Say cheese!

Crab Orchard Lake

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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August 19 is National Photography Day. The revelation is new to me, but got me to thinking about my love of photography (or at least taking pictures). It's a passion I had at an early age. I can remember having a pair of toy binoculars around age six or seven and pretending to take pictures with them. The funny part is my parents were behind me taking pictures of the same subject I was pointing at and "clicking". When the pictures came back I thought I might have been on to something.

Shortly after that I did get a legit camera. It had the flash bulbs that had to be tossed after using it. Then there was the camera with the flash stick that went from green to red after each use. Finally I got a Kodak Disc camera for Christmas one year. I took pictures of everything around the house.

The Fools crew
High school yearbook

By the time I got to high school I had the chance to hone my photography skills and was asked to join the yearbook staff my senior year. It was a great experience I wish I could have started sooner in my college career. Now I stick to the camera on my iPhone to capture life's moments. Here are a few of my favorites.

Base hit!

They're here...

The apple of my eye

Disney World 2014

Nuts over coconut

Something fishy here...

10 Best Things Written in My Yearbook

Class of '91

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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My kids came home this week with their yearbooks, which instantly makes me think of the good ol' days when I was in junior high and high school.  Back then, I was always excited to get classmates to sign my book.  Most of the time the blurbs were generic "you're a nice guy" and "glad we had 'such and such' class together" and  "keep in touch."  

Looking back, I realize I was a nice, funny and sweet guy.  Never quite made a love connection in those days.  And despite requests to KIT I did not do a good job at that until Facebook was created.  Here are ten of my favorites, some are funny and others just make me feel good reading again nearly 25+ years later.

10.  "I just wanted to be the first to sign your crack!" - written on the inner hinge of the book Freshman year

9.  "You're an extremely sweet person.  I'm glad we were friends this year.  I admire you for your chipper moods and your great sense of humor.  I hope you can look back at NHS with many fond memories, because it will have many of you.  Best of luck." - Senior year

8.  "Well sweetie I have to hand it to you, you are surely one terrific guy.  I'll never forget you or all of your funny jokes.  We've had a lot of fun together.  Kev, I just want to thank you for being you.   You're the best."  - Senior year

7.  "Wow, 13 years in the making and we've finally made it!!!  Yeah!  Kev, your personality and sense of humor are great!  I will miss you so much next year!  You are a terrific guy and I know you will find that perfect someone at SEMO!  Best of luck in all your future endeavors.  You deserve the best, so don't settle for less.  I love ya Kev!" - Senior year.  She was right.  I met my wife less than a year later at SEMO.

6.  "Knowing you has been quite an experience.  We have both gone through so many ups and downs together (especially with women) I'm glad to hear you and Jim are going to be roomies at SEMO.  I know you will have a blast down there, I'll have to come down sometime so you can show me all the new hot babes you're going to be meeting.  I hope we will keep in contact for the rest of our lives.  You will always be a true and honest friend." - Senior year

5.  "... I hope you get the best out of life!  I know if anyone will succeed you will.  You are a great guy Kev and I love you dearly.  Let's always stay friends.  I'm gonna cry if I don't stop here.  Good luck in the fall!" - Senior year

4.  "Much success in all you attempt, esp. spelling." - C. Dickinson (8th grade English teacher)

3.  "... You've got a terrific sense of humor!  You're always so nice to me.  Don't forget me Kevin.  I know you'll do wonderful next year at college.  You're special to me.  Take care of yourself!" - Senior year  

2.  "Well I never got to know you this year, but everyone seems to know you like me (Even though I have no idea how you know me or why you like me.)  One of these days you're gonna introduce yourself to me.  I've heard a lot about you.  People say you're a sweet guy, so I guess you are.  Good luck in whatever you do.  Have a fun summer, I know will.  Love ya (protecting girl's identity) P.S. Always remember: Always follow your dreams and shoot for the stars.  May all your days be as bright as a rainbow and as lucky as the pot of gold underneath!" - I shared a slow dance with this girl during sophomore year and didn't say anything to her during it, that's how awkward and shy I was.  

1.  "Good luck and keep wishing to get a piece of (protecting girl's identity)." [Then a sarcastic friend added to this] "Even if it's only her middle finger."  - 8th grade 

Give Me An N

The jacket still fits...
But there's no letter on it.

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I am not now, nor was I ever an athlete.  I played one failed season of little league more than 30 years ago and a few seasons of soccer, both indoor and outdoor.  Beyond that, the only other athletic competition I was ever involved in was cross country and track in high school

The JV letter

I wasn't great at either, but it was something I did to be social and to kinda stay in shape.  I also knew doing it would be my only way of earning a varsity letter in high school.  This was important to me, why I don't know.  For Christmas during my sophomore year, my parents bought me a Letterman's jacket.  I remember how cool I felt wearing it, with my last name embroidered across the front.  I had already earned my JV "letter" the 91 that went on the sleeve to correspond with the year I was set to graduate.

Letterless with the Dr. Boyle
Pic from an article about my Eagle Scout project at the school

Despite not being very good at running, I was told if I stayed with it, I would eventually earn that big white N to proudly display on my scrawny chest. So I continued to lace up and finish at the back of the pack meet after meet, year after year. But I knew that persistence would eventually pay off.

Somewhere along the way I took my eye off that prize.  My senior year I joined three new clubs: Key Club, the yearbook staff, and the drama club.  Because the fall production was going on at the same time as cross country, I would sometimes skip practice to attend rehearsals. I was also working at the time, which didn't help with my time management skills.  I even missed a couple of cross country meets.

But on Fall Sports Awards night I sat there eagerly waiting for my name to be called and handed that varsity letter.  After all, I was a senior and I had earned it, right?  Wrong.  My name didn't get called.  I was disappointed and it took me a long time to accept the fact that it was MY fault I didn't get that letter.  I tried playing the blame game, but I'm the one who made the choice to go to different activities and skip cross country.  I got too confident I'd get the letter.

The letter I earned for Key Club

Right before graduation, at the spring awards night, I did receive a letter.  It was for the work I'd done in Key Club, a group devoted to community service.  I felt somewhat satisfied with that big blue N, but the athletic letters were white.  The blue ones were also awarded to female athletes.  It's for that reason I never had it attached to my jacket.  It sits in a box of mementos, now nearly a quarter of a century old.  My jacket still hangs in my closet, tucked behind other coats and sweatshirts.  When I see it, I think back to how I slacked off and didn't get the reward at the end.

That's what motivated me to write this.  It's another reminder to finish what you start.  I regret not seeing my senior season all the way through.  Now it's more about just not getting the letter.  It's about letting myself and others down along the way.  I don't regret joining the other activities though.  I just wish I would have been wiser about the timing of everything, but at 17 we think we know everything.  Hopefully my actions will be a lesson for my kids in the near future.