Flashback Friday

I hope you have had your first cup of coffee, let the dog out for his first territorial leak, and had time to brush away the sleep in your eyes.  This flashback, compliments of Kodak, is from the 70's, and could be a bit jarring too early in the morning .   Dutifully posed in front of the house with the other bros, this young man has just started to piece together whatever it is people piece together at this age.  And perhaps doing it poorly.  

I have a confession:  I never studied in high school.  I didn't really take too much seriously.  I figured that was what study halls were for.   I think I got on the honor roll a few times, but they were just accidental, I never worked for it.  I think back and wonder what I could have done with a wee bit more application. 

Oh well, I had fun.  I look at that picture and wonder what was going on that particular day.  What were my thoughts, feelings, actions.  Was it a good day or not.  And from the perspective of a 16 year old,  what major concerns could there have been?  No bills, no particular wants, no deep-seated psychological drives or personal crusades - just a normal kid doing normal things.   That's why time flies, folks, because day in and day out we take care of the mundane.   

Our lives are smothered by the ordinary, and that's why the extraordinary is so noteworthy in our lives.  Its called life.  We wrap ourselves into a cocoon of ordinariness so that the special times we have become memories we keep.  I haven't a clue as to what was extraordinary in that kids day or week or month.  I suspect, however, that when young, even the mundane can be special.  A first kiss, holding hands,  a film that enlightens, a book that opens a world, all these things are the foundation of who we are and who we have become.  

Things I do remember as a kid:

• When we were younger we used to camp out at various places around Seaton.  Once it was at Sponsler's place about a couple miles outside town and other times in town with various buddies.  I recall waking in early hours a bit before sunrise and absolutely marveling at the country sky.  The stars, constellations, the vastness of it.  It was a beautiful site.
• I taped car advertisements on my door as a helpful tip to my parents that I needed my own wheels.  At that time Wombie and I shared a car, which, in high school simply didn't work.  
• Cruising with Ed Johnson in his robin egg blue '62 Chevy.  Once we went up to the  Quad Cities to the Pete's Midwest which was a strip club.  I don't know how we got in.  We had to have been too young.  But we did.  
• Helping with the high school class homecoming float stuffing crepe paper into chicken wire.  I think I was coerced by some girls.  It was OK, tho.  It was fun.
• My first time scooping the loop in Aledo (I don't know who's car I was using) having just turned 16 and at the 4-way not getting in the left turn lane - instead turning right from wrong lane and causing JR Lowery who was also turning from the correct lane to hate me for life.
• Being bribed by Marj to get Wombie and me something if we'd be good soldiers at the doctors or dentists.  Once we got little transistor radios.  Even then I'm not sure we were good soldiers. 
• Speaking of doctors and dentists:  Dr. Ebersole was cool, Dr. Sterrett was not, and Dr. Sexton was a saint.
• Mrs. Anderson, our 1st grade teacher was very nice but when she got angry one of her eyes would roll uncontrollably.  
• Every teacher in Seaton was great: Olson, Clute, Kauzlerich.  Worst teacher I ever had was Mr. Talkin for algebra.  Best in high school were Lotz, Malone, Bucklew, Miles.
• Fear of failure has always been my bugaboo:  I usually wished for rain before softball games so wouldn't have to suffer the indignation of failing.  This permeates today.  And I don't really know why, because I have achieved as well.   
• My bed was situated next to a window and nothing was better than on winter nights than the brightness of the snowy night light in the room.  That and the heat coming off the radiator just next to me was a warm and secure feeling.  Add Christmas lights on the front bushes and it was a kaleidoscope of light. For some reason the Wombie and I would keep talking to each other until we fell asleep: no one wanted to be the last one asleep.  Strange.  
• There was a big tree in the front yard when we were kids.  A scythe had been placed in one of the forks at some point and the tree swallowed it up.  Neat looking.  This tree was brought down on the same day Bunker Hill died in his Valiant in an accident.  I always thought it was at the McCaw corner, but the Wombie says it happened somewhere else.  One of the more macabre things we did as a family as kids was to go to Beverlin's Towing in Aledo after an accident and see the wreck.  So did everyone else.  Sounds ghoulish.  Once I saw a tooth embedded in a steering wheel.  We would also all climb in the car regardless of the time if there was a fire in Seaton and follow the fire trucks.  Herb was a volunteer fireman so he'd go and fight it, and we;d all watch.  Another little tidbit is that because Herb was a volunteer he had a siren switch in the house.  On some days we would be responsible for sounding the noon siren.  Marj would let the Wombie and I throw the switch if we were home. 
• Ice cream was the treat at home.  We always had some in the fridge.  And our own ice cream bowls.
• First dead person I ever saw was Roy Rader from next door. 
• Seaton characters:  Dick Douglas, Lehman McClellan,  Bert Condor and his son, The Mole Man.  Harry Bird,  Stan Brown,  Louis Owens, Walter Wolf.  
• We had a barber in Seaton for a short time who was a convicted murderer.  he served his time and apparently learned a trade.  Wonder what ever happened to him.  Then we went down to Keithsburg to Don Dodson who whistled while he worked.
• We had the best sandbox in town.   
• My cars from high school through college and early MDH:  57 VW ($100), 67 Plymouth, 77 Pacer (died when I ran into a cow), 79 Pontiac Grand Prix.  Bro Phil had a beautiful 64 Chevy and 68 Camaro convertible.  Now tell me who my folks liked better.
• My first attempted breast feel:  Mickey Truman in the Seaton school fire escape.  She wisely diverted my fumbling advances.
• My grandmother Mona would fix me custards when we were down in Quincy and always sent back one wrapped in a bandanna handkerchief.  Never had one since.  
• I fell off the monkey bars in grade school in Seaton.  It caused quite a stir.  
• I had asthma as a kid. There were times I exacerbated the sound of the wheezing to get out of school.
• Rollie Reed was our bus driver, and grade school custodian.  He was cool.  
• The Wombie and I were permanently thrown off the Keithsburg-Seaton school bus in kindergarten for opening the emergency rear door.  We didn't, of course, but we were banned nonetheless.   Of course, it was probably more Marj taking matters in her own hands and not letting us ride the bus anymore.  Not really certain. 
• I got paddled by the 'board of education' once in Seaton grade school but I don't remember why.  Mr. Clute (who is still alive and who I went to see a couple years ago) administered the lesson. 
• There was a chicken coop over on the Rader farm not too far from us that they cleaned out with a firetruck and let us neighborhood kids use as a clubhouse.  
• Mark and I were part of a cub scout group that was disbanded after all of us were caught smoking at Camp Seataga.  Apparently the older boy scouts were entrusted to take care of we little ones, and, sadly, strayed from the more acceptable lessons of scouting.
• There is a rare round barn out at the Ewing farm South of Seaton.  We went there often to play basketball with Ivan and other Seaton kids.  
• Folks went to California for a vacation with friends when we were in high school and unwisely left us without supervision.  We had a big party at the house and used up all of their liquor.  We filled the empty bottles with water during cleanup the next day.  When the folks had a party of their own after returning there was all kinds of Hell to pay.  

We are all a sum of our parts.  A little experience there, and bad time of things here, and before you know it, you are all grown up and learning the ways of it.  I still am.  That kid up in the picture above didn't know it but he was setting off on an adventure that continues to this day.  Same as all you guys, too.