Monday, September 11, 2006

Riding Around


Click to hear "Run Around Sue- Dion 1961
Bogie Class of 62: The same response many a parent got from their teenager as they bolted for the door--"Where are you going?" they would ask. "Riding around." we would answer with our eyes rolling. "What else is there to do?"

Well, our parents weren't idiots!! They knew exactly what else there was to do!! They could only imagine what this "work of art" would be up to for the next 3 or 4 hours.

My friends and I didn't have a car to drive around in so we had to depend on the guys we ran into at the pool, the tennis courts, or the little league baseball fields. Most of them had a car, or something similar. I recall one evening (I say evening because I didn't stay out very late without a date), (oh good grief, Bogie, tell the truth!), my buds and I ran into a bunch of guys at the tennis courts during the summer of our Jr. year at FCHS. I sat in the front seat with (hey, Butch, remember this?) Butch Ford and we "rode around" FC for a little while. Someone was in the back seat--Cathy Rosica and some guy--I can't remember who he was! Anyway, we had the radio on, of course, listening to WABG, (or was it WHBQ) oh well, I was just singing along with all the songs and having such a great time waving at everyone--(I felt so privileged to be riding with Butch--I wanted everyone to notice! Well, "Mr. Butch" didn't like the sound coming from the other side of the car and "nudged" me on the arm--"Let THEM sing it!" he said.

From then on, I have always remembered that night, uh evening, and every time I sing along with the music, I think of Butch and sing just as loud as my ears can stand it!

3 Comments:

Blogger Widewader said...

Well, dang, Bogie. It had to be "In the Still of the Night" or "Earth Angel" or I wouldn't have "nudged" you. And I do remember. It was the summer after I graduated. It was WHBQ. You were wearing pink shorts and a white top and those white keds that everyone wore. How's that for a great memory? Did I get anything right?

Was it Terry Hutcherson in the back seat with Cathy? I keep seeing him in that scrap book page you posted. I've seen Terry several times lately at Booger's duck hunting place.

Fri Sep 22, 10:03:00 PM 2006  
Blogger Widewader said...

The Ballad of Larry Gene and Moose: Another Kind of Riding Around
The following story was told by one of the members of the Class of 1960 at their 45th year reunion held at the Red Apple Inn on Greers Ferry Lake in February, 2005. The entire names of the primary participants are being withheld for obvious reasons.

Larry Gene had a lot of cars. He had cars before most of us learned how to drive. Larry Gene had a friend named Moose. They were known to ride around in those cars a lot. This story is about what happened one night while they were "riding around."

Larry Gene and Moose were coming home late one night from, who knows, the Legion Club? 21 Club? Someone's house? Liquor store? Hardly matters. They came rollin' into downtown Forrest City and turned north on Washington. Larry Gene liked it when his mufflers would get loud and rattle windows. And he did...all the way from Scott's 5 & 10ยข Store to the Imperial Theater. Moose and Larry Gene howled at the huge boom that bounced off of every wall in the area. The po-lice officers who were patrolling in the vicinity didn't think it was funny at all. So, they turned on their red light (po-lice lights were red back then) and took off after the noise makers, siren wailing. Moose saw the light. That is, he looked over his shoulder and saw the red light flashing. He told Larry Gene that he might as well pull over. Well, Ol' Larry Gene, by his own admission, decided that this wouldn't be a good thing, considering the amount of recreational liquids they had consumed that evening. He knew that if he could beat the po-lice to Bear Hill Road, he could lose 'em in the curves and the dust cloud he would make on that gravel road. So, he poured it on. As they neared the Civic Center and the curve in the road, Moose begged Larry Gene to pull over. Moose was concerned about his personal future if he was part of an attempt to flee. Larry Gene was intent on makin' it to Bear Hill Road. Suddenly, according to Larry Gene, Moose reached over and turned off the key and threw it out the window. This left Larry Gene's car sitting in the middle of the street, dead still, at night, right in front of the Civic Center. They were having a heated conversation concerning the keys when the po-lice car came flying around the curve. The po-lice didn't expect to see the car they were chasing stopped in the middle of the street. They made an emergency maneuver to miss Larry Gene's car and ended up in the front yard of the Chief of Po-lice. The car was wedged up under two big cedar trees, stuck so tight that doors were jammed and the po-lice couldn't get out. They made a "officer in distress" call to the boys downtown and they sent the other squad car out to help. Moose and Larry Gene stuck around to see the show. They had no choice since Moose had dumped the car keys. When the other po-lice car showed up, they roughed up Larry Gene and shoved him in the back seat. While they were discussing what to do with Moose, Larry Gene locked all four doors and wouldn't open up. They beat on the windows, threatening all kinds of mayhem. One of the po-lice knew how to break into cars, so they opened up and took him to jail. Larry Gene says that they delivered Moose to his house in the other car without so much as a fair-thee-well. Of course, Moose denies the whole thing. At least he did at the 2000(1) Reunion. Word was out that Larry Gene was coming to the 2005 shindig and that he would be called upon to corroborate the story. He did, much to the delight of all in attendance. It was hilarious. Moose didn't show.

Sun Sep 24, 07:51:00 PM 2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Butch!
You're right--Mr. D.K. could do everything!
And Terry Hutcherson dated and later married Gylinda Bounds--I'm not sure who was in the back seat with Cathy. How in the world could you remember what I was wearing?? I can't confirm the color of anything--I did have pink shorts and loved to wear them--and I always wore white tennies--I still do!! The name of the song escapes me--I totally lost it when I was "nudged" and told to "shut up"!! HA!
I am laughing so hard right now---I cannot remember when I have had so much fun just talking about FC!!
Bogie

Mon Sep 25, 06:06:00 PM 2006  

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