I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A SNAPPY DRESSER
As I posted about my first car I ended with my second car, my brand new 1969 Triumph Spitfire Mark 3. This brought to mind my first steady girlfriend Elaine Davidson.
I met her in art class, she was attractive but very shy. No one her age had ever asked her out. She was so shy everyone thought she was "stuck up" so they assumed she would not go out with them. I thought the same thing but I was impulsive and gave it a shot. We dated until she went off to college. This was my first breakup.
While we dated we went to concerts in Youngstown or North Canton in my little sports car. I inherited my brothers suit, a tailor made dark green suit with white shirts and skinny neckties. It fit me perfectly except for the pants length.
This was before bell bottoms, grunge, Carnaby Street or western wear. I loved that fifties look so I dressed up for dates. Short hair, side part and Brylcreem in my hair, you know "the little dab will do ya" stuff.
DICK CLARK AMERICAN BANDSTAND
DON CORNELIUS SOUL TRAIN
Yes I've always had my own look and I wasn't ready for long hair and bell bottoms. I have never been a slave to fashion, many would agree, I like what I like. Pre M-TV I watched American Bandstand with Dick Clark and Soul Train with Don Cornelius. I thought Soul Train was so much cooler.
At the time I was one of the white kids discovering Motown. Motown didn't need my help they had been discovered long ago. The messages in the songs were all about the passionate actions of men impressing and pursuing women. While the Beetles were holding hands Marvin Gaye was getting it on. The energy was intoxicating, it even got this skinny white boy to dance.
TEMPTATIONS
JAMES BROWN
SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE
IKE AND TINA TURNER
We saw Ike and Tina, The Temptations, James Brown, Sly and the Family Stones and a bunch more. Elaine and I went by ourselves, me in my suit, skinny tie and slicked down hair and Elaine in her mini skirt.
She was attractive, two years older and a head taller then me. She got a lot of the attention. I think the guys were impressed I got a nod of respect because a runt like me in a suit and skinny tie had her as my date. I would not say I was confident I just didn't know better.
One date night I surprised her with tickets to see the Temptations their newest album Psychedelic Shack had just come out. She asked me if we would be the only white people there again? I thought about it and said probably so we laughed and headed for North Canton.
Guys I worked with thought I was crazy to go to that part of town, I guess I might have been naive but we went for the music not trouble. The energy was something I had never experienced especially sweat covered Tina in a leather skirt. I think this was my first experience confronting my preconceived notions.
THE ABA TOOK THE WORLD BY STORM
Around that time the ABA took the sports world by storm. Three point shots, 30 second shot clock, an extra step turned a game of defense and strategy into a flying circus. Dr J, Artis Gilmore and Mel Daniels, giant afros and short shorts. Imagine what these guys could do with modern shoes.
Our culture in those days was different. There were high crime poor neighborhoods, high unemployment and bigots on both sides, but person to person we could get along. My generation took a giant step forward influenced by music and sports. Race, sex or religion the bottom line is talent is talent.
Sadly some have distorted this progress for financial and political gain. They talk about caring but their actions say different. Don't tell me there has never been progress I was there.
Redefined words, rewritten history and the stirring of emotions is meant to divide us. There have been other societies overtaken by dividing by class, they are now using race for the same reason.
My generation is fading away, we witnessed, participated in and sacrificed to heal these divides. Watching it all destroyed and minimized is infuriating.
Yes haters will always hate, there will always be opportunists but we still have more in common then differences. We need a common focus a loving and forgiving God. I will never count Him out.
My bicycle trips found a world that is much better then what they show us in the media. Love your neighbor and ignore the master minds.
