I haven’t moved that far from where I graduated high school. Okay, I haven’t moved at all. The same mobile home I came back to after I received my diploma and the same place I’m in now as I type this is the same place where:

My cousin threatened to kill her brother and her mother about five times each (or together, I can never remember)
I shut my eyes and covered my ears when Mr. Clean commercials would air
I was called from when I was told my grandmother died
I returned to after learning my grandfather died
I anticipated and happily opened a Microsoft Xbox, 3 PlayStation 2s, an RCA Lyra, two CD Players, a telescope, countless DVDs and CDs and my first piece of designer clothing (a gray Tommy Hilfiger t-shirt…it mattered a lot at the time)
I was happy to return to after my stint at MUSC’s Institute of Psychiatry
I was happy to return to after my stint at Richland Springs
I sat in as I was on suspension for sexually harassing classmates Anyway, my point is I tend to see the people I went to high school with. Not very often, just now and then. I didn’t really have friends, so I wasn’t close to any of them outside of occaisonal conversation. During this time, I developed what one would call “crushes” on a few females, students and faculty/staff alike. My personal belief is because I was subconsciously proving to myself that I’m not a homosexual, as I was jokingly accused of since I have no sexual experience to speak of…a total contrast to most of these people (this wasn’t a bunch of “everyone’s doing it” lies—girls were frequently pregnant). My school wasn’t a Dangerous Minds situation, though. It’s too rural for that. One of these crushes was on a girl named Oletta. I vaguely remembered her since when I first entered high school she was a senior. Anyway, there’s nothing really special about her, except she was kind of tall, had a really nice walk, and was nice to me. In retrospect, I think the Dominique girl I knew later on was sort of her replacement. Anyway, Oletta graduated, and I moved on. Lots of girls occupied my time until Dominique in my senior year: Shauna, La’Shay, Jamie, (Wal-Mart is public, priceless) Cierra, Sierra, Tiffany, Latoya, Tamika, Lacey, and even Ashley for like two seconds (I’ve heard she’s now a lesbian). So basically I’d forgotten about Oletta. Then today, late for an appointment, my mom drops me off at Burger King so I can get a burger since I hadn’t eaten all morning (I skipped the OCTech café hours because I couldn’t leave the computer alone; I have a habit of procrastinating even if I’m putting off something unimportant). I’m watching someone else order when this girl behind the counter looks familiar. At one time I was horrible with names (thank you soap operas), so I couldn’t remember this chick. The only thing that would come to me was there was a “V” involved and it ended with an “A.” So I order, and she says, “Justin do you rember me?” (or something to that effect) I hate to reminisce with someone when I don’t know they’re name. Fortunately, she was wearing a tag; Oletta. I’m like, “Oh, Oletta. Hi.” She says, “When did you graduate from Bowman?” I thought she said, “When are you going to graduate?” as in from college. As I’ve explained my post high school bonanza in an older blog, I wish not to do it again. I simply said, “two years, it’s all messed up.” I’m pretty sure I’m off by like ten. So she says again,”when did you graduate?” That’s when I realized she didn’t ask what I thought she asked. My heart starts to beat out of my chest. I hate f***ing up conversations as it only makes me more nervous than I already am in the first place. I say, “Oh, 2003.” To be specific, the commencement ceremony was on May 28, 2003, in the Martin Luther King Auditorium on the campus of South Carolina State University, and I balled like a baby after it ended. However at the time, for all I knew it was December 90, 2003 in that very Burger King as it was on its way to Mars. She said, “oh, congratulations.” I say, “yeah, thanks,” and put up a hand to signal bye, crying for joy as I cross the proverbial finish line. I’ve survived another encounter with…the Alumni from Bowman High. To date, I’ve seen about 10 people I wasn’t super close with (and haven’t gone to tech like I have), two of them more than once. It’s not really that bad unless I come across someone I liked. In other news, I plan to see Superman Returns tomorrow. I read today that Roger Egbert didn’t like it. I usually agree with him, but I have to check this out for myself (I consider myself an outside fan of comics, into them in every way except buying books themselves). Also, fooling around with iTunes, I determined (if the not the exact) a good point to start the song Still Running from Chevelle’s This Type of Thinking... to skip the rant at the beginning and still retain the “bump-bump” of the drums before the guitars hit: 0:07.73 seconds.