Tag: east lake high school students

 

I remember

Commerce Road, Oldsmar Florida December 30th, 1996.

I remember…

A night out ended in tragedy. A night of teen drinking and pot use ended horrifically. A collision between a tanker trailer and a Geo Storm that was owned by my former supervisor when I worked at Albertsons’ supermarket at Boot Ranch. Five in total involved in the crash, four dead, one survivor…

I remember Jonathan Sklar having a locker next to me (or below me) in a PE class during my junior year at East Lake High. I remember Graham Miller and Brian Bass being in my junior year English class where I was the butt of jokes and my hearing disability led to self stupidity. I knew Tom Norman — who would end up being the scapegoat of everyone’s irresponsibility because he was the lone survivor and also the driver — being in my freshman Earth/Science class. I don’t remember specifics about the guys — they weren’t my good friends, and I was a wallflower no matter what I said or did in High School… But I remember them.

Ten years gone, and I remember hearing about the news. I remember seeing the picture of the smashed Storm on the cover of the St. Petersburg Times.

Ten years gone, and I remember them. This was really the end of childhood for some and knocked others back into reality and sanity.

I don’t know who else recalls, I don’t know who else reflects, but I remember Jon Sklar, Brian Bass and Graham Miller. Rest in peace, fellows.