Readers Comments and More 1960's Memories

Dear Readers,

After my last post I heard from so many friends from high school in Wichita, Kansas. Back in the 1960s, we went dancing!!! Dance bands were everywhere and so many people reminded me of Dearmores and Rock Castle as well as my favorite, The Seneca Lounge. We also went to The Flame and The Embers.I had forgotten a lot of names of band members but many of you remembered Mike Finnigan and the Surfs, Gary Stephens and Jack Skinner (who looked like Johnny Cash.) You also remember dragging Douglas, slumber parties, and running around in our Dad's cars all night on 50 cents worth of gas. We ate french fries and hamburgers at Sandys and Griffs Burger Bar, pizza at Pizza Hut (of course,) burritos at Taco Grande and ice cream at Armstrongs. Hamburgers from Kings X came two in a cardboard box and Cero's made the best candy.

We all loved Joyland and swimming at Kiddyland on a season pass. Other memories of popular songs were "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and "Shout Shout" (Knock Yourself Out) which was a one hit wonder by Ernie Maresca. Mo town was big with Sam Cook, The Temptations, Marvin Gay and Smokey Robinson. We danced the Watusi, Twist and "Mashed Potatoes." Wow! As my mother used to say, "I danced a million miles to those songs!"

My grandmother would hand me her "charge plate" and send me downtown on the bus to shop at Innes for a pattern and fabric so she could make me a prom dress or new outfit for school. She was a wonderful seamstress and was always sewing for my sister and me. We also shopped at Hinkles, The Model, Henrys, Lewins, Bucks and Thurstons, now all gone. I remember the beautiful polished wood and glass display cases in the department stores and going to the Innes Tea Room for lunch and a fashion show. We wore gloves, of course. You didn't go downtown in the 50s and early 60s without a nice dress, gloves, stockings and heels. You just didn't!

I remember driving around East High School with a big cardboard washing machine (or dryer) box on top of my friend Cyndi's mothers car. We cut holes in the box so four of us could hold it in place up there. Why? Who knows! Cyndi doesn't remember it at all! There goes my iffy swiss cheese memory again, but I think it actually happened.

A bunch of us sat in Sandy's parking lot and sang folk songs until they told us to leave. Going to Southeast High School football games. Art club. Drive in movies- sneaking in kids in the trunk. Going to The Beanery to hear the beatniks read poetry. Saturday night was date night, Friday night was out with the girls night, or out with the boys night for the guys. Toilet papering houses. Working at Dockum Drugs and avoiding the pharmacist who liked to pinch the girls. Parties with friends, movies at the Orpheum, Crest or the Boulevard theaters.

So many memories, so long ago. Sweet young friends with so much promise and hope. Some taken away too early. Some lifelong friends, some drifted away, some reunited years later. It was innocent times in the 1960s. I am glad I was a teenager then and I love to look back and remember those good old days.

When I go "home" to Wichita, my brother Gregg and sister Rhonda and I always drag Douglas and eat a Nu-Way. It is a tradition!

If you would like to leave a memory, something funny or crazy, please do! I would love to pass it on.