Monday, May 23, 2022

The Red Chevy Convertible

 

The Red Chevy Convertible

It was a cold day in January of '63 and my buddy pulled up in his brand-new red Chevy convertible that he had just purchased from William Pape Chevrolet in Huntington. I think they called it Huntington, but in reality, I believe it was Huntington Station or South Huntington as it was sometimes called.


Anyway, he said "c'mon, get in, let's cruise". I thought wow, this car is an awesome babe catcher! With the top down and the heater blasting we drove
aimlessly back and forth between Northport and East Northport as Ruby
and the Romantics sang "Our Day Will Come", interlaced with Skeeter
Davis' "End of the World" on 1010 WINS, New York. I think they were the
only two songs being played that month by New York disc jockeys. Small wonder to an industry that was rampant with payola kick-back in what
unraveled as DJ, Alan Freed's fall from grace in congressional hearings.

Soon, the months would peel off the calendar and it would be May of
1963, just one month before graduation. Can anyone remember what it is
like to be 17, in the spring of the year and only 30 days to go? Study
anyone? Not for us.......Along about second period, my buddy came by
and once again invited me to go for a cruise. School? We don't need no
stinkin' school! While most others were busy preparing for the finals,
we made a beeline for the parking lot and down came the convertible top.
By this time, the Beach Boys were singing "Surfin' Safari" and in the
moment, it would not have mattered if we were to be caught, as long as
it didn't happen until
tomorrow.

The rest of the day was a study in geography as we discovered places that we had never seen. We drove out to Nissiquoge and my buddy climbed the old wooden windmill. I did not, as the stairs were rotted and broken, and I was afraid that it was too dangerous. In reality, it
was too dangerous, but we enjoyed the day just the same. Little did I know that I would one day make a living inspecting buildings. Somehow, our absence from school never got recognized and we got away with the caper, Scott-free. I hope Mr. Fazio doesn't read this, or if he does, maybe, just maybe he can find a red Chevy convertible somewhere back there in his own past,

This vignette one of those pleasant little departures with no need for a punchline. For those who saw the movie, Mr. Holland's Opus, they will know, that like Rock & Roll, it is not the quality or legitimacy of the music form. It is about fun, a necessary ingredient in life that nurtures the soul! If I had the power to make it so, I would put a skip day and a red Chevy convertible in everyone's life.



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