09-09-73 Delta Done

Looked in a diary today. It's all 09-09-09 today, so I wondered what I did on past 09-09's. My diary informed twas Sunday and the high school sophomore version of myself griped about homework on this rainy Sunday. There was no visit to the church house either. Even by that time, anything spiritual wasn't part of my routine--even tho the only black church, in my town, was across the street.

I also write I had to work on a speech for my French II class. I enjoyed the class. Took three years of it and remember some words in 09-09-09. Alas, for some now forgotten reason, I didn't take French my senior year. Our teacher, bless her heart, taught my dad, uncles and aunts back in the 1940's. She was a "Miss" and my chums and I wondered why she never married. We romanticized perhaps her suitor died in the war...we never knew.

Anyway, on 09-09-73, I watched the Redskins-Bears NFL game. I rooted for the Redskins (this was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay before I had any allegiance to the Dallas Cowboys) who beat the Bears 17-3. Later I watched some Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis movie. I didn't write the title. Musta not been one of my favorites then. No cable TV either. Ya know, I had a gi-normous crush on Jerry Lewis, when I was a kid. I thought I would marry him. Don't ask. Another long forgotten reason.

I also wrote how an elderly man passed away. How I remember he and his wife, always being nice to me. How my parents seemed to really like them. Made me sad, because he and his wife were both gone. As my mom would be dead two years later on this month. I actually wrote how I wish I had a woman to talk to and how our high school guidance counselor just wasn't it.

Don't remember anything of that. Except the wish of mom. That continues today.

The last part of 09-09-73 was the number one song. Trust me, not a fave of mine, yet there were a couple songs this lady sang, I did like--just not this one. So let's cue up alittle Helen Reddy to hear her roar with "Delta Dawn"

1973...I barely remember you!

Your Head Better Be Up:It's Friday!

Will you look at that!
We made it through a short but LONG week!
Why when a holiday is part of the week ,it seems to take twice as long to get to the finish line?
The weekend is HERE!
FRIDAY!
What could be better than that?
Ya know, I could go on and on and ON, but why?
Let's just cut to the chase.
Cue up Argent, from 1973, who tells us to Hold Your Head Up. And to think I had this 45!
Argent had the right idea: Get on with the weekend!
Enjoy

December 27, 1973 was Thursday

As the sun shines on this Saturday, my diary took me back to a Winter's Day in Iowa. Had to laugh because the eight lines I wrote, for this day, had to do with the opposite sex! Yes, indeedy. Both of them older. ANCIENT, but worldly to me and my girl hood best friend-then--and both in their 20's at that time.

Oh my, when I look back, one I'd known for years. His older and younger sister, along with himself, took dancing lessons from the same teacher I did. They were kind of the Dancing Von Trapps, but not really. All 3 kids, seem to be in every other dance at the recital, with the best dances. His younger sister was just a year or two older than me. I envied her SO much. Coolest costumes, best dances. And his oldest sister taught me piano for about six months when I was nine. I wasn't feeling the whole piano thing at the time. That came later--but that's another post.

But HIM. Oh yea. By this time in 1973, we ran into him at our town's tennis courts. My girl hood best friend and I both had a fit as we tried our best Chrissy Evert. I remember asking him if he was who I thought he was. The dancer. Yes he was. Looking back, he must've thought we were nuts. We actually set him up with our student French teacher. Can't remember her name, but I don't care. We just thought he was HOT. So on this day, he saw us as he drove past and WAVED!! The earth stood still.

The other guy I spoke of, was a substitute teacher we had in our 7th Grade English class. How do I remember it was 7th grade? Because all us girls, were discovering boys, but this guy was a MAN, and none of our male teachers looked like HIM. Ha! My girl hood best friend and I rattled on and on about him to my mom. We thought the gods were kind to us, because we had him for two days. In real life, he was the high school librarian's husband. We envied her, but weren't sure what we envied her for. Anyway, fast forward to 1973, this hunk was with his wife in some store--I just foamed at the mouth. And going to back to when he substituted, we girls couldn't believe such good fortune because during the days he was there, we'd all peaked in the room. Just to just get a glance of him. I'm sure he thought we were nuts too!

And there was this song that had been Number 1 until December 22, by Charlie Rich. He sang about The Most Beautiful Girl in the world...and back in 1973, we wished we were seen as such. Cue it up.

Black Friday...Indeed

Relationships. Not shopping. It's one of those days when you realize something is over. Finally over. Shoulda been over long ago. Yet you hung on. Nibbled on the carrot dangled in front of you. Think he'll really see how you two could've been. He tells you how important it is to see each other, how much he loves you, longs for you and need to get to know each other again. Have coffee and talk. You agree, tell him how happy you'll be to do just that. You ask when to meet at Starbucks. His response? "I'll call you." That was August. Still no call.

Relationships. Sad in a way. Yesterday Thanksgiving. You do your traditional Thanksgiving church service at Inspiring Body of Christ Church with Pastor Rickie G. Rush. In a crowd of a thousands, he spots you As he walks up the aisle, he starts to wave, yet seems to hesitate to continue the wave. You just nod. He's later in the choir and seems to enjoy himself. Your lives have taken such turns. You do wonder where he'll spend Thanksgiving. You just know it's not with you. You realize there's a reason for that.

After service, as you journey to your Thanksgiving destination, he calls you. To say how good it was to see you in church. That's sincere. You know it is. You don't play around with stuff concerning the church house. He goes on and yaps about something else. You feel empty. There's nothing there. You tell him, you realize choices have been made, and you respect them. He just gets silent. Maybe he tried to reach out. Maybe it was to dangle a carrot.

Just this time you choose not to nibble. Nothing in his actions shown he would do anything different than the past. You've made mistakes where men are concerned. You realize how you let them tell you what was wrong with you. More than one told you how you expected to much. Including this man from yesterday. Your step-mother even told you once to not be so strong. Of course, this is the same woman who told you, while you were in your 20's, 'to have any man's baby, just so you could have one." You never realized that anything could be wrong with the men. That it could be their control factor. You always thought it had to be you. With your usual bold, brash nature, you feared if you spoke up too much, too soon, the men, who you thought you loved and cared for, would run for the hills.

You would stay silent for too long. Because when you finally did rise up, the men were aghast on how dare you say such things! They wouldn't pay you any mind. If you fought the fear and spoke up sooner, woulda saved you alot of heartache. You coulda chipped in for their bus fare to the hills.

Relationships. Whether they work or not, you need to be open about them. Cry some. Laugh some. Eat some ice cream. Yet, regardless of age, always learn from. Don't ever settle. You realized you settled for the bread crumbs thrown to you, by the man in the choir and others.

You deserve the whole loaf. Remember that.

Now, cue Gladys and her Pips tell us how to neither one of us.....