The Real World – Not Interested

This old photo tells about all you need to know about 1961. Photo appears to be printed in November of 1961. I have no idea who took it or how it came into my possession. But I can tell you about many afternoons that were just like the one shown here.

That is me reading a comic book. Most likely a Superman which is now probably worth a thousand dollars. No I did not pay for it…I just read it. After all I had paid $ .05 for the cherry coke. We are in booth #1 of 3 (I think) in Noles Drug Store. My pants are not too short for me, or at least everyone’s pants were just as short. Style is embarrassing over time. Across from me is Horace Mallard…not shown are his white shoes, yes I am sure they were there. To my right is Curtis Doyle, a freshman. I guess its OK to admit now, I liked almost the whole freshman class…after all I married one. To his right is John Barry Huey, sporting a Roby letter jacket (fun fact – JB, Mallard and I represent over 10% of the Sophomore class). There is another person in the upper right but I can’t make him out. Sorta looks like Joe Martin who would have been a senior that year. What a nice guy.

Pretty sure we had not been to football practice because that went till time for dinner, maybe a Saturday… Oh well, one of those great mystery of life.

We would go to Noles at lunch or after school and hang out. A nickle would allow you to sit in a cool spot, read 4 or 5 comics and have a fountain drink. All in all a great way to kill an hour. Roy Noles didn’t seem to mind, after all he made $ .25 at that table alone…John Barry has a package of chips.

Outside our parents were working to make ends meet, Polio was at it’s cruel height, the Civil Rights debates were raging and a small Asian country was starting to be in the news.

But for a time we were in the only world we knew or cared about…Oh how I would like to go back for just one coke.