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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