memories #14

                                                     

                                                          As the song says

      SOME DAY I’M GOING TO WRITE THE STORY OF MY LIFE AND PUT IT IN A BOOK OF LOVE THAT YO  “SOUR THE ONE I’M THINKING OF.

     A lot of what I remember about my life was the music that swirled around it.  The music of the 50’s professed the trials of growing up.  It was the beat of rock and roll that moved us along our chosen paths.

     “WHY MUST I BE A TEENAGER IN LOVE?”  I sang those words in the summer of 1959.  Not since that wild affair with Buzzy in the first grade was I so smitten with Joan.  

     We both lived in the same community of Durango called Crestview.  As school came to a close that year, we began to see more of each other.  She had just finished her sophomore year and I my freshman year of high school.  Today, her peers might have teased her by referring to her as a cougar.  

     Joan was a bubbly, love of life friendly girl with blue eyes and a smile that lit up a room.  “YOUNG LOVE, FIRST LOVE IS FILLED WITH DEEP EMOTION.  THEY SAY FOR EVERY BOY AND GIRL THERE’S JUST ONE LOVE IN THIS OLD WORLD AND I KNOW THAT I’V FOUND MINE.” During one weekend we ended up at my house.  I introduced her to my mother.  Mom liked her immediately.  The two of them got along with Mom giving her make up lessons out of mom’s cosmetics.

     As the summer vacation was just beginning, a monkey wrench was tossed into the plans.   We were going to move!  Not just to another area of town, but to Florida!  I was shocked!  “SOMETIMES I WONDER WHAT I’M A GOING TO DO, CAUSE THERE AIN’T NO CURE FOR THE SUMMER TIME BLUES”.  

     I didn’t want to leave.  I was fourteen years old (fifteen at the end of July) and would miss my final  summer of Old Timer’s baseball.  And, I had to say goodbye to Joan.  “BYE, BYE LOVE.  BYE BYE SWEET CARESS.  HELLO EMPTINESS.  I THINK I’M A GOING TO CRY.”  

     Mom, my sister and our grand mother left by train a week before Dad, my cousin Zeke and I.  We hooked up a u-haul of our possessions and started off for our five or six day drive.   Dad did most of the driving while Zeke rode shotgun and would give Dad an occasional rest  by driving once in a while.  I had the back seat to myself.

     I had a picture of Joan and placed it above me where I could see her when I wanted.  “DREAM, DREAM DREAM DREAM. WHEN I WANT YOU IN MY ARMS, WHEN I WANT YOU AND ALL YOUR CHARMS, WHEN EVER I WANT YOU ALL I HAVE TO DO IS DREAM” 

     On arriving at our new house,  we unloaded our family possessions and were assigned chores.  When mine were completed, I started to explore my surroundings.  I found a baseball diamond with a sign that said, “ home of the minor league Philadelphia Phillies”.  A baseball field used by the pros!  I was in heaven.

     Within two weeks, I had found and began playing baseball with a senior little league team.  I also found a girl my age and would see her most every day.  “SHE’S MY TALLAHASSEE LASSIE DOWN IN F L A “

     Another big change!  Things weren’t working out for my Dad or me.      Because of a cough I developed we had to leave the humidity and head west to a dryer climate.  My Dad’s mom had purchased a motel in California and we would stay there until plans were made for the next adventure of this crazy summer.  “I’M A TRAVELING  MAN, MADE A LOT OF STOPS ALL OVER THIS WORLD”.

     Dad was offered a job in Durango.  We left ahead of Dad as he needed to finish some obligations he had.  We stayed in a very small apartment on third street in one of those Victornian homes.  I was back in time to finish out the baseball season and at  almost immediately  try out for the Demon football team of Durango High School.  Joan was on the other side of town and became more distant both physically and mentally.  The romance was over.  “I,M JUST A LONELY BOY, LONELY AND BLUE.  I’M ALL ALONE WITHOUT YOU.”

Black day at the ball park

     Foot ball season ended with a so so record.  Dale Rae, LeGrande Slade, Steve Callahan and I lettered as varsity players.  But to wear the “D”, required an initiation. 

     The after math of this affair was that it would never happen again.   At least not to that extreme.  Bare naked we were marked with enamel paint, lined up in the showers and had eggs, fruit spoiled potatoes, and various other sticky gooey  stuff thrown at us.  

     One senior, who criticized  my play in football and generally made my life miserable, would make sure I got the most of everything that night.  He didn’t like me from the first of the year.  I wouldn’t know why until years later.  At this time he was 18 years old going on 25 while I was 15 going on 12.  At least it felt that way.  I deserved some of what I got but this guy went overboard.

     When I got home, Mom started the tub grabbed the scrub brush and the paint thinner.  I would use the paint thinner as part of my washing process for the next week.  Try as he may, Jerry Brandt never got me to quit.   “LOOK, LOOK MY HEART IS AN OPEN BOOK.  I  WANT NOBODY BUT YOU.  SOME JEALOUS SO AND SO WANTS US TO PART  THAT’S WHY HE’S TELLING YOU THAT I’V GOT A CHEATING HEART”

     I would date others after that summer but never with Joan.   We became friends and went our own way after high school.   Such a long time ago.

FIND A WHEEL AND IT GOES ROUND AND ROUND WITH TWO HEARTS ABOUND IN A HAPPY SOUND AS IT GOES ALONG THE GROUND GROUND GROUND  TILL IT LEADS YOU TO THE ONE YOU LOVE.