1960 That Was A Funny Year

One thing about my Dad was that he was always looking for opportunity. Although some were not as good as others and none ever lived up to his hopes…it never stopped him from trying, and uprooting the family never stopped him either.

That summer Dad got a bee in his butt about something and decided to move the family to Haskell….again. So in time for two-a-days in August we moved in a house that should have been condemned, on a dirt street with a cotton field across the street. Fun fact for later in life was that I moved to within two blocks of David Honea who would become my brother-in-law and one of my best friends sixteen years later.

Now moving to a new school when you are a Freshman is a daunting proposition. The social circles are mature and you are going to displace someone in everything you do. I went out for football and became the kicker for the JV team with some time spent in the backfield…not much of a career. But made me unliked by those who’s spot I took. I met and flirted with a young lady and that really got me unliked by several. Some who would devote their days to trying to intimidate me physically. But love wins out and Janice Burson and I are still friends with my wife also her good friend.

Basketball season finds me playing a sport that I had only played long enough before to know I wasn’t any good. While I was “in a relationship”,,,my cousin Elaine ( a year older than me) had some friends that ….well lets just say interested me. My life was going about as good as I could hope. Good new friends…Sammie Larnard, Benny Nanny, James Davis, Barry O’Niel and others….girls and more girls….enough of a jock to get playing time and letter….AND THEN

Dad announces we were moving back to Abilene. Crickett was sick about it, Mom protested and I was ….well you know. We move to Barrow Street in a decent house when compared to where we had spent the last nine months. I go back to South Junior High where I was not as esteemed as I had been in Haskell and poor Crickett had to go to a different school than Bowie.

1961 was starting off bad. I wrote Janice these long letters and she wrote back dotting all the I’s with little hearts. Crickett was likewise corresponding with her friends. We plodded that way for the rest of the school year only made memorable by the white German Shepherd we got and Crick named “Beautimus”. Ol Corkey, our 10 year old dog was not a fan.

In June Dad came in and announced he had a job in Roby and we would be moving. Dad, you are killing us. Where the heck is Roby and what is for us there?