Sunday, May 22, 2011

The Groove Line by Heatwave (June 1978)

I had gone to public school from Kindergarden through sixth grade, but since I was supposed to go to Glendridge Junior High in seventh grade, my mom enrolled me into St. Mary's Catholic School instead.  Glenridge would've corrupted me; there were kids that smoked in that school!  I was NOT happy; I wanted to go to school with my friends.  I had already had to move to a new school where I didn't know anybody when I was bused; why couldn't I catch a break?

But again, I settled in and made friends, although I was never really happy there.  

I had been a bus safety patrol in Matthew Henson, so I signed up to be patrol at St. Mary's.  I wasn't a bus rider; I lived in the neighborhood, so I was stationed at various danger spots for walkers.  I enjoyed it; in the winter we got free hot chocolate, and my best friend Susan was usually stationed with me.

Cool story about Susan and me - we found out after we met and became friends in seventh grade that our mothers had been roommates in the hospital when we were born - she was born December 15th and my birthday is the 16th.  She used to hold it over that she was older, especially milestones like turning 13, 16, etc.  Yeah, she doesn't do that anymore.

The summer after seventh grade, Susan and I, along with a few other safety patrols attending a safety patrol sleepaway camp for a week.  It was a BLAST.  Unfortunately, Susan got sick the first night and had to go home.  I was a little lonesome, but got to know some of the girls I bunked with and had a great time.

We spent days learning safety procedures, which took up maybe an hour each day.  The rest of the day we were able to go swimming, play games and hang out.  On the final night, the counselors held a dance for us.  I had a HUGE crush on one of the counselors, Steve Fox.  Back then, "fox" was used to describe a hot guy or girl, and he lived up to his name.  He was only 15 to my 13, but he seemed so much older - he was in high school.

I'm pretty sure he knew of my crush; thirteen-year-olds aren't very subtle. The highlight of my week at camp came when Steve asked me to DANCE!  It was my first dance with a boy ever, and although it wasn't a slow, romantic dance, it was still magical.  The song was "The Groove Line" by Heatwave, and whenever I hear it now, I'm instantly transported back to the night in June 1978.

Steve and I actually corresponded a few times, and I even ran into him at a carnival when I was about 14 and we rode the ferris wheel together.  But no romance ever came of it, and sometimes I wonder where he is today and how he's doing.


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