My thoughts drift back in time to kids I knew in grade school and wonder where they are now. Linda was a class mate in grade school and it seemed most girls physically and emotionally matured faster than us boys by the 7th and 8th grades. Some of these girls were developing relationships with older boys already in high school. This was common in small town USA. Linda had a boy friend by the name of Dave, who was two or three years older and at some time while she was in high school became pregnant in the early1960's. It wasn't until 1968, when I was living in Susanville going to Lassen College that I ran across Dave and Linda at the laundromat one night. They had 4 little boys ranging in age from 2 to 6, hardly a year apart was my best guess. They had a dirty white Studebaker Lark car with laundry piled in the back seat and every washer and dryer going in the place. We got to talking and catching up about each others lives as the little boys ran around the place playing games. Dave was working on a remote cattle ranch somewhere east of Susanville where they lived. They seemed happy with what they had and I got the impression with not much money. Linda said they only came to town once a month to do laundry and shop. After all their laundry was washed and dried they stuffed it all in the back seat along with the boys and drove off in the night back to the ranch. I never saw them again. Wonder where they are today?
A collection of stories from the life of Michael Burke. He worked for the Forest Service in Alaska, California, and Oregon. He lives in Oakland, OR. His wonderful wife, Celia, passed in May of 2021
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FOUR YEAR ANNIVERSARY
It is four years today when Celia left this word, something I think about every day. It is not all sorrow as I think back on her humor, w...
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It is four years today when Celia left this word, something I think about every day. It is not all sorrow as I think back on her humor, w...
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In my early days with the Forest Service we were called upon to fight fires with little choice in the matter, especially on our days off or ...
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One of my most memorable Thanksgivings was when I lived in Eugene from 1991 to 2000. My two children were with me on Thanksgiving of 1992...
With the Internet, you can likely track them (or their kids) down and rekindle your friendship. My high school was in Yokohama, and most attendees were military dependents. After graduation, we scattered to the wind in all directions. Yet today, with thanks to the Net and social media, many of us have reconnected and hold regular reunions in exotic places like Las Vegas, San Diego, Seattle and Williamsburg. Our Yo-Hi (aka Nile C. Kinnick HS) Red Devils are a rather unique bunch.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I wonder about Dougie Wagner, who I used to play with in the sandbox in kindergarten. Heard he had become a sheriff in Lodi. Oh boy!!! Now there's a good laugh...from sand pancakes to law & order!
ReplyDeleteSorry, guess kindergarten doesn't count as a high school relationship! I always was too slow to catch the point, ha, ha!
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