Christie, Debbie, David and Mel
I used to work in a little restaurant making pizzas when I was a teenager. In the short time I worked there, I got to know kids from school in a different environment. I began to learn what real friendships were made of.
The girl I had a crush on worked there. She was a flute player in band and was two years ahead of me in high school. I was able to talk to her and get to know her more than I would have staring at her from across the band room in school. I remember she would always take time to talk to me on breaks. She was so down to earth and accepting of me that the fact that she didn’t consider me as boyfriend material didn’t seem to hurt. At least not in her presence, but that just might be the symptoms of a crush. That was one relationship that I treasure because I realize I had friendship with her.
Another girl left the impression with me of being a bit stuck up. She seemed rather snippy with me on a regular basis. I thought she was beautiful, but when she spoke to me, it totally ruined any pleasant effect.
That began to change one day when we were working the same shift one hot summer day. We had so many pizza orders that the manager asked this supposedly stuck up girl, Debbie, to help me put the pizzas together. The radio was playing and everyone was so bogged down with the business, that we turned the station to listen to “our” music instead of “elevator music”.
Debbie and I made pizzas and began singing with the radio. She turned to me and asked me if I liked all of REO Speedwagon’s songs. I told her I did.
The most beautiful smile broke out on her face as she began to tell me how REO always seemed to cheer her up. We talked about the band and she showed me in one of their songs some obscure lyrics that were only heard by real REO fans. I reciprocated by telling her of the Rolling Stones’ song “You Make A Grown Man Cry”.
It seems that Debbie was a bit of a partier, which was something I hadn’t begun to dabble in at that time, because I hadn’t had my heart broken by a certain cute brunette yet. (See “Marrwage, Marrwage Is the Weason We Are Gathered Here Today” October 5, 2004) After that, Debbie was a lot nicer to me. We had found some common ground.
In this small town I lived in, I found that liking and knowing about certain rock bands was a ticket into an inner circle of many partier groups. There were Rush fans, Styx fans, Kiss fans, Led Zeppelin fans, and Black Sabbath fans. I also discovered that playing “Stairway To Heaven” was a good icebreaker with any party girl…but I digress.
David was my friend even before I worked at the restaurant. He was the owner’s son. His dad later became the mayor of the town, but David was always the same. He was one of the first computer geeks, but I don’t think he became rich from it.
When the girl I had a crush on (Christie) quit, another girl took her place that I had been introduced to by a good friend who was also a preacher’s kid in the same denomination as mine. This girl’s name was Melanie. I used to call her Mel.
Mel was drop dead gorgeous and a Christian girl that every Christian mom prays for to be set aside for her son. I was a friend with her right off, but I never was as gone on her as I was on Christie. She and I did more things together. She played bass in her daddy’s southern gospel band, and she used to like to jam with me. One time she even invited me to go see Hall And Oates at the Lansing Civic Center.
Another thing, she drove a 1967 Mustang. It was maroon and a ragtop. I think I was as taken by her car in some respects as her. I’ve always wanted one since.
One time, Mel’s family band played at our church, and they let me play one of my own songs with Mel and the drummer. That whet my desire to be a performing musician. I think I even surprised my parents a little bit.
So whatever happened to those people?
I saw Christie once or twice after her graduation. She was married not long after that. The one time I remember best was when I helped her push the stroller with her new baby in it as we talked. She was always nice to me. I will always remember her fondly.
Debbie died in an auto accident not long after I graduated from high school. Mom sent me the clipping and I’m sure I still have it in my school stuff. My last and best memory of her was making the pizzas with her and singing with the radio.
David kind of faded out of my life and I’m not sure what he’s doing now.
Mel married while I was in the Air Force and had several children, but I never actually saw her again. Mel, if you’re out there, drop me a line, e-mail or something.
These people are a special part of me because I allowed them to be. I didn’t let the initial irritation of Debbie stop me from knowing her. I’m glad. If ever I were to see these people again, I’m sure I could pick up as if I’d never been away, and fairly easily. I would hope so.
