Let me tell you about my School Daze.

There’s really not too much to say about the early days. Pre-school Montessori gave me a head start. Then Primary school got me labeled as an underachiever. Teacher’s always gave me great reviews for participation but lamented that I needed to apply myself more on academics and spend less time fidgeting and daydreaming. I excelled at arts and crafts and got respectably passing grades otherwise. I didn’t really get into any trouble, but I heard the word Precocious frequently.

Junior High expanded my social horizons. I could get by academically where Hank had to apply himself. I spent a little less time with Hank and started hanging around with a scrappy kid named Danny Samson. Danny and I sort of balanced each other. He’d get me into some trouble and I tried to keep him and I out of trouble.

The Junior High was part of the local education stream. It was attached to the Senior High which I attended as I went with the flow. We joked that it was the “Bone-Head School” which catered to learning trades. WoodShop and Metal Shop classes in Junior High would lead to Metal Shop, Carpentry and Automotive in the Senior High. I found these a great extension to my artistic side. I’d rather build something than draw or paint it. Technical Isometric drawing, drafting and schematics are way more interesting to me than still life and abstract art.

In High School I latched onto Hooper. He’s an artist and photographer who introduced me to Punk and Ska-music. Diametrically opposed is Psych, a drug-addled psychedelic hippy type. I drifted in and out of their cliques and others’ as well.

It was Psych who first introduced me to TableTop Fantasy Role Playing Games. I pulled Hank in after me.