The Chronicles of Ricky: 1996 Graduation and beyond

1996

When we came back for the from Christmas vacation, I was still bored out of my mind, we were always trying to come up with something to entertain ourselves, there was never anything to do, but sit around and find that something ourselves. I don't 40 plus days of being suspended taught me anything, expect to ignore my problems. lol

I'm not sure whose idea it was originally, it was probably mine, lol Either way, a few of use decided to take walkie talkies from the utility closet and see if we could cause some harmless trouble.

We thought our teachers and the police officers that the school hired as security were a bunch of buffoons.

One day early before schools started, a few of us picked the lock to the shop, while the others watched for teachers, then picked our way into utility closet, took a couple walkie talkies and started having fun

I had way to much fun doing this, at the time a vice principal had recently fallen and broken their arm, this was after chasing kids who were skipping class. lol Seems like giving kids detention is worth running down stairs in dress shoes. lol

So I took this opportunity to moan into the walkie talkie, I thought that pretending I was hurt was hilarious.

One time one someone asked what I needed, I replied " I need a man to hug and kiss'. lol

We' tell the people trying to help us that "we're trapped' " Please help, they've got us" lol

Eventually somebody ratted us out and even though I didn't get caught with a walkie talkie on me, I got suspended for 10 days, because I had been accused, not because I actually got caught. lol

This point in my life I was a anxiety ridden disaster, a hilarious disaster, but still a disaster.

we were a bunch of punks. lol I was still quite rambunctious and imaginative.

01-17-1996

After the Walkie Talkie incident, and me getting amazing grade after the 30 day suspension, I think the school had enough of all the fun and excitement, plus they weren't happy that my grade were great at this point. I was able to improve all of my so called "failing grades" and was getting A's on everything, so school officials offered me the opportunity to go to night school. They said all I needed to do was to take one English class and I could graduate with the rest of my class. I was so excited, I accepted.

I remember thinking the class was dumb and I didn't take it seriously. I obviously passed, but my final paper was on why I thought English class was stupid. lol

I remember the teacher that my paper was written really well and trying to be supportive, like he was trying to talk me into enjoying to write.

Clearly not one of my brightest moments, I'm not sure what I was thinking, seeing I ended up needing to take a review for college writing when I sign up for STCC in the future, lol I guess I wasn't as smart as I thought. lol

I can't remember exactly why I was in the principal's office for this incident, but needless to say I didn't respect the police at this time, my friend Tammy had recently died and there were still no answers, cops were acting weird around the school. That one weirdo had popped out of sub basement try to act like I was attempting to go down there. lol

01-25

Looking back, I'm surpised that no one took this more seriously. Granted these situations were all just jokes to me, but Tammy had died a little over a year before and no one knew what happened.

Picture above text:

“SPRINGFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS

SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS

EXTERNAL SUSPENSION FORM

Please send to the Bureau of Pupil Services

Date received 1/25/95

ID#

Student's Name- RICHARD STEBBINS H.R. A105 D.O.B. 10/8/78 G.R. 12

School- PUTNAM

Parent's Name-RICHARD STEBBINS SR.

Address

54 HOPE ST

Telephone- 783-2885

Sex- M

Race circle (1), 2,3, 4, 5, 6

Date of suspension- 1/25/96

Date of return- 3/35/96

•

Total days suspended- 30

Cumulative total for year

Please circle offense as listed on pages 17 through 20 of school handbook.

Please note that certain offenses do not require external suspension.

#1 #2 #3 #4 (#5) #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18

Reason (s) for external suspension (describe incident giving time, date, location, facts and all other

pertinent information).

THREATENED ASSISTANT

PRINCIPAL - USING PROFANITY TO POLICE OFFICER

VERY DEFIANT

Use separate sheet if necessary

Chapter 766

Is the student currently in a Chapter 766 program?

Yes_

*_No

IF not, is the student currently under an evaluation for Chapter 766? Yes_

No_*

If student has been suspended for more than five (5) days in any quarter. the principal, in accordance

with Chapter 766, must review the cases) and determine if a referral under Chapter 766 is to be made.

Are you referring this student under Chapter 766? Yes_ No_*

Signed Principal

or designee

APPROVED: Dr. John E. Shea

Assistant Superintendent (B.P.S.)”

2-25-1996

2-26-1996

2-27-1996

2-28-1996

Shortly after getting back from my

Even though I knew I could have fought that, they offered me a better alternative,

3-29-1996 p1

3-29-1996 p2

So of course I decided to leave high school and got a job at H.A.P.CO Auto Parts delivering parts all over Holyoke and Hadley and Chicopee. I took that night school English course and got a passing grade by writing a paper about how I think English is stupid. You have to laugh when you look back at how dumb kids are, years later I would take a college course review for college writing and learn to love writing, I might not be the best at it but I still love it

Before I had even graduated high school spring of 1996, I remember Mindy talked me into getting her pregnant.

I was working delivering auto parts at the time, she was still in high school, We were both still living with our parents. I don't know what the hell we were thinking. This was before those MTV pregnant in high school TV shows, so I don't know, maybe she was ahead of her time. lol but I followed.

1996 Bartel Pools in East Longmeadow, we installed in ground pools summer job- drove older kids home

I was dating Mindy around this time, she lived with her grandparents in East Longmeadow, with her mother and sister. She had a friend Bonnie that lived across the street and I remember stretching with her in her bedroom and talking about forming our own group and I joked around and called her toad from the X-Men comics. It’s ironic that I’m in my basement now stretching, talking about stretching with somebody else 30 years ago.

They used to laugh about what a disaster Mindy and Carrie's father was, they talked about how he used to cry when he got upset, because he missed them, I remember Sue being very cold, static, like she didn't have a personality. She never did anything, she never had anything to say. She reminded me of my mother, she had an opinion, but she couldn't explain it and didn't know why she had it, so she couldn't even be sure it was her opinion or not. lol.

1996- 1997 H.A.P CO auto parts 1996-1997???? right years

1996- Lawn care-Fall leaf cleanup

1996 Started at the Deli Shaker Road

November

I went with my brother, and I'm not sure who else, to the movie theater in Enfield and we saw Star Trek First Contact. I remember being so excited for some massive space and then it lasted all of 30 seconds, what a let down, but what we got was still cool. lol Deep Space Nine was still on at this time, so I was always hoping for a cross over. I thought the new Enterprise looked awesome, I got a model of it at some point around here too. I was the only kid I knew that loved to build models and I still love them 30 years later.

December

I was never really close with my grandpa Landers, He's the one we got the PUCH moped from years ago. I received this card from him Christmas 1996. For those who can't read cursive it says:

"Rick, this card is the best I could find. I went to three stores and they didn't have much of a selection for grandsons. All the cards in the other stores were for much younger grandsons, OK grandpa. Show this to your brother so he will understand why both cards are the same."