SHE WASN'T WHAT SHE SEEMED

The year was 1966.  I had graduated from high school and got a job at Lockheed helping build C-141.  In 1966 if you could get on at Lockheed you were what we called in the money.  I was making more than most of my friends which helped to make me a cool dude.  Of course a good paying job helped you be a cool dude but you had to also have other things  and I was on my way to having it all.  My first purchase was a 1964 off-white Dodge convertible with red interior.  Of course I had to put American Mags on my new sled and now I was ready to cruise.  I had let my hair grow which was the groovy thing to do back then and when I had the top down and my hair blowing in the wind,  that's right I had hair back then,  I just knew I was hard to resist.  I was having a great time but it seemed as if one thing was missing.  I know.  I needed my very own pad to crash at.  I had met a guy through friends name Bob Klebo that lived in the Georgian Arms Apartment.  He had lost his roommate, had only two weeks left on his lease and was looking for a new roommate to move in.  We talked it over and decided I was his man.  They had just built some new apartments close by and we decided instead of staying at the Georgians Arms we would move into these new apartments named Hickory Lake Apartments.  These new apartments were the bomb.  We were on the third floor, which was the top, and our balcony overlooked beautiful Hickory Lake.  Hickory lake was about an acre pond which the apartment surrounded and the apartment owners had put grills and picnic tables around the lake for our pleasure.  As Bob and I would sit on our balcony,  feet propped up, drinking a cool one, looking over beautiful Hickory lake, I would often  asked myself,.......... "Can things be any better?"   As I pondered this question,  deep down inside, it still seemed as if "one" thing was missing.  I know,,,,,,I needed a cool, beautiful girl to share my great life with.  But where would I find someone cool enough for me?

Bob and I decided to have a party and invited a few friends over for steaks on the grill down by beautiful Hickory Lake.  Bob was dating a young lady at the time, I can't recall her name  but I do remember I liked her.  She was a lot of fun to be around.  She asked if she could bring a friend with her to the party and of course we said that would be great.  I thought to myself, maybe this is the cool girl I need to make my life complete.  As we were grilling steaks down by beautiful Hickory Lake, around the corner comes Bob's girlfriend and this goddess of a friend she had.  I looked up to the heavens and said in a silent voice....."Thank you God."

We grilled,  we ate,  we talked, we watched the sunset over beautiful Hickory Lake as soft music filled the air from the record player on our balcony 3 stories up.  It was a fun time and I thought to myself,  This has to be what was missing from my life.  As Bob's girlfriend and the goddess were about to leave, I asked if she would like to go out the next weekend and to my delite she said yes.  ALRIGHTTTTTTTTTT I said to myself in that silent voice it seems  I used a lot back then.  The week dragged by.....It seemed the the next weekend would never come.

 But finally.  Finally It's Friday night.  I want everything to be perfect  I decide to wear my navy blue slacks and a yellow Izod shirt..I go and have the Dodge washed and let the top down. I've scrubed, brushed and combed.  I've splashed on the English Leather and everything is perfect.  Yep that's what I said,  Everything is perfect, for the last time that night.  On my way to pick the goddess up I have a flat on the Dodge.  No big problem.  A quick tire change and I'm on my way again.  Of course I'm running about 15 minutes late now and I have dirt on my hands and on my face where I wiped away the sweat with my dirty hands, but again I say to myself in that silent voice...."No big deal."  But to the goddess it did seem to be a big deal.  She couldn't understand why I didn't leave early in case of a problem on the way.  Once again in that silent voice I told myself to just ignore her attitude,  she was probably excited about the date like I was and things would be better as the night went on.  I excused myself to her bathroom and washed my hands and all the English Leather off my face and neck and once again we were on our way.

I had decided on a movie with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.  The Movie was called "Who's afraid of Virginia Wolf".   I loved it!!!!!!Of course the goddess hated it.  She said next time she would pick the movie.  Believe it or not I was beginning to hear a hint of irritation in my silent voice.

I thought to myself,  let's go to the Varsity and get something to eat.  Everyone likes the Varsity.  We'll cruise through with the top down,  park on the upper deck, get a P.C. or a Frosted Orange and a little something to eat,  watch the people and finally have some fun.  Have some fun?  Boy was I wrong but as I look back it was funny.

As we parked the Dodge the curb boy as we called them came out to the Dodge.  There was a certain curb boy that I had become friends with named Dave.  He always waited on me, gave me great service, we would cut up with each other and of course I Tipped him well.   The goddess said  she  wasn't very hungry so I just ordered us each an order of fries and a P.C.   As always Dave was Prompt.  I thought surely the goddess will be impressed with the service......NOT....

As Dave hung our tray in the window of the Dodge, I payed him,  tipped him well and thanked him for the great service.  I then started to hand the goddess her fries and as my night had gone, I dripped some ketchup on my yellow Izod.  WELL JUST DARN..................What else could go wrong tonight?  By now my silent voice was yelling words that would fry a mushroom.  But just then the voice calmed down...In a very subdued gentle tone the voice said...."BE COOL"

So in a controlled manner I calmly placed the goddess' frys back on the tray.  Slowly opened my door,  stepped outside the Dodge. and cleaned the ketchup off my yellow Izod and brushed off my navy blue slacks.   I then slowly climbed back inside,  grabbed the armrest on the door and slammed it shut.  There must be a physic lesson it what happened next.  As the door came to rest in a closed position,  the fries and P.C.s didn't.   They flew all the way over me and landed directly in the lap of the goddess.  I quickly learned the goddess didn't have a silent voice nor did she talk like a lady.  She also didn't have a sense of humor.....Needless to say i didn't get a good night kiss and I never saw the goddess again.  I also learned that people aren't what they always seem.  I also learned a much more valuable lesson.  Money, clothes, cars, houses don't make you cool.  What makes you cool is whats inside of you. It's who you are,  not what you have.  Listen to that silent voice....It can teach you alot.  The silent voice is a much better judge of people than our eyes.