I am 66 years old. I graduated from high school in 1969. I remember that summer of 1969 better than I remember any three month period in my life. I was out of high school and I had found full time employment as a laborer at a construction site. A friend and classmate was working at a local grocery store. A week later I had learned that he had befriended one male coworker, and three female coworkers. All were new high school grads. The guy had graduated from a more distant suburban high school, the three girls had all graduated together from yet another suburban high school, one more nearby. We became six friends who wandered through the warm summer days together, the warm summer days of 1969.
The six of us trekked to an amusement park, attended a local wrestling match featuring Bull Curry and Thunderbolt Patterson, and dined on carry-out pizza at a local park, to name just three of about a dozen activities we enjoyed that summer. I remember everything so well because it was all so new to me: pretty girls, complete with breasts and slim, smooth legs, sitting next to me, sometimes even listening to what I had to say.
Truth be told, in short order I had desires to be more than friends with one of the girls, but alas she wanted nothing to do with me aside from giggling at my jokes. I was going to have to settle for her friendship. Though a bit disappointed, I was willing to do that.
The summer came to an end as all seasons do, and most of us went off to college somewhere. I didn't but most of us did. We had not known each other very long, really, just that summer, and so at summer's end we simply went our separate ways. But I for one never forgot. I have always remembered the names, the places we went, and even some of the conversations, as inane as many of those conversations were.
A few weeks ago I decided to do an internet search for four of the other five. One of them I know to this day and he remains a friend of mine but the other four would require investigation.
What I found was a bit disturbing. Two of the girls are now deceased. One died about ten years ago, the other five years back. The other guy has passed away too. I do not know when. The one girl for whom I had deeper desires, she is still alive and living not far away. She is a grandmother.
I can still remember all six of us crammed into one car, windows down, the warm, humid air whirling around in the car. We were usually laughing but occasionally we would speak seriously of some long-range plan, or perhaps a concern for the Vietnam War, and whether any of us guys would end up over there with a rifle in his hands.
That was a long time ago. I'm glad I had that summer and all these years later, I am glad I can look back upon it. It saddens me to discover that not all of us can.