Thank you, Christie, Debbie, David, and Mel!
The girl I had a crush on worked there. She was a flute player in band and was two years ahead of me in high school. I was able to talk to her and get to know her more than I would have staring at her from across the band room in school. I remember she would always take time to talk to me on breaks. She was so down to earth and accepting of me that the fact that she didn’t consider me as boyfriend material didn’t seem to hurt. At least not in her presence, but that just might be the symptoms of a crush. That was one relationship that I treasure because I realize I had friendship with her.
Another girl left the impression with me of being a bit stuck up. She seemed rather snippy with me on a regular basis. I thought she was beautiful, but when she spoke to me, it totally ruined any pleasant effect.
That began to change one day when we were working the same shift one hot summer day. We had so many pizza orders that the manager asked this supposedly stuck up girl, Debbie, to help me put the pizzas together. The radio was playing and everyone was so bogged down with the business, that we turned the station to listen to “our” music instead of “elevator music”.
Debbie and I made pizzas and began singing with the radio. She turned to me and asked me if I liked all of REO Speedwagon’s songs. I told her I did.
The most beautiful smile broke out on her face as she began to tell me how REO always seemed to cheer her up. We talked about the band and she showed me in one of their songs some obscure lyrics that were only heard by real REO fans. I reciprocated by telling her of the Rolling Stones’ song “You Make A Grown Man Cry”.
It seems that Debbie was a bit of a partier, which was something I hadn’t begun to dabble in at that time, because I hadn’t had my heart broken by a certain cute brunette yet. (See “Marrwage, Marrwage Is the Weason We Are Gathered Here Today” October 5, 2004) After that, Debbie was a lot nicer to me. We had found some common ground.
In this small town I lived in, I found that liking and knowing about certain rock bands was a ticket into an inner circle of many partier groups. There were Rush fans, Styx fans, Kiss fans, Led Zeppelin fans, and Black Sabbath fans. I also discovered that playing “Stairway To Heaven” was a good icebreaker with any party girl…but I digress.
David was my friend even before I worked at the restaurant. He was the owner’s son. His dad later became the mayor of the town, but David was always the same. He was one of the first computer geeks, but I don’t think he became rich from it.
When the girl I had a crush on (Christie) quit, another girl took her place that I had been introduced to by a good friend who was also a preacher’s kid in the same denomination as mine. This girl’s name was Melanie. I used to call her Mel.
Mel was drop dead gorgeous and a Christian girl that every Christian mom prays for to be set aside for her son. I was a friend with her right off, but I never was as gone on her as I was on Christie. She and I did more things together. She played bass in her daddy’s southern gospel band, and she used to like to jam with me. One time she even invited me to go see Hall And Oates at the Lansing Civic Center.
Another thing, she drove a 1967 Mustang. It was maroon and a ragtop. I think I was as taken by her car in some respects as her. I’ve always wanted one since.
One time, Mel’s family band played at our church, and they let me play one of my own songs with Mel and the drummer. That whet my desire to be a performing musician. I think I even surprised my parents a little bit.
So whatever happened to those people?
I saw Christie once or twice after her graduation. She was married not long after that. The one time I remember best was when I helped her push the stroller with her new baby in it as we talked. She was always nice to me. I will always remember her fondly.
Debbie died in an auto accident not long after I graduated from high school. Mom sent me the clipping and I’m sure I still have it in my school stuff. My last and best memory of her was making the pizzas with her and singing with the radio.
David kind of faded out of my life and I’m not sure what he’s doing now.
Mel married while I was in the Air Force and had several children, but I never actually saw her again. Mel, if you’re out there, drop me a line, e-mail or something.
These people are a special part of me because I allowed them to be. I didn’t let the initial irritation of Debbie stop me from knowing her. I’m glad. If ever I were to see these people again, I’m sure I could pick up as if I’d never been away, and fairly easily. I would hope so.
Thank you, Christie, Debbie, David, and Mel!
posted by praiseage at 1:39 PM
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