It Was 1967

You may be wondering what triggered this particular trip back in time. Couple of things, one was the standard "Random synapses firing usually in response to the music", if I may be so bold as to quote the good Captain. The other trigger was the just completed championship of the professional American football league which I won't be so bold as to actually name within these spaces as I have run afoul of the copyright monsters before. The latest "big game" (to adopt the euphemism of many commercial enterprises not wishing to be visited by the lawyers representing the aforementioned league) reminded me of the very first time I had watched said game. Which was also the very first occurrence of this annual sporting event.

Both events of which I'm speaking occurred (obvious by now I would think) in the year 1967. The "big game" was the first of the two events. I mention this because I had told someone at my place of employment that I had watched every single "big game" since its inception in 1967. (Which to remind everyone, was actually the culminating event of the 1966 season. But that has no bearing on this story whatsoever.)

As an aside (or digression if you will, and you must) when I had announced that I had seen every "big game" save one, you'd have thought that I had just announced that I was an eyewitness to Washington's crossing of the Delaware and that I had been physically present at the inauguration of Teddy Roosevelt. Yes, the overwhelming impression given was that I had just announced that "I am old." Although I am not young anymore, I don't consider myself necessarily old.

End of digression...

Now the other event which was triggered by "the music" (as noted above) was the realization that the year 1967 saw the first time I had actually had a date with a girl.

What's that, what "music"? Ah, yes, this music (which came out in the fall of 1966).

Before continuing, I have to remind the progeny that their father (Your Humble Scribe) actually did have a life prior to their births and my marriage to The Missus Herself. Hard to believe, I know.

At any rate, I heard this song, remembered that first girlfriend from so long ago and began to wonder "whatever happened to her"? Truth be told, we parted under less than optimal circumstances. I behaved like an immature teen (which I was, being all of 15 years of age), she exercised the feminine privilege of dumping me. While at the time I thought this was most undeserved, in hindsight she was absolutely correct to hand me my walking papers.

Somewhat awkward as her cousin was my best friend ('twas he who set us up) and I still sat behind her in one class. That was in junior high school for those wondering (and even for those who were not). We did not have "middle" schools where I grew up. Of further note regarding the school system in those days, I went to elementary school, friends of mine who received their early education in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts attended grammar school. They are both (I think) the same. Though based on some of my writing, I perhaps should have attended grammar school.

(Try the pot roast, I'll be here all week.)

Now where was I? Oh yes, whatever happened to...

So through the magic of the web of world wideness I performed a search using the young lady's maiden name. (For when we dated, she was not yet married. Good thing I imagine.)

Now Google is not all powerful and all knowing, though many would like to think so. There are still a great many people in this world who do not show up in an internet search.

No, really.

But she did, for a most unfortunate reason.

For she was mentioned in her husband's obituary. As soon as I saw that, I felt an immense sadness come over me.

Though I had not seen the lady in nearly 44 years, I had fond memories of her. After all, she was the first girl I had ever gone out with. Bear in mind, this was in "olden times" where it was a really "big deal" if a girl held your hand. (She did.) There was nothing untoward involved, those were different times. At least in my neck of the woods (as the old folks back home are wont to say).

I did some more research (she is on Facebook) and saw that she must have had a wonderful life. Two daughters and a loving husband who was much respected in the community (he was a doctor, an OB/GYN to be exact) and at least one grandchild. In the few pictures of her I saw, she looked happy. Though older (aren't we all) she still had much the same smile as she did 44 years ago.

I wondered why the death of a man I had never met bothered me as much as it did.

Well, I knew his wife, I graduated from high school with her. Though we were no longer friends at that point, we had been, at one time, very close.

Now, so many years later, her husband was gone (he was only 64, still a young man in my book) and she now faces a life without him.

I guess one still retains a certain affection for one's first girlfriend. Even if it did end badly.

Well, enough reminiscing. On to some administrative things.

Now I have allocated Monday in these spaces for Juvat to post his stories and tales of days gone by. From what I gather, you like that. So do I. It means I can take Sunday off, if I have a mind to.

Recently Tuna has become, shall we say rather prolific in his contributions to the Chant du Départ. I have promised him Tuesdays as he rather likes the alliteration of Tuna's Tuesday Trivia. It does have rather a nice ring to it, neh?

But on Monday eve I panicked when I saw that there was no Tuna post in the queue. Of course I had quite forgotten the time zone difference between Little Rhody and Sandy Eggo. Tuna could easily write a post in the time period long after Yours Truly has retired for the evening. Well, that's what happened yesterday.

I put together a post and scheduled it for Tuesday morning. Imagine my chagrin when I checked in the morning and discovered that Tuna had posted and that I had posted on top of his post. For fear that Tuna's post would be lost in the shuffle. I pulled my post (some of you had already seen it) and rescheduled it for Wednesday (the same day as this post).

Now in order to not have posts overshadowing each other (much) I have decided (out of the goodness of my heart) to give you two, count them two, posts today. This one and the one I pulled yesterday. But the one with the video (you will know what I mean if you saw it during it's brief existence on Tuesday or if you're reading this post later in the day) will be published later. As in after this one. I would explain more but I think I'm starting to fall into one of those time/space conundrum thingies and have confused myself enough to require a second dose of caffeine.

Carry on...