Radar Love....

My friend Gayle loves to remember the old stories from our 'heyday', as we fondly refer to our childhood. I've been threatening to share this one for awhile. So here goes, Babe, this ones for you...

My cousin Joni was the first in our group to turn 16 and get a car. She owned the hottest, most trick 1973 Barracuda that there could ever be. My Uncle Bob owned an auto body shop, so the paint and stripes were that of a genuine artist.

It was not unusual for Joni, myself, Gayle and maybe three other girls to be packed into the 'cuda' on the ride to and from school, smoking Marlboro Reds and singin' "Radar Love." It was also not unusual for us to stop at our favorite swimming hole on the way home for a quick dip.

One particularly hot June day, we decided to have a swim to cool off from the hot, steamy day. The 'cuda' was not air conditioned and we were roasting. Our special swimming spot was like something out of "The Blue Lagoon." Very hidden and private, the water in the Devils River was clear and the bottom was sandy. You had to go down a big, sandy slope to get to the water. There was even a big rope swing in which to launch ourselves.

Not bothering with bathing suits, we just stripped naked and plunged in, leaving our togs at the top of the hill. After frolicking around a bit, we started up the hill to get dressed. About half way up our two friends, Ray and Jeff--who apparently had the same idea, appeared holding our clothes. Mortification set in and screaming and running back down to the water ensued. In water up to our necks, we begged, pleaded and cajoled to get our clothes back AND that the 'little creepers' be gone when we to back to the top. The negotiations were hot and heavy. And a little teary. Ray and Jeff danced around waving our clothes like idiot matadors, daring us to come up and get 'em. Joni stood fully up so as to take one for the team, but since none of the rest of us would follow suit, that didn't work. Finally a deal was struck and they threw down our clothes. I don't remember what we bargained to this very day that saved ourselves the humiliation of showing up butt naked for dinner. But you can be assured that we knew to keep our clothes at the BOTTOM of the hill from now on.

Over the years I have retold this story a number of times and listeners always think it's a giggle. No one is the least bit sympathetic to our old plight and can't believe the freedom of it all. What can I say? We were children of the 70's, and very much comfortable with our bodies.

Zoom ahead to 2010. And now our little tale is in the blogosphere. Our future grand kids may try to find the video on Utube, but luckily enough, there were no cell phones around to capture the moment. We will do it the old fashioned way--through old memories that can always make us smile. xoxo to all of you that share your lives with me--blogosphere and otherwise. I luv ya all. xoxo