Recently, one of my old high school classmates posted some pictures on Facebook pertaining to our high school graduating class of 1992 (yes, I'm old).
The pictures were, specifically, for the graduating class of 1992. I believe that these were given out on the field trip that we took the day after graduation, which of course was called "Project Graduation." They gave us a bus ride and complimentary tickets to Great Adventure, which I remember having a lot of fun at. I even had a flirting session with a pretty hot girl, which was really important to me at the time, and is one of my main memories from that day.
Also, most importantly, it was the last time that my high school class would be all together. In fact, I remember it getting dark and gloomy on the bus drive back from Great Adventure. Some kind of argument, or perhaps even a fight, had broken out between two idiots. No idea who, much less what it was about.
Anyway, there was a kid who shouted over the din, reminding us all that this was our last time together, and maybe we should act better than this. That pretty much silenced us all. It seemed like the entire bus full of kids quieted down for a long time (although my memory might be faulty, it may have been for just a minute or so). But that was perhaps the first time that many of us truly grasped that it was over. That our school days were done and behind us. A new chapter in life awaited us, which came to be known as "adulthood."
No returns.
That also is a memory which resonates with me. The kid himself was an unlikely candidate (at least in my opinion) to wake us up to such a revelation. I remember him getting in trouble often and being a sort of clownish figure, more often than not. Yet, that one moment - my last real memory of him - also serves as my last real memory of my high school class being together, really in any form. I heard that they tried to organize high school reunions for the 10th anniversary, possibly the 15th, and surely the 20th and 30th anniversaries. But as I understand it, most people really did not respond. Myself included, admittedly. Just not really interested in reliving those particular times, for a variety of reasons, even though I do sometimes like to reflect, as I am doing now. That might sound like a paradox. If so, then so be it.
In any case, one of my high school classmates posted pictures of some of the t-shirts which she apparently still has. I think that I had two of these shirts. The one from Project Graduation, which I still had at least several years after the fact. Also, I believe that I had the Macopin Class of 1988 Graduation t-shirt, although whatever happened to that one, I have no idea. In fact, I have no idea whatever happened to the Project Graduation t-shirt.
As for the Paradise Knolls t-shirt, I never attended that school. So of course I never owned a shirt from that, although I do not remember getting a shirt from my own elementary school, which was also in West Milford.
No big loss.
Still, it was cool to see these t-shirts, or at least the images. Brought back some memories.
It also seemed appropriate to post some pictures from my high school graduation, which took place more or less during this time of the year (well, a few days earlier than this, but still late June) all the way back in 1992.
Below are some pictures, including the ones which my high school classmate posted on Facebook (including the link), as well as family pictures of the graduation. I even added some of my own pictures of the high school yearbook, a hall pass, and a ticket for the indoor graduation ceremonies, even though those became irrelevant once the weather held, and the ceremonies were held outside instead.
Enjoy.
Kimberly Petersen 16 June, 2025:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10229356448356575&set=pcb.10016227978424040
Pictures My High School Graduation - West Milford Township High School Class of 1992
My senior year picture from the yearbook.
West Milford Township High School Graduation Day, June 27, 1992.
High school graduation. I believe that this is mine, from back in 1992, although it may have been my brother's back in 1990. Cannot say for sure, honestly.
Me on Graduation Day from West Milford Township High School, June 1992
So, yes, lately, I have been doing some serious spring cleaning. I mean, going through tons of boxes in closets that I largely ignored for years. Out of sight, out of mind, right?
Well, there has been a greater emphasis on being clean, orderly and organized lately, the past few years, and this has been particularly enhanced because my girlfriend is extremely clean and keeps a very well organized life. That is something that I admire her for, and have learned a great deal from. I certainly can use lessons in that, having been rather disorganize and chaotic for far too long to justify.
In any case, there were some amazing finds. Some old writings of mine, for example (mostly, my fiction works). Some old magazines, newspapers, and articles of interest and such that I had kept, including a couple of issues of a newspaper that I contributed to around 11 years ago during a brief stint as a freelance writer. Some DVD's and music cd's. Some books that I had long ago lost track of.
And then, there was this! My old high school yearbook annex from my senior year! Why I did not simply keep it with the yearbook, I do not know. But, somehow or other, I failed to do that, and it went missing a long time ago....until yesterday.
There were some surprises inside, too. Mostly, I had wanted it again specifically for a poem, which is pictured below, and with the story behind it.
Just thought it was worth sharing!
Much to my surprise, I not only found my high school yearbook annex from my senior year, but found a picture of me that must have slipped my personal radar back when I got it. It is from my graduation, way back in the summer of 1992! A very different time!
Here's a close-up.
And here is a beautiful poem that was read to our graduating class from the mother of one of the students that would have graduated that day. But he killed himself in February of 1992, something that completely shook me up at the time. I had been looking for this poem for quite some time, and kicked myself for having lost it. As soon as I found it, I wanted to make sure to take steps never to lose it again. This poem moved me to tears at times (but not on graduation day itself, in front of so many people). I could write a hell of a lot about this, because I actually knew the kid, and was going through my own issues related to depression and, yes, being suicidal at the time. But this hardly seems like the time. It is something that I might return to someday here (in fact, I started working on it some time ago, but just never completed it). In the meantime, this poem is beautiful, and what staggered me about it is imagining the pain of the mother as she wrote this, in memory and honor of her son, and with the hope that no other mother would have to experience what she was going through. Even thinking about it now, I find myself almost tearing up. In fact, my high school class had it's share of tragedies. This kid became the first real victim when he took his own life. Another kid (a friend of his) had a suicide attempt shortly thereafter. Yet another kid was killed in a car accident when he tried to break or establish a speeding record of around 93 mph (if memory serves correctly) with about seven people in the car. He, the driver, was killed, and one of the kids was hurt seriously enough that he had to go through severe physical rehabilitation afterwards, and he made his first public appearance for our class's graduation. That kid is now a man with a family of his own, and he is the one that I went to the Pearl jam concert with in Philadelphia on October 22nd of last year (you can read the review of that show, which was posted on October 23rd, and includes some pictures). Finally, that summer, another kid was killed while sitting on the bed of a moving pickup truck. When that truck hit a bump, or a rock, or something, he was thrown off, hit his head, and never fully recovered, dying later that night. All of those incidents within a few months of one another. Yes, my class knew tragedy. And unfortunately, late last year (just a few months ago, actually), we lost another member of the class, this time a woman. She was a mother of two, and she died suddenly and unexpectedly. It might have been from a stroke, although I cannot remember exactly the reasons for it. But it saddens me deeply to think that those children of hers will grow up without their mother.
In some ways, that last one was the saddest, because she died of natural circumstances (the first high school classmate of mine that I know of where that can be said), and she left behind young and beautiful children that will never have the opportunity to know their mother better. She will be missed, too.
Here are some physical reminders of my high school class in West Milford, from all the way back in 1992.
My yearbook, the high school graduation commencement, and my senior year hall pass.
This is a picture of what would have been a ticket for the Commencement ceremonies for the graduation in 1992, had it been held indoors. As it turned out, however, it was a beautiful afternoon and evening, and so we had it on the high school football team field.
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