8th Grade Yearbook...

So I don't know if any of you did this, but when I was in 8th grade, the very back page of my yearbook had a page lined with questions, ranging everywhere from "What's your favorite band?" to "Who's your role model?" to "Who is your best friend?" I found some pretty awesome answers along the way, and thought you all might enjoy hearing them.

So I decided it would be fun to do two things over the next couple days:

Day #1 - Post the answers from 14-year-old Marc (with some present-day reflection)
Day #2 - Re-answer those questions for 25-year-old Marc

MARC SAWYER'S 8th GRADE LIST (1999)

Favorite Class - Literature
Favorite Movie - Good Will Hunting
Favorite Band/Song - Boyz II Men "Water Runs Dry"
Favorite TV Show - Wings
Favorite Actor/Actress - Jim Carrey/Sandra Bullock
Favorite Sport - Basketball
Favorite Books - Good Night, Mr. Tom; Summer of the Monkeys
Role Model - Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs

I'm not even sure what to say. Some answers are absolutely ridiculous. Some are downright embarrassing. And some are DEAD on. But, seeing as I would like to re-answer these questions tomorrow, I will leave my present day assessment of these questions until then. Instead, today I will attempt to explain why I gave those answers in 1999.

Literature - This answer is a combination of three things: a kickass teacher who was kind of a badass (Ms. Bruce, holla), a book I actually enjoyed (Lord of the Flies), and a general apathy towards the rest of my classes (it's not like I was about to put down Math). My only question here - how did I not put P.E.?



Good Will Hunting - I remember loving this movie. The weird part - how could any 8th grader understand that movie? I probably didn't even understand the plotline. But I can tell you exactly why I loved this movie: profanity and Minnie Driver. I never was allowed to use the former, and always had a closet crush on the latter.


Boyz II Men "Water Runs Dry" - I was definitely still listening to TAPES at this time. My favorites were Des'ree "You Gotta Be", Boyz II Men "II", and the Space Jam soundtrack. I know those of you that know me are looking forward to how I answer this question tomorrow.


Wings - Embarrassing answer #1. My sister loved this show, and apparently so did I. This was the show based in an airplane hangar with two brothers as main characters, a diner waitress, a dumb mechanic, and a loopy receptionist. Let's just say I wasn't about to put down Full House or Boy Meets World. But Wings?



Jim Carrey/Sandra Bullock - I didn't even need to look in the Yearbook to remember these two. In 1994, Jim Carrey came out with "The Mask", "Ace Ventura" and "Dumb and Dumber". Enough said. And any teenager that saw "Speed" definitely had a crush on Sandra Bullock at some point.



Basketball - Another answer I knew before reading it. I had a class of 20 kids, and I was at that stage where I was taller than everyone already, so hoops was my game. Me and my buddy Andrew would wreck shop all recess long. This was also the year where Patrick Ewing and David "The Admiral" Robinson squared off in NBA Finals. So NBA was still good.


Good Night, Mr. Tom - Talk about a depressing book. What was I doing reading this stuff in 8th grade? This is about a really abused kid who finds a good home during World War II, but has to get used to being treated well. No idea why I loved it then, but I can tell you it was great. I'm gonna go find it and read it again. (Notice I didn't discuss Summer of the Monkeys - cuz I have no idea what it is.)



Tim Duncan, Spurs - Great basketball player? Absolutely. Role model? M'eh. I think I chose him because he went to college four years when he could have left early. He was quiet and didn't boast, and just did his job with his head down. I had a poster of him and David Robinson in my room with a title that read "Twin Towers." Weirdest thing about this one - I hate the Spurs.



STAY TUNED: Tomorrow's post - Marc answers these questions for 2010!