High School

Way back when, some 40 years ago now, when I was in high school, there was a boy who was a year younger than me, a grade below me.

I didn't know him very well; high school is a very stratified society. Twelfth graders don't consort with eleventh graders; eleventh graders ignore tenth graders, and so on.

But I knew him; we crossed paths often; he was, in a way, my neighbor (we were in boarding school, so this is literally true).

And, about all I remember, is that I was rather cruel to him, teased him, made rude jokes. For absolutely no reason at all.

You know, the way boys are.

In high school.

Anyway, I was struck the other week to see that his latest book is now number 1 on the national best-seller lists!

So, congratulations, Justin! I'm thrilled to see how well you've done.

And I'm sorry I was such a jerk, back then.

Perhaps we'll cross paths some day, and I'll get to tell you that, in person.

But for now, I suppose this will have to do.