstances. Instead, Justine persevered and achieved excellence.
She strikes me as someone who's passionate about life, and someone who loves learning and going to school. I've always been the same way. I have so many fond memories of teachers who have inspired me to excel; I could write many editorials about my school and life mentors. But wait a minute; this isn't a high school newspaper, it's an automotive magazine. Bear with me, and I'll see if I can get this car back on the road course.
Having healthy hobbies, like buying and building replicars, is a great way to express one's creativity and passion for living and learning. Since the tenets of KIT CAR magazine are to inspire, educate, inform, and entertain, every article or column in the magazine must include these four elements. If we told you that we've discovered a way to improve the magazine in all four of these areas for readers, advertisers, and even magazine colleagues, would you believe us? Well, seeing, reading, and experiencing vicariously are believing.