Recently I have moved (December 2011) back to a place where it will always have fond memories for me. It is always said you can’t go back and oh how true I know that statement well. What I once knew in my town of Houston has changed greatly. Everything I once knew is either dead, torn down or moved on. My best friend (my first room-mate since high school) even left her home town for her much loved country life to raise children, horses and “weenie” dogs. When we graduated high school there wasn’t much around us. Now it is a huge vast metropolitan city, stretching several counties. She graduating from the agricultural north side and me from those unknown south side kids I really knew nothing about.
On the-night-before Christmas, we got together after not seeing each other for more than 25 years. I didn’t realize how much I had missed seeing her every day; sharing secrets that would never be told. Her little brother came in from Arizona with his family. As I looked around the room, in her grand-mothers house, I thought at that moment that this is what life is all about. Her little brother telling stories of our love forgotten past, drinking soda, eating, laughing, and watching the youngest child enjoying all the festivities that Christmas gave him.
My children realized (which they commented on afterwards) “Mom, we have never seen this side of you, happy and carefree? What happened?” This is just one segment of life my precious young people that we all do not necessarily anticipate. Life will always have its ups and downs. As we grow older we see things in such an unusual perspective that it is sometimes strange or maybe even surreal. We see things differently than the way we did when we were 20.
I can see me standing up in the passenger side of a fast car’s t-top, roaring 80 mph down I-10 West turning around and throwing up on a police cruiser following closely behind. Was that projectile coming out of my mouth? Oh yes! When I arrived home, I was escorted on the shoulders of a big lanky officer and placed in the tub to sleep. One-the night-before Christmas, my children learned about how their Mother was head banger, country western dancer, and all around wild child.
But it just didn’t begin there. About a week before my daughter learned that her Mother knew how to tie a tie with a pair of panty hose while seeing a mouse that no one knew existed; it is funny being told you’re “drunk”; seeing things until everyone else sees it and starts screaming. (That was in Mobile, Alabama on 4 something or other Dauphin Street) Needless to say I wasn’t drunk. Very often did I get overly intoxicated because I detested the nose feeling when the incredible “liquor monster” came out of it. They also learned that I was “the only wild child” when everyone thought it was my room-mate the red-head.
To go down memory lane, there was this fence. One of my dear friends from high school and I could not handle that “darn” fence. She was generally the passenger. Mother C asked me one day if I had hit her fence and knocked it over. I looked at her and said no, which was a big lie. She knew it. I realized that green paint had knocked off my fender onto her fence post. (Amazing how that happens!) But as she called me NDF = no damn fun, she yanked my chain about that every-day since. I was afraid she was going to kill me!
Grand-mother A took my room-mate and I dancing one night. At 11:00pm, we were dying at 21—back, knees, legs, and feet. Grand-mother A had something on us; she was still going strong with the rest of the 60 and 70 year olds. I vowed right then and there – that is the type of lady I want to be when I get older. A great lady with a lot of years and love left to give everyone. Has it turned out that way? Hell yes! So the memories will slowly unfold as I continue to write my blog. Two male guy-pals from high school, I remembered! OMG after 30 years, I remembered! No---it really isn’t what you think. The cow tipped and they had to re-tip it back in the bolder holder!
Beware! To all the young people, if you are being mooned by what may look like some saggy elephant butt against the window, it might be me! If I flash someone and my breast fall to the knees well, just consider it gross fun! Why can’t I have a great time! Hell I want to get my PhD and I might just join some outlaw motorcycle gang! Does any- one know how to pimp an electric wheel chair?
