Pre-Puberty Years
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Well, to start I grew up in Providence R.I. (For you Nor'Easters reading this, that'd be Roe Dyelin!) during the 50's. I lived with my mom, dad (parents were divorced when I was 12) and my grandmother. My grandfather died when I was 5, really didn't get a chance to know him, but from the stories I have been told I was his "little angel". Oh My, shhhh we won't tell him that I was the opposite :o)
I have lots of fond memories of that home... Hmmmm... And maybe a few that I (and others?) would like to forget as well? Such as the time some friends and I were sitting on the front porch one day while Hook'n from school, and my dad came by and started off with, "Aren't you girls supposed to be in school?" I won't relate the details of what occured after that... You can use your imagination. It'd probably be pretty accurate! :o(( Linda, do you remember that? Linda (last name ommitted to protect the << not so>> innocent) is my lifelong friend. We still stay in touch, and she visits with my Mom, who still resides in Providence, regularly. Thanx Linda! The other friends who were "busted" that day included, if my burned-out 60s memory serves correctly, were Susie, and Sharon. If either of you two ever visit my site and read this, please write to me! I'd love to talk, and rebuild old friendships.
My High School Memoirs
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I attended Hope High School located in Providence R.I. in the 60's. They used to call it "Hope for the Hopeless." "LOL" I guess I wasn't that hopeless. I made it through those tedious years of high school. I never really did get into many of the activities, but I did play softball!. I always wanted to play baseball as a child, but back then, only "boys" were allowed. My! How things have changed since then, eh? In 1967-68 Hope High was experiencing Racial Riots. It was so weird going into the school cafeteria and seeing the blacks on one side and the whites on another. I have never been prejudice and that situation really got to me. My parents and I decided that it would be best if I attended another school. We picked Roosevelt School located in Stamford Connecticut. I was happy to be getting away for a year and was ready to receive a good education. All I can say about my experience there is, never believe what you read in school pamphlets. It was a year that I will never forget. Roosevelt School was and still is a Kosher School. I really was getting sick and tired of eating their food, so a friend of mine that was attending the University of Bridgeport, brought me a "grinder" (for all you people that did not grow up back east) that would be a submarine sandwich or a hoagie, well you can just imagine what happened when the owner of the school smelled my food coming through his front door. I was grounded for the weekend(could not leave the school grounds) and my delicious grinder was thrown into the garbage. I was really happy to get back to my home, hope and REAL FOOD!!!. I finally graduated from high school (yea!) and off to college in 1969. Now, there was a good year... :o)) Sex, drugs, and Rock 'n Roll!
Those College Years
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I went to Roger Williams College located in Bristol, R.I. Cool place! It sits right on the shore of the Narragansett Bay and not to far from Newport R.I. Lots of great parties there... And yes, a little educate'n too!
I guess you could say those years (1969-1974) were some of my "best of times" and "worst of times." Great music, Free Love (Sorry Mom!), and Free Speech. A lot of us in college at that time thought the best courses to study were sociology and psychology. We thought by doing this we could change the way things were. Little did we know that it would take much more than a degree to stop all that we believed to be wrong... :o((
The Formative Years
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You may be wondering if i was a "Hippie"? I guess I would say I was... I wore tie dyed shirts; Holes with a little jeans wrapped around 'em (Now days they are selling those for mega bucks! I should've saved a few pair for my retirement, eh? Beads around my neck... (Pookas! Yeah! Do you remember those?) Okay... Sometimes I didn't wear a bra. The guys loved it! Hmmmm... And they still do, come to think of it...
Oh Yeah, I really did go to the "One and Only" Woodstock. But thats not me naked!
It seemed we all had an attitude of a free and easy spirit life, even though the"infamous" Vietnam war was raging on thousands of miles away. I still have my POW bracelet for PFC Paul Hasenbeck, missing in action 4/21/67. I don't know if he is an MIA or was killed. To read a disturbing accounting of this saga go to this page. Could it be the government still doesn't want us to know? I think so!
Since first publishing the above, I have had several "Search Engine Hits" based on a search for "Paul Hasenbeck." If anyone reading this has any additional, or updated, information on Paul, I would certainly welcome hearing from you!
I Don't Wanna Grow Up Years
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So life goes on, and so did I... Graduation from college; Out into the working world. My dad had re-married and moved to Woodland Hills California in 1969. I went back and forth from Rhode Island to California after graduating from college which was in the year 1974. My dad said I could have owned stock in American Airlines the way I was flying from coast to coast. I know I wouldn't want that stock now.LOL. My mom had also remarried in 1973 and I finally settled down, living back in Rhode Island up until the time I got married.
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California Years In 1980 I got married and lived in So. California for 17 years. During those 17 years I was blessed with the birth of my son, Eric Paul. Eric grew up with the love of music, As did I. His dad was, and still is, an avid guitar player. Eric is now 22 and in college studying to be a elementary school teacher. Lets all wish him well. << Kisses to Erkie! You're a great kid! Keep up all of your hard work! >> And yes, the all too common Divorce... Just scratch me up as another statistic there. |
And Life Goes On
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After much soul-searching and dispelling of demons, I finally found "me" again. Yes, my family and friends I found my soul-mate. Thank you Bob for giving me back what I thought I had lost.
I will always be a child of the 60's.
