Thursday, February 16, 2012

I Must Ask . . . Did You Get A Class Ring?

True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country. –Kurt Vonnegut

Wow! There were lots of fabric artists who checked in on pre-washing this past week. I loved all the comments and reasons to pre-wash and reasons not to pre-wash. I'm Team Pre-wash and I thought I had a pretty solid list of reasons to keep on pre-washing, but now I have two more reasons to add to that list. Carol of Brrmidji Designs alerted me to the fact that there could be bugs :yuck: in the fabric. What kind of bugs I'm not sure, and I really don't want to know. I think if I did know, I might not ever buy fabric again. And Pink reminded me of the fact that there are germs upon germs on those pretty fabrics. Think about it. When you go to the fabric store, you stroke the bolts of fabric. You know you do. Everyone does it. And they leave behind germs. {Note to self: use hand sanitizer after fabric shopping.}

It's set in stone for me now. Pre-washing is the way to go.

Moving on to the question at hand, ever since the big 20-year reunion, high school has been on my mind. I'm not really interested in reliving the “glory days.” But I've reconnected with a few friends and it has been fun to get to know them again. One of the girls I knew pretty well lives near me now, as it turns out. We have a standing lunch date once a month and we have a great time talking about our kids and our families and our life situations now.

Even though it wasn't the best time of my life by a long-shot, memories from high school cross my mind every now and then. Senior year vendors come out in force, selling all kinds of memorabilia. At the time, all of it seemed like a good idea. But 20 years later, what do you do with it? I have a ceramic mug that has the names of all of my classmates on it that I can't throw away but don't ever use. I got a class ring with my birthstone in it and my name engraved on it. On one side is the school mascot and on the other is a Home Ec insignia. I wore it quite a bit senior year and for a few years afterward. But now my class ring just sits in my jewelry box {sorry, mom}. I pass a pawn shop on my way home from work. They are always advertising that they give the best prices on used gold. One day, I wondered how many people have sold off their class rings for a bit of extra cash. This crazy train of thought brought about today's question. I must ask . . . did you get a class ring? Do you still have it? Do you wear it? Vote in the poll and leave me a comment.

12 comments:

Christine M said...

ooooooo! I've never thought about germs on the fabrics!

Paulette said...

I did get a class ring. In our school, that was done in our sophomore year (not sure why...who makes up those rules anyway?). I did wear it all through HS though. I remember I didn't like my August birthstone, which was green (peridot), so I got a ruby instead, and I'm glad. I also remember I had to order a pretty big size for a woman's ring (possibly the biggest it came in). I had rather fleshy fingers at the time, although I wear a 6 now. Anyway, it wasn't quite big enough, so I ended up taking it to the jeweler and having it expanded a quarter size or so.

We used to spin our rings on the cafeteria tables when we were bored. One day this big football player thought he was being funny and shook my hand for some reason, squeezing it so hard, he bent my ring! That made me so mad, but of course he thought it was hilarious (jerk).

Impera Magna said...

I did indeed get a class ring, which has resided in my jewelry box for the past 43 yrs. I'm very sure my kids don't want it... *lol*

Samantha said...

I didn't get one because my parents couldn't pay for one and I wouldn't use the money I made working at KFC for one. I worked way to hard for that money to "throw it away on jewelry". I wasn't much into jewelry and still only wear my wedding ring and occassionally earrings.

So what did I spend my hard earned fast food wages on you ask? My car! Much better than a class ring I thought. :)

Colleen G said...

Just had the discussion about class rings as I have a son graduating from university. I did buy a h.s. ring, but not the traditional one with the big center stone. Instead, I chose a smaller silver ring with the school crest in enamel. I don't wear it but at least it didn't cost me an arm and a leg and it is a nice keepsake as the school was sold to another school board and doesn't really exist except in memory now. My son made a similar choice with his ring and did it without prompting as he is careful with his money these days. He will graduate from military school and didn't want the moniker "ring-knocker" that he said is used to describe the officers. Funny traditions.

Shay said...

Aussies dont do class rings . (This is another big difference between the US and here )

So I didnt get a class ring. In fact I dont think I even got a gift when I graduated high school ( I really must tell my parents I should have had one. Maybe they'll pony up a new car for me now ?)

Needled Mom said...

I did get a class ring, but our rings really did not look like a typical class ring. It had a large saphire with a small shiel on either side of it - very dainty and feminine (all girls school). I lost it at a park years ago and still wish I had it. Boo hoo!

Jill said...

I did get a class ring and wore it through high school (I think we got ours as sophomores, too) and until I got married about a year after I graduated. Then last year, the center diamond on my wedding ring came loose, so I wore my class ring for around 6 (or more) months while we saved up to get my ring fixed. I can't go without a ring, it feels weird. Now, it's back in my jewlery box.

My class ring is also bent; on the palm side of the band. I was holding onto a fence when someone opened the gate and it swung all the way around to meet the fence. It hit my ring (ouch!) and flattened the band. I was glad the stone didn't crack, too.

Richard Healey said...

My mom told me those class rings are a wast of money and did not buy me one. I resented her up to the point my kids are now in high school and I am thinking the same thing.

As for them bugs maybe that is why I have been sick the last week too much quilting. Hum I think I will stick it out and keep quilting.

http//richardquilts.blogspot.com
Make sure you stop by and put your guess in my quilt givaway by guessing my babys B-day or Birth Weight.

Jennifer Lovell said...

I didn't get one because we couldn't afford it. I wished I could have bought one. I think if I had one, I wouldn't wear it, but I would still love it.

I did buy a beautiful gold ring at the end of my mission that I wear every day of my life. I LOVE it. It's so super pretty, and it makes me think of Spain. I love it.

My husband got a high school ring. He doesn't wear it, but he still has it. I think his ring is really cool. Lucky him. Lucky you, too!

Michelle said...

I'm like you, high school wasn't the best time in my life, and I thought class rings were waste of money ~ at least for me. I was never one of those "Yay for my school" types.

hardhatcat said...

As Shay said, Aussies don't do class rings, so i didn't get one. i don't recall getting anything in particular for finishing high school either. We didn't have any form of graduating ceremony for my high school. You just waited for a piece of paper with the details to come through the mail and that was it.