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June 22, 2006 I find that I am getting very nostalgic these days and I think about the past a lot; it's one of the few things that I can do in comfort during these hellish Arizona summer days without dying of heat stroke. It's about 110 degrees outside and will continue to be like this for at least four more months. I read a lot and on occasion, watch television despite the endless reruns of my favorite shows but I also think about the past and many of the things that went into making up my life's resume. I grew up in Southern California which was a fun place to be back in the innocent 50's. I could actually take a bus to Hollywood and shop along Hollywood Boulevard safely and without being accosted by druggies, pimps and other unsavory characters. I could wander into my favorite bookstore, "Book City", and spend hours browsing the shelves I could go to "The House of 5 & 9" and try on outfits and even visit the USO Canteen and chat with the off-duty servicemen who hung out there. Some of those soldiers would be gone in a few years due to escalation of the war in Viet Nam but at that moment, they were just kids like I was and fun to talk to and dance with. A friend of mine named Michelle and I once snuck out of our houses in the middle of the night and walked over Beverly Glen Blvd until we reached Sunset Boulevard. Our goal was a coffee shop named "Googies" where we had heard that James Dean hung out. We were determined to see Jimmy in the flesh and we got our wish after waiting for three long hours and nursing a couple of soft drinks which was all we could afford to buy. Jimmy came into "Googies" with his constant companion, a woman who played the character "Vampira" on television (real name Maila Nurmi) and walked right past our booth. Instead of saying "Hi" or asking him for an autograph both my friend and I were rendered speechless and we merely sat and watched him. He was short and wore horn-rimmed glasses and had a lot of moles on his face; not the sexy guy we had seen in films like "East of Eden" and "Rebel Without A Cause". He didn't look like a movie star at all but we didn't care...he was James Dean!!!! If I remember correctly, I was grounded for about a month after I got caught for that little scheme. It was still worth it because a month later James Dean was dead in a horrific car crash while driving his Porsche on route to an auto race. I got to meet a lot of famous people back in those days through my dad and after awhile I no longer got excited about movie stars because they either looked no different than average people or were wearing so much make-up that it was like watching clowns at the circus. The Drive-In Movies were are main source of entertainment and the most frequent date spot. We enjoyed fogging up the windows of the old cars that our boyfriends usually drove. The most popular make was a '48 Ford with four doors. The only time that I ever saw an entire movie was when my date was not to my liking and I was anxious to keep him as far away from me as possible (not easy sitting in a cramped car). The popcorn and hotdogs that were sold at the snack bar were a huge treat and we measured our dates by their willingness to go and get us food at intermission. If they were too cheap we made sure that EVERYONE knew about it afterward. The boys often told stories about how many "bases" they had gotten to whether it was true or not. Many a reputation was ruined based on those tall tales. I say "tall tales" because the majority of us 50's girls were virgins and we did NOT put out. (at least the ones in my crowd didn't and second base was about as far as most of us would go). Once in a while someone would get pregnant and it would be absolutely scandalous. I knew only two girls who had babies in their mid-teens and believe it or not, they are still married to the fathers of their children. Senior year was the best time of my life because I had accumulated enough credits to only attend two classes per day and they were both "electives". I took Drama and Chorus so the days were filled with emoting and singing which were my two favorite pass-times (besides boys). I got off early and went to the beach every single sunny day that entire year (I was deep into my "Gidget" phase). The Prom was magical and I wore a really pretty strapless, ankle length gown (which threatened to cause a wardrobe malfunction several times that night), and our Graduation was everything that I hoped it would be. The only unfortunately part was that my last name was at the very end of the alphabet and considering that our class had over 900 kids in it, I sat out in the hot afternoon sun for a long time before receiving my diploma. Afterwards, we all went to Disneyland which had opened on July 17th, 1955 and was still a fun adventure. I just realized that this story has no real ending because I am not going to continue on with the story of my entire life, but it was a fun chapter so I wanted to write about it. I often wonder what it would have been like growing up in a small town where everyone knew everyone else but my life in California was fine for me. I only remain in contact with a few people from back in those days but the memories linger on...especially on 110 degree days when there isn't much else to do but remember. ------------ About the author: Meri has a Medical/Legal background and is a former forensic researcher specializing in psychological profiling. https://www2.xlibris.com/bookstore/bookdisplay.asp?bookid=27335 Email: writers2@cox.net Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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