Some day Ill write a book about a kid... I say kid because DW and I had three angels and one divil... Chris was the divil, and enough stories, (like driving through a house back in '79) to provide 36 episodes in a TV series.
Here's one...
He was Sophomore in a modern High School in '76. A Sophomore Class Dance, in the County H.S, with about 1600 students. Chris wasn't much on dating then.. he was into cars, and mechanics, and... skipping school... (got off the school bus and didn't go to class... days at a time).
I was self important... a figure in the community, Store Manager, Scoutmaster, Jr. Chamber of Commerce and stuff like that. (by way of background)
So, let me set the scene... the dance was in the huge gymnasium, and the large ante room was a block of glass walled offices... Principal, and assorted school officials.
8:00 PM the night of the dance... DW and I watching TV... Telephone call...
Mr. Rogers, the Sophomore Class Advisor... "Could you come down to the school?"... No reason, but we could guess.
That afternoon, DS, and his buddy did some... a lot... of beer drinking, then had a huge spaghetti dinner at friend's house. Then... yeah... then... Chris went to the dance...
No kidding... Ya had to be there... DW and I drive to the school and go into the Gym area. Big crowd of kids in suits and gowns standing around the glass walled principal's office. Staring and giggling. There in front of the principals desk, ... the Principal, Mr. Rogers, and another teacher standing together, holding a horizontal Chris who is on his stomach, with his head over a waste paper basket... giving up the last of the spaghetti dinner.
Not the worst of the stories, but for us, likely the most memorable. Another time, will recall the house drive through... 72 Oldsmobile. .. Neighborhood split level.
For all of that, we miss him a lot, as he died unexpectedly in 1995... He packed a lot of adventure, fun, and love into that too short life.