One of the consequences of hiding in your apartment from the dreaded coronavirus attack, compounded by being older than springtime, is you spend an inordinate amount of time remembering episodes from various times in your life. Like when I was working as a sales agent for Jostens of Minnesota, preying on high school students to sell them some or all of our product line: rings, caps and gowns for graduation, announcements, and other accessory items.
I'm in the main hallway at Benson High School in Portland, Oregon where I have set up my portable store (a four-foot-long display box showing samples of our class rings). It's between classes before the lunch break and coming down the hall to my station is a young lady who, by her attire, I judge to be trouble walking. "Ooo," she says to me, "I love rings."
I say, "I don't think you are supposed be here during classes."
She laughs and says, "You're probably right. What's new about class rings?"
I tell her, "Well, the new thing this year is a feature we call "Select-a-side" which means whatever your favorite activity is, we can put symbolism related to that activity on the side of your ring.
She giggles and says, "I'll bet they wouldn't put my favorite activity on a ring."
Just then the lunch break sounded. Saved by the bell.
