Wonderful Summer

There's an old song (1963) that I love, "Wonderful Summer" by Robin Ward.

"I want to thank you for giving me the most wonderful summer of my life. It was so heavenly, you meant the world to me. And anyone could see that I was so in love."

Beautiful song. But it's not one that you can buy an MP3 for, it appears. I remember Dic Youngs on KIOA (Des Moines) saying he used to be neighbors with Robin Ward, lived across the street from him wherever he lived at the time. So he'd play it and it made it extra sentimental.

I'm a big romantic at heart, all that teenage weirdness about falling in love and being sentimental about it. Little keepsakes. A broken heart when we have to part.

One time my family went down by Branson and stayed at a resort and there was a girl about my age. She and I walked up the path, up a hill, and I believe we sat there for a while. I have one isolated souvenir of this event, which is a tiny article I wrote about her in a newspaper in 1971. I just looked it up because I didn't remember her name.

Incredibly the little article tells the name of the resort that her parents ran, her first and last name, and her brother's name. But it doesn't tell about us walking up the path on that rainy day. I believe I took home a baby food jar full of the rain water. (I believe I did? -- I know I did, LOL, but it's long gone, unless it's in my parents' basement somewhere after all these years. What would a 40 year old jar of water be like?)

The year was 1968 or '69 when this happened. Then the newspaper article in '71. Then after high school I hitchhiked down to the area, not to see her, but I was just passing through with a hitchhiking friend. But I couldn't resist, and I don't remember what happened exactly. It seems like I saw her at a restaurant with an open front, but I really don't remember. Maybe she was with some guy on a motorcycle. It doesn't seem like she knew me or cared to know me. My imagination's failing me at this point.

Anyway, I've always loved that song, "Wonderful Summer," not because of this girl.

But thinking about it -- and maybe Robin Ward knew this -- the lesson about such things is this: Never go back! Ever!

I Saw The Future Walk By Today

The future walked by today in this sense: I saw a young man and a young woman walking by. Both maybe 17-19, looking healthy. She caught my eye, definitely, with very blond hair. He was a nice looking guy. I noticed them when I saw her go up in the air, which happened because he was helping her get over a wet/muddy spot on the sidewalk. He picked her up a little bit and helped her across, then set her down. They both sidestepped another wet/muddy spot and went on their way, with my view blocked in seconds by a building.

I definitely thought there goes the future. Let's say they settle down together, have children, grandchildren, the whole thing. All those kids are still in their loins -- I love that expression (it's biblical) -- and don't know what they're in for. Dad's picking up Mom. They're young enough at this point to frolic right through the mud spots but Dad was chivalrous in those days. Very fresh. Maybe he was really glad for the mud spots. Anything to get his hands on Mom.

The kids I saw -- again, in their loins -- would love to come back to this moment and see what I saw. They were so young, so cute. It'd be a great picture for their family album. A beautiful day back in 2009 and Mom looked great!

Of course maybe it'll never happen, at least with those particular loins together. Maybe they're not that serious, maybe they'll split up, maybe no kids.

But I think it'll happen. I'm calling it a done deal. All those generations are coming.