How Cool Were You?

[colcolt]

For whatever the reason over this weekend I began to reflect back on my youth and recall how cool I thought I was in high school. I had a white 60 Impala with red/white rolled and pleated upholstery, pair of matching dice over the rear view and two checkered pillow it the back. Of course it was lowered in the back and had fender skirts and half moon shields on the head lights.
What time I didn't wear black slack with the buckle in the back I wore pegged pants and had a cat chain half way down my leg and had the Fonzie hair cut. Moreover, I could be seen cruising with arm stuck out the window draped over the door and a cigarette hung out one side of my mouth. Getting a date for Friday/Saturday night posed little problem. A friend had set me up with a blind date and I didn't know how that would go but upon being introduced and told her my name she said, "Not THE David Smith(made up last name)!!" I said, yep, that one. Apparently reputations get around.
Friday nights at the sock hop we danced for hours doing the "Jitter Bug", comparable to the 30's and 40's Swing or Boogie Woogie. You usually lost a few pounds easily moving like that. I think I weighted about 150 at 5'-10" back then. I have since shrunk to 5'-8 1/2" but about the same weight at 155. This is a video of what dancing was way back...precious memories.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf55gHK48VQ&feature=related
Another good one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWDfxgngrNc&feature=related

 

[colcolt]

Wait till you get 66!! Back when I was about 40 we had went to an office party my ex-wife's company had and they played old stuff from the '50. I thought I was still 17 again and tried some moves I did then. During the dance, I attempted doing the split and hit my tail bone on the hard concrete floor and thought I had broken something. It hurt so bad but of course, being "cool" I excused myself after the dance, went out to the car and screamed in pain about three minutes, left and went back inside with a smile like nothing was wrong at all. It hurt like hell for a week. I never tried that since.

 

[nsfisher]

I was 16 yrs old in 1980-81. I lived in a small Rural Community where everyone knew everyone else. Had a 1972 Chevelle and was a 7 yr veteran of the Kickboxing Club. Ya, getting girls at that time was not a chore. I thought I was King of the Walk. Now, as a person looks back, one can only think how ridiculous it was. I see teens today, with the same attitude, and can't help wondering, "Oh man, I hope I didn't act like that."

 

[captainprophesy]

Well I graduated High School in '87 and I was cool as all hell... I was a singer in various bands... so yeah :P
nsfisher... thats very cool about the kickboxing... Ive been training Muay Thai for about 18 years now.

 

[yaboofive]

I gave up on cool along time ago, I'm happy with being odd.

 

[cynyr]

I was in the Drama Club and the German Club and made straight 'A's in History. So, not very.

 

[mlaug]

HA!
I'd take Richard's "odd" moniker, although I preferred uniquely eccentric.
Usually, it was just Get away from me, you weirdo!!
:P

 

[ghost]

Not cool. Always on the periphery of it though. Played guitar, but no one liked the bands or the style. Socially awkward, eccentric, and I'm still that way. I know I had a reputation of being "nice", but that's only because I kept my mouth shut for the most part. I was good enough at sports to overcome being typecast as a Peter Parker-like wallflower.
I'm very happy to be pushing 40, I hated being a kid.

 

[numbersix]

Really enjoyed your story colcolt - sounds like you had a great time.
My H.S. years were during the 70s. I grew up on Long Island, my wife in Brooklyn. Both cultures were extreme opposites.
LI was like Wayne's World and Brooklyn was like Saturday Night Fever. I grew up with Led Zep and Aerosmith - my wife grew up with Disco.
I had long hair and hung out with the cool kids - but I was never cool. I was a born nerd (except with long hair.)

 

[voorhees]

At the time, I felt cool. I wore the current style clothes, liked good music and had several female companions. I did OK. I had a new car(paid by me), not the one I wanted, but it was nicer than most. I did have great hair too, which was very important...LoL! This was the late 80's!

Jason

 

[colcolt]

"High school 80-81...graduated in 1987." You guys make me feel like a dinosaur for sure!!
numbersix-I can't imagine you ever being a nerd. That avatar looks like someone I've seen in the movies but can't recall who it was. You may not have been cool in HS but you look as cool as James Bond in that avatar.
I grew up in a good time. No drugs or crime compared to now. The worse thing you could do was to be caught with a beer or smoking in the rest rooms at school.(how did I know that?) I wouldn't trade being a kid in the 50's or early 60's for any other time.

 

[ohin3]

Never really much cared. Parents raised me to be myself and make no apologies. Never really fit into any one group and never tried. Always just did what interested me.

 

[shawn622]

I was a partier and a jock. I was also senior class president with 490 out of 511 votes so I was pretty coolThe partying got me no where fast. If I could redo anything in my life it would be to stay away from the whole party scene in general. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of good memories, but the drink and drugs set me back 20 years. Live and learn.

 

[baronsamedi]

I'm pretty sure I was not cool. I had long hair and listened to punk rock and thrash metal, back when you could be hated for doing that for all the right reasons. I looked a little like Joey Ramone and my teachers would have compared me to Hannibal Lecter, but I was really just a dork. Girls were never really a problem, because I played in bands. The caveat there is the girls who dig on musicians usually weren't cheerleaders, but I'd say they were better in all the right ways. Coolest car I ever had was a 1970 Mercury Cyclone GT, but I knew even back then I was destined for motorcycles and since then I've owned a Harley, a Ducati and now ride a Triumph. Still not cool, but I really don't give a rat's ass and to me that is cooler than being cool.

 

[captainsousie]

I was about as far from cool as you could get. I had a pretty good time in high school and a lot of great friends but cool was never a word used to describe me. I never got picked on much because I had some pretty cool friends so that was a bonus.

 

[johnnyxpipe]

I graduated High school in 2007. Not even close to cool although every one knew me because of being good at football (until I broke my neck senior year). I was not a partier, was very shy never had many friends, although had a girlfriend for about 20 hours. I was VERY uncool by any standards. Spent most of my time with football practices and playing guitar and drums and online games.

 

[voorhees]

Baron....a Mercury Cyclone GT....thats very cool and the Triumph is icing on the cake.

 

[baronsamedi]

Baron....a Mercury Cyclone GT....thats very cool and the Triumph is icing on the cake.

Indeed, sir! Funny how what's cool changes. Except for bikes and bad ass muscle cars. Those are always cool.

 

[shawn622]

"High school 80-81...graduated in 1987." You guys make me feel like a dinosaur for sure!!

I graduated in 90.

I had long hair and listened to punk rock and thrash metal, back when you could be hated for doing that for all the right reasons.

Although I was a jock, I listened to the same stuff and played in bands too.

 

[colcolt]

Speaking of muscle cars, I had a 1973 340 'Cuda...bad to the bone.
http://www.musclecardrive.com/specs/plymouth/1973-plymouth-cuda.php