This post is a dedication to my alma matter, AKA Redwood High School, and all of the former Rangers, especially those who attended the school between 2000-2004, that made my experience so wonderful.
So I was at the LJ Williams Theatre this past weekend to watch my nieces recital. After she was done with her performance, I left the show early only to find an opening in that god-awful gate that surrounds RHS, it was not there when I attended and it shouldn’t exist now. Anyways, I decided to wonder past the unlocked gates to see if I could explore the rest of the campus…SUCCESS!
My journey starts off in the area between the tennis courts and school pool. I decided to make my way through corridor between the locker rooms and the tennis court…our tennis team apparently won some tournament back in 2006. As I was making my way through I can still smell the stench of football, see the players in their practice gear slowly and reluctantly walking out of the locker room, I could hear the sounds of football cleats against the cement and small chatter between the players, taste the water gushing from the water hose, it was straight tap but it was so delicious in the sweltering heat of the central valley, and feel the pads pressed against my sweat soaked body. But nothing and I mean NOTHING beats a game night, especially a home game.
As I reached the intersection in front of the gates leading to the Mineral King Bowl, formerly known as Sunkist Stadium, I decided to swing a right to verify that what I’ve heard is true, the Freshman Pole no longer exists. I’m am sad to report…that that what I heard was true. I still took the opportunity to relieve the moments where I walked down the alley between the gymnasium and the river watching all students, freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors walking to and from vista trying to push each other into the bright red gum magnet. But then again, I haven’t walked that path for since I got my car…cause seriously who walks to and from vista?
After my disappointing discovery, I flipped a dick and continued my walk towards the senior court and quads. The memories were coming back each step I took. The friends we walked with every day, the talk and chatter passing by, the weaving in and out of the crowd of oncoming students, the sound of handball bouncing against the handball courts and the smiles and laughter of friends walking by accompanied by a usually loud holler of an individuals name just to say “SUP!” Step by step as we walked to class…or not to class.
I stopped shy of the senior court, in that void between the band room entrance and the student store. Many of us hated this spot because of the infamous “cum tree” smell. I remember the feeling of getting up early in the morning to serve tired, grumpy students who probably had their mom wake up to make sure they got to school. I definitely can’t forget that daily 2 hour marathon I called choir class. It was all too easy back then. Snapped a couple photos and made my way to the promise land…
SENIOR COURT! Ok probably not the greatest place to be but it was what you earned after grueling through 3 years of what I know as the greatest high school ever, Redwood. Albeit, we only have 3 options in Visalia, El Diamante doesn’t exist to me, RHS was by far the best. The stupid antics, the music, the spirit week events, the hacky-sack-ing, the EXTREME hacky-sack-ing, the ditching school, the sea of fast food, the chicken grease stained tree, the screams at students in the distance, the ridicule of non-seniors to get the fuck out of SENIOR court, the drama, the stupid useless sundial, the lack of tables to hold your food, the rumors, the laughs, the smiles, and the tears as we realized had to part ways. Senior Court is historic landmark in my book.
As I was walking school snapping random pictures with my shitty camera with no flash I call my phone, I started to relive the memories. And everything seemed so familiar, yet it was so different. The memories were made so long ago and the setting just wasn’t the same. It wasn’t the new buildings or the new designs or those minor details that made it seem so different. It was the lack of friends and fellow rangers. It didn’t if I knew you or not or if you hated me or I hated you, it was the presence of the people. It was our realm, an escape from our parents and home into a theme park of awesome friends. As I walked from one area to another all I could think of were the sights of faces, the feel of a handshake, the sound of voices, the smell of our horrible air quality…but that’s still there. About 10 Years I first set foot on RHS, 6 years ago I left behind a legacy, yesterday I learned that those 4 awesome years are just mere memories now. It seems so long ago…I want a damn time machine.
I don’t feel right doing this but I don’t really know how I want to finish this post, so I’ll leave it to you, the reader, to finish it with whatever you think about Redwood and the Rangers. I do feel like there should be a mandatory spell out, just for old time sakes:
R-R-R-E-D-W-W-O-O-D (clap, clap, clapclapclap…with optional stomping)
R-E-D-W-O-O-D (clap, clap, clapclapclap…with optional stomping)
WHO ARE WE?! (some ppl clap here too)
REDWOOD!! (loud cheering)
Thank you fellow rangers for the memories!
