… the most complex thing about communicating with the opposite sex was whether to write a note in math class or ignore them in homeroom

… title pages were the toughest part of any project

… t-shirts had gummy, sparkly letters that puckered in the dryer

… “insomnia” wasn’t even a part of anyone’s vocabulary

… gym class involved running laps around nearby neighbourhood blocks, even past the house with the weird old man who may or may not have been a murderer

… they actually played Stairway to Heaven at the end of dances

… coffee was something your teacher drank

… no one considered that the dog might not live forever

… welding a golfer out of nails seemed like a life skill

… Downtown Vancouver was a day trip, not a parking puzzle

… you could plan your whole life out with a single game of MASH

… 32 might as well have been 100