Jump in your DeLorean, set the flux capacitor to the year 1990, and take it 88 MPH! Time to visit Ace, before he was Ace, hell before just about everything for this post.
I'll be the first to admit, it's weird what things you remember. I'll also admit that many of us don't even want to remember High School years. I know the room, the class, the seating assignment, the exact moment as a freshman, when I saw an upper classman's class ring for the first time. No clue why jewelry made an impression on me, but at the time, it was damn cool! Couldn't wait for that moment when I could have my own class ring, the prestige, the level of respect it would bring me, not to mention the women! Surely, this moment will define me and be the turning point for my High School years.
When that catalog arrived, had my ring designed and picked out in minutes. All that is needed, the check to cover it from the parents! "No." No? Stopped dead in my tracks with that response from Mom. Denied the most important social status item, ruining my High School future, did my Mom hate me? "We're not spending $350 on a ring you are probably going to lose and after four years, you're not going to care about anyway." That response wasn't even logic! The Fresh Prince was right, parents, just don't understand! (look that reference up Millienals) Reconfiging my options, working my charm, and hoping that nobody (of social importance) would notice the difference between white gold and something called lustrium submitted my proposal to Mom for $89, with I'm sure promises to help do extra chores around the house.
I said memory is a funny thing, right? I don't remember my life getting better after getting the ring. I certainly don't remember all the dates I got because of it and I don't recall underclassmen parting as I strolled down the center of the halls wearing it. I'm sure all of that happened. Or maybe it didn't because is was lustrium and not white gold. I do remember getting somewhat lucky that the Company made a mistake on one side of my ring. I won't call out the Company and publicly shame them on this popular blog, because it's been almost thirty years and I'm sure they aren't the only company anymore. They couldn't be, could they? Anyway, ordered it with a cross country figure on one side, planning to go out for the cross country team. Ended up not trying out for the team and it worked out by them putting some kind of generic scholastic type emblem in it's place by mistake. Somewhere, there is some "Lost" humor in the fact running found me later in life.
Get back in that DeLorean, the year is 1998. It's a beautiful sunny day at the beach in South Haven, freshly graduated from college, still wearing my ring. I'm sure it's still doing all the things I always hoped it would do for me back in high school. Take that Mom, I didn't lose it! Dove for a ball in the water, hand went into the sandy bottom, and came up missing my ring. Mother Nature stepped in deciding to help make my Mom right instead! Even though I searched and felt confident I hadn't moved much, I couldn't find (insert Gollum voice) my precious! I didn't spend an exorbitant amount of time searching, after all it was only $89, but it did almost feel as if that chapter of life came to an end. In a way, the timing actually came to an appropriate end at the exact time that it should have.
I did expect two outcomes losing it that day (not including "Mom, was right"). The first, somebody would find it within a year and a pawn shop would call me to buy it back, because nobody else would want it. Or the Earth would have it for millions of years, until an alien race found it on their quest for more lustrium, lets not forget the social status it brings! My bet is on the latter.
One last DeLorean ride, back to the present.
Doing a scan of the social networks while relaxing on the couch, notice a direct message asking "Did you go to this high school?". Wow, that's super random. Almost didn't know how to respond to that, you know those glory days are so far in the past and I don't like to talk about them. But with recent news of super rich parents paying to get their snowflakes into colleges they couldn't normally get enrolled in lately, it was obvious to me that another scandal was about to break! What did my parents do? Even worse, if they paid money, and that was the best high school they could get me into, holy crap will my self esteem take a hit! Better judgement told me to lie, but I admitted it. Next message, "Did you lose your class ring?". This caused me to sit up and immediately forget about the game that was on. Total attention, because there are only four people on the planet that know I lost that ring and yes, unfortunately, Mom is one of them! The fact somebody is asking, has to mean somebody found (insert Gollum voice) my precious!
Fast forward, after a couple of obligatory proof messages, that I really was the person who lost their class ring, a meeting place was decided. After the initial greeting, round the corner to see my ring sitting in the center of the table. Exactly, how I remember it! Almost twenty one years later, exact same. Not corroded, not covered in zebra muscles, not worn away, not discolored, exactly the way it was the day I lost it. Bless lustrium! Those aliens know their precious metals. Now, you know I'm a tough guy, so warning this is going to come across sappy and way too sentimental, but seeing it with it's stupid bent band that I don't even remember how I did it, it's weight, to putting it on, how it feels, exactly how I remembered it! Flash of memories. Not memories of results I expected by owning it, but instead friends from that period of life, to some of the things we'd do, memories. Not a ounce of value in lustrium, but memories, that's a different story.
Damn, I hope I wasn't crying. Get in the DeLorean, don't ask questions or say anything!
Visiting, got the rest of the story. Names changed to protect from the media exposure, the Treasure Finder actually found my ring this past January. From the sounds if it, almost the exact spot I remember losing it as far as distance in the water, but about ten inches in the sand. That fateful day, I know I didn't sink in to my elbow, so interesting to know how much the landscape changes. He did attempt to find me, but when he looked up if my high school had records of me, he didn't see me listed. I know I didn't cure cancer (yet), but I certainly wasn't a bad student where they'd erase me either, but maybe if you lose your class ring, they disown you. Searching with a metal detector takes patience, a level of skill, and lets be honest, some luck. Same holds true for internet searches. This is when the Treasure Finder's Sister stepped up and tried her luck tracking me down. Sibling rivalry? Teamwork? Either way, I'll take it!
I might joke around from time to time, but 100% sincere Thank You to the Treasure Finder and the Treasure Finder's Sister. It would have been so easy to find a class ring, realize it doesn't have any value, lustrium, and simply chucked it further into the lake out of frustration. Let alone spending the time to actually track down the owner, take the risk he's not a nut job, and simply returning it without asking for anything in return. In my mind, it restores the faith in humanity, that there are good people out there. The second I get a hot tip for lost treasure (or when CT loses her ring...slightly more likely), I know who I'm calling first!
Never expected to see my ring again, but glad to have it back. Not for the reasons you're thinking either! I already know my social status can't go any higher because I have an Apple Watch, duh! It's going to make for a kick ass story for any reunion I ever go to. First person to store their ring for twenty plus years in Lake Michigan and first person every use lustrium seven times in a story.
