1996 was the year that I continued my progression from boy to man. I got my driver's license that year, graduated high school, turned 18, went on two big trips, and began college.
It's hard to believe all of this has been 20 years. Time truly does fly by. I had a good hairline then and a clean face.
I showed my independence as a freshman at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. Not only was I the first in my grandma's immediate family to graduate high school, I had earned the right to attend a university. And it was an adjustment. Many do not know, but there were days and nights that I didn't know if I would make it. I was away from home for a long period of time, no supervision, didn't know many people , and the classes were so hard (especially those 8am classes). I actually not only missed my family, I missed my high school and hometown. Strange if you hear me now. I was in a different world for sure, one that I would grow to love.
This was also the year I lost my great grandpa, Bill Dover, long the patriarch of the Dover clan. He passed away shortly after my high school graduation at age 82. I also gained a new family, finally connecting with my dad's side of the family, the McGills. Circumstances had kept me from them but I was determined to get to know them now.
I still loved my R&B, but my guilty pleasure was actually Alanis Morrisette. She had some moving ballads that got me through this transitional period. Movie wise, Independence Day with Will Smith and Vivica A. Fox ruled the box office. The South was all a buzz about the Carolina Panthers beginning their first season in then-Ericcson stadium, and with the Summer Olympics being held in nearby Atlanta, GA. Who would have thought the Panthers would be playing in their second Super Bowl since that time?
1996 was quite a year for me, one of growth and happiness.
What were your favorite memories of 1996? Was it a good year for you?
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