Thanks, Alexander. Yes, of all the cars we could have crashed, we hit an attorney’s car of all that might have been. Breaking a law by breaking a lawyer’s car might have been the piece d’ résistance.
Mauy be amusing now but at the time, we were sweating bullets that someone would break the vow of silence or some super snooping sleuth would find out and we would be confronted by our delinquent behavior.
Kids and some of the “stupid” stuff we did and got away without dire consequences! Hey, I thought of you this morning reading about composting toilets and a travel model. @Megan Youngmee Did you ever have one of those?
May be amusing now. At the time, we were sweating bullets that someone would either break the vow of silence or we would be found out through some other means, super snooping, curious sleuthing. Kids and some of the “stupid” stuff we did and got away without more serious consequences! Hey, I thought of you this morning when reading about traveling composting toilets
Thanks! One question, among others, that I had before posting this story was, why post it? Who cares about what happened 70 years ago? Then I had a conversation with a couple of Substack friends and we concluded that the universe is made up of stories and that by sharing our stories we give shape and sense to our reality. History is ultimately a story. Everything in the past is brought to the present in the form of stories. Without them, making sense of the past would be impossible. They keep the past alive and maybe, each generation can learn from those who have lived before.
What a story and how brave to tell it. Hats off to you. What a different world we live in today and at times I am not sure I like it. Recently I have been feeling a lot of nostalgia.
yes, a different world, and is it better or worse? Better in some ways, worse in others, always changing. How to insure that the changes make for a better world is the challenge. Memories make good stories that we can share, perhaps learn from them what works and what doesn’t.
I’ll tell you a story sometime that involves the Ardmore police. It was an “event” that happened around 1986-87 and involved some underage drinking with a few arrests.
It was not amusing at the time. We were scared as we kept the vow of silence. The antics of teenagers at a different time in history, in spite of the dangers, saw us through years of entertainment and engagement without the benefit or burden of technology.
Definitely not amusing at that time. I have had my share of teenage antics too and I know how if feels. I am glad you were able to confess to attorney's son.
What a fabulous story of teenage shenanigans during a very different time. I plan to share this with my Grandson, who is the n his senior year of High School, heading to Texas A&M next fall.
Yes, very different times in many ways. For one thing, no internet which didn’t take root until 1983. TV did not come to our house until 1950.
Many of us in our younger years had jobs that today’s kids cannot imagine. I may write about one of those when I worked on the railroad at age 15 although the “legal” age was supposed to be 18. J.K. Simmons: “We know a thing or two because we’ve seen a thing or two.”
I loved reading this. I wonder how many readers also burst out laughing when they read the word attorney for the first time :-)
Thanks, Alexander. Yes, of all the cars we could have crashed, we hit an attorney’s car of all that might have been. Breaking a law by breaking a lawyer’s car might have been the piece d’ résistance.
😊
I did!
Gary! What a story. Haha. Thanks for taking us back to your younger years. What a treat.
Mauy be amusing now but at the time, we were sweating bullets that someone would break the vow of silence or some super snooping sleuth would find out and we would be confronted by our delinquent behavior.
Kids and some of the “stupid” stuff we did and got away without dire consequences! Hey, I thought of you this morning reading about composting toilets and a travel model. @Megan Youngmee Did you ever have one of those?
May be amusing now. At the time, we were sweating bullets that someone would either break the vow of silence or we would be found out through some other means, super snooping, curious sleuthing. Kids and some of the “stupid” stuff we did and got away without more serious consequences! Hey, I thought of you this morning when reading about traveling composting toilets
Great story, great read, Gary.
Thanks! One question, among others, that I had before posting this story was, why post it? Who cares about what happened 70 years ago? Then I had a conversation with a couple of Substack friends and we concluded that the universe is made up of stories and that by sharing our stories we give shape and sense to our reality. History is ultimately a story. Everything in the past is brought to the present in the form of stories. Without them, making sense of the past would be impossible. They keep the past alive and maybe, each generation can learn from those who have lived before.
Terrific! Hope you have fun at the reunion!!!
TBD
What a story and how brave to tell it. Hats off to you. What a different world we live in today and at times I am not sure I like it. Recently I have been feeling a lot of nostalgia.
yes, a different world, and is it better or worse? Better in some ways, worse in others, always changing. How to insure that the changes make for a better world is the challenge. Memories make good stories that we can share, perhaps learn from them what works and what doesn’t.
You are so right on all accounts. A wise man!
Old German proverb on a sign in my Dad’s basement workshop:
“We get too soon old and too late smart.” That’s wisdom!
This was such a great read, Gary. I could picture my high school friends and I in exactly your position.
I’ll tell you a story sometime that involves the Ardmore police. It was an “event” that happened around 1986-87 and involved some underage drinking with a few arrests.
That could have been me!
Were you sitting on the roof of the house where the unchaperoned party was going on?
I actually did do that, just not in Ardmore
Roof sitting while drinking must have been a thing…..?
I think it probably always has been
That's an interesting story. I was quite amused as I was reading through. Thanks for taking us down the memory lane.
It was not amusing at the time. We were scared as we kept the vow of silence. The antics of teenagers at a different time in history, in spite of the dangers, saw us through years of entertainment and engagement without the benefit or burden of technology.
Definitely not amusing at that time. I have had my share of teenage antics too and I know how if feels. I am glad you were able to confess to attorney's son.
What a fabulous story of teenage shenanigans during a very different time. I plan to share this with my Grandson, who is the n his senior year of High School, heading to Texas A&M next fall.
Yes, very different times in many ways. For one thing, no internet which didn’t take root until 1983. TV did not come to our house until 1950.
Many of us in our younger years had jobs that today’s kids cannot imagine. I may write about one of those when I worked on the railroad at age 15 although the “legal” age was supposed to be 18. J.K. Simmons: “We know a thing or two because we’ve seen a thing or two.”
Miscreants of the world unite I say. We can assuage our guilt by doing good! Thanks Gary. Bought a miscreant smile to my face. Thanks.
Miscreants unite! We need a little of that right, don’t we. 😁