Cheese fries, the Hospital Swimming Pool and Dungeons & Dragons

T.S. Elliot wrote, “April is the cruelest month.” He was wrong. I believe it’s June. June reminds me of school letting out for the summer. June is the start of a long, hot lazy summer where a walk to the local pool, a one-on-one basketball game with your best friend and rides on your bike eating chips and soda would end the day.

Ah... THE LAZY DAYS OF SUMMMER.

Summer, for me, was the time when the hospital swimming pool would open. We’d wake up early to episodes of “I Love Lucy”, “Alice” and “Giligan’s Island”. We’d eat bacon and rice then my best friend, Steve, my sister and I would walk down to the pool almost every day. We’d leave the water only after getting blackend by the sun or completely being water logged. We’d laugh on the way home as the pounding of the water in our ears echoed after every step. It was the best time of year.

Sometimes it would be just too hot and we’d be forced to sit in the air conditioning of our house playing Atari video games, watching “General Hospital”, “Mash”, and “One Day at a Time.” We’d make chocolate milk shakes and cheese fries and act like sloths for the day.

Game shows were big during the mid afternoons of the late 70s and early 80s, and we were drawn to shows like “Match Game 76”, “Tattletales” and the ever so entertaining, “The Gong Show”.

Sometimes the Library was a choice hangout where Steve and I would find a quiet corner and play that forbidden game called "Dungeons & Dragons". We’d take a break and walk to the Galleria and share some Carl's Jr. ridged style french fries by dumping them into a bag and shake it up with ketchup. Then we'd go back to the library to read or play more D&D.

I’m reminded of these special days when I asked Jessica if she did anything for the day. She said she got up at 11:00 and watched TV most of the day before going online to ‘chat’. She then asked if she could go to Disneyland with her friends.

Am I jealous?

Yes. Absolutely.

I believe I should consider teaching as an occupation.

But then the hospital pool has been replaced by a parking lot, Carl’s Jr. doesn’t sell those yummy ridged fries anymore, and “The Gong Show” has been replaced by reruns of “Fear Factor”. I also wonder if Steve would play D&D with me at the library during summer break.

I guess it’s not the same anymore. The longing still wails inside of me. I loved those days.

Oh well… I still have my memories.