Out of town on a business trip. Decided to run out and grab a bite to eat after work today So I stopped at a little small wing place. Went in order a meal sat down with my coke and was watching the tv while I waited on my food. The youngsters in the area local college town coming in and out mostly grabbing food to go. ?ÿOne young couple came in and the tall young man had a grin from ear to ear as he was excited with the young lady he had on his date first date from the conversation they were having. Poor guy was so excited he could not figure out which window to order from versus pick up his food. He was grabbing napkins taking it to the table being a gentleman he had to ask her not less than 10 times what she wanted. I sat there listening and watching as she was trying her best to get him pointed in the right direction. Poor guy had to walk 5 miles in a less than a 20 foot walk from the counter to the table back and forth. I wanted to pay for the meal but he was so excited i didn??t want to cause him anymore issues. Oh she had to be raised right because she had the patience of Job. I have no idea how my wings tasted It was the best entertainment I have had in a while. I sat and remembered just how I was at his age. And truth be told I still get giddy when me and the wife get to go out by ourselves without the kids. I reckon i will never grow up. She still makes me smile. But if i could go back in time I would probably kick myself in the rear end and say just slow down and breath and think. ?ÿ
I was a witness once to similar courting rituals in the small rural town of Watts, OK one Friday night.?ÿ
I had two crews working on US59 all week and we had all bunked in Siloam Springs about five miles north of Watts.?ÿ I sent the crews home on Friday afternoon but I stayed late to check the notes on all the BMs we had set up and down the project.?ÿ I remember it was basketball season.?ÿ Dusk caught me as I finished up and I pulled into one of the only diners there in Watts to grab some quick heartburn.
The diner was the social mecca for the HS kids in the area and the place was soon full of letter jackets, blue jeans, mascara, Obsession, Drakkar Noir and Clearasil.?ÿ I wish I had taped it all as it would have made a wonderful Broadway play.
I remember a table close by with two young ladies giving a third all the instructions she would need for her date later in the evening.?ÿ Her date was apparently with the dashing captain of the varsity squad and she was worried she might do something wrong and lose his interest.?ÿ I also remember a pack of three or four unattached males that were trying their best to not have to spend the evening with each other.
But most amazing was a couple that was most assuredly "going steady".?ÿ When they entered all the kids treated them as royalty.?ÿ All the guys wished they had the steady girl friend with the platinum hair and the turned up nose...and all the girls' eyes glazed over as they dreamed of having a steady boyfriend with the curly hair and pale blue eyes.
I realized that almost absolutely nothing had changed since I was a youngster except the dress, the cars and the music.?ÿ The dialog was all the same.
I remember the waitress actually apologized to me for the hub-bub and the noise.?ÿ I told her it was the best show in town.?ÿ
?ÿ ?ÿ?ÿ
@paden-cash so true. I guess what my grandpa told me when I was younger was true. Son one day you will look at all of this and just sit a smile and you will remember nothing really changes it just seems to for now.?ÿ
Today the wife was waiting in a parking lot on my daughter to arrive from an FFA meeting she attended after school. The bus was an hour late. She said I think it is time to get our daughter a cell phone. As she borrowed the bus drivers to call and say mom the bus is late I am fine and we are just a little behind schedule. ?ÿOne I am so glad my 11 year old had enough since to even call her mom the other is it made me remember keeping a quarter in my watch pocket on my jeans so I could call from a pay phone if our bus broke down etc. of course back then parents truly networked and made calls. We had a phone list attached to the fridge of who we were supposed to call if something happened every parent just about had one. Oh I am blessed and truly just flat out enjoying life these days and today was just one of those great days.?ÿ
Remember witnessing something I thought was incredibly bizarre.?ÿ It was a case of watching young people doing what would have been unheard of in my corner of the world.?ÿ But, that's not where I happened to be.?ÿ I was in the downtown area of New Orleans, quite late on a Saturday night.
It was prom night.?ÿ That was obvious.?ÿ High school-aged kids everywhere dressed up like they only look on prom night.?ÿ Now, in my backyard, those kids would have been in their school, dancing and socializing with their friends until the wee hours of the morning.?ÿ Not in New Orleans that night.?ÿ There must have been at least fifty of them, some couples and a lot of singles.?ÿ They had converged on the Popeye's Chicken that was across the huge boulevard from my hotel.?ÿ Our flight had several issues and we had arrived at the airport near midnight with nothing to eat since lunch.?ÿ We spotted Popeye's as a quick fix for our problem.?ÿ The last thing we expected to encounter was fifty teenagers dressed for prom night.
Listening in on their conversations was a treat I will never forget.?ÿ Meanwhile, I kept thinking of all the greasy fingers and the finest threads most of them had ever worn.
