Can you remember the big events that changed your life? The 5 years from 1963 to 1968 brought big changes to mine. The sad times were eased by the happy ones. My memories of that time begin with the death of J.F.K and my parent's divorce and ended with the death of his brother, Bobbie and Martin Luther King and my marriage. Between those events I can remember enough to fill a lifetime but it really was only 5 years and one special summer.
I sat on "The Dock of the Bay" on Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay in 1967 and watched ships roll in. I lost a friend when M.L.K. was shot; she was black and I white and neither one of us knew exactly how to talk about what had happened so we didn't.
There were friends that ran with us and laughed with us but lay dead in a strange foreign land just a few weeks later. People knew that the time then was precious. We didn't know why but it seemed that everything was important. Everything was new but familiar like we had waited all our lives to be in that place.
There were flower children in San Francisco but not everyone was wearing flowers in their hair. Not everyone was taking dope. Some of us just wanted to have fun, and laugh and love someone.
There was music everywhere then. Songs that were so new you began to think differently once you heard them. Music ruled. Music was everywhere. Music is my memory box to this day and those songs still have a
Pat's 1967 Royal Blue mustang; slurpies, crusin' with the radio on, Valley Faire Mall and boy watching.
Hey Pat, did you know you will always be our
"Brown Eyed Girl"?
OUCH ! It wasn't me...I didn't do it !
When did I meet Butch. Summer 1966. I don't exactly know but it was the right time for me. He was so cool. Tight jeans and a rough look. He was working at the stable tending the horses. My mom boarded her horse there too. Every day after school I went to make sure mom's gelding, Shadow's water trough was full and his manger wasn't empty.
The guy's real name was Adam but he told me to call him Butch and I thought that was just about the coolest name in the world and he was just plain mesmerizing. Not really handsome, but he did have some great hazel eye's.
My mom came looking for me one afternoon. I wasn't alone at the stable. She knew it and called me out to the car.
"Get in" she said, "Let's go home", "Lock the barn door" she said.
I stood there frozen. I couldn't lock the door. Butch was in there and he couldn't get out if I did.
"I can't", I said "Why?" she said.
But she knew why before she asked. I was, for that instant completely and totally in love with this mysterious dark and brooding guy. I was 15 years old! What else was there for me but to be in love.
He kissed me many times that summer. Real kisses...
