Ever tested your memory … because you could? Some odd collection of something, to see what you recall? Like the starting defense of the 1979 Los Angeles Rams?

Not looking it up: Jack Youngblood and Fred Dryer, ends; Larry Brooks and Mike Fanning (?) at tackle; Jack Reynolds, Bob Brudzinski and Jim Youngblood at linebacker; cornerbacks Pat Thomas and Rod Perry; safeties Nolan Cromwell and Dave Elmendorf. I think.

(OK, now I checked, at football reference, and they are right, even Mike Fanning. I covered that team; I loved those guys, right through their Super Bowl close call.)

Another one I can get close to, but probably not nail — and perhaps can not even check on, without a fair amount of work: The 17 kids I graduated with from grade school. Not that anyone should care. But I find it an interesting exercise.

I’m pretty sure there were 18 of us. Graduating from eighth grade; no junior high for us at First Lutheran School in Long Beach.  Straight to high school, which was more than a little creepy.

And I think it was 10 boys and eight girls.

Let’s start with the boys.

Jeff Krall (the best athlete), Curtis Taplin (the fastest kid), Otho Smith (a great name), Gregory Duros, David Poston, Bill Yates (?), Milan Pezich, Tyrone Richardson, John Taylor and me.

Now, the girls: Pam McWilliams, Kathy Hoff, Lynn Nutzman, Janet Reggio, Ann Schlieman (sp?), Dorothy Coleman, Debbie Allen, Gail Steffen.

That’s 18 kids. And most of them are correct. The girls are, for sure, with one bad spelling. On the boys side, Bill Yates and Tyrone Richardson came late in our academic history. Maybe a couple of years? I think. And John Taylor may have left before eighth grade …

And why should anyone care? You shouldn’t.

It’s just a test of memory. And some of those kids I spent eight years with.

Perhaps try making a list of something similar from your own life. Cub Scout compadres. The kids in Sunday School. The neighborhood kids. See what you remember. Kids baseball teams.

It’s more fun if you can go back and check, but it’s an interesting test.

And if I forgot someone from First Lutheran, Class of … A Long Time Ago, I apologize.

I may wake in the middle of a night and remember you.