Back in 1957, a boy walked up to me and asked me "What is your front name? " I thought that was strange, but I told him "Louella ". His front name was "Corky."
Oh, to return to that year! I was 16 years old. American Bandstand was the goal of everyone of us little teeny boppers back then. The most important item of attire back then was a clean pair of bobbi sox, a full skirt and crinoline petticoats. My dancing partner was Corky Dipman and we won every time we danced. I loved Corky with my whole heart and had I died in my 16th year, I would have left behind the perfect world. The highlight of that summer was when Corky took me to Wichita to Joyland amusement park. The fact that we rode so many rides that I ended up barfing from the top of the Roundup, was not enough to dim the memory of that day. The fact that we skipped school to go and were the only ones there made it even more wonderful.
I went back to Wichita many years later and found Joyland abandoned and rusting. The carousel horses were gone from the Merry Go Round, and the tracks for the Roller Coaster were rusted and twisted. Tumble weeds grew where our feet had walked. I could still hear the laughter and see Corky smile. Ah, the days of sand and shovels!
I think he was my first boyfriend and I do not know why we broke up. I think he actually started going with a girl who had more to offer then flying feet. I think I may have become interested in home brew that my new friend LaVeta had to offer. And she knew lots of boys from Sterling, Kansas and they were not jocks. I never much liked the sports scene and the boys with the letter jackets even back then. I did like the home brew and the cigarettes, though.
Shorthand was my favorite subject in school. I envisioned myself being a secretary and I loved the shorthand tablets. What I liked best was the size and that the back cardboard cover had all the shorthand symbols printed for me just in case I forgot. I still have that kind of tablet for notes, but they no longer contain the shorthand symbols and that is kind of sad. I never did master the typewriter. One girl in class could actually type over 90 (?) wpm. That means "words per minute." I think 24 was the best I could do. Sadly, to be a secretary in any place that mattered, one had to be proficient in both typing and shorthand. Alas!
Sadly, school held little fascination for me and I envisioned a life full of rainbows and butterflies. Well, you see how that turned out, don't you? I started my restaurant career with my hands buried in a sink full of dirty dishes. I dreamed then of being a waitress. When I moved up the chain to waitress, I dreamed of being the cook. I finally became the cook. And the baker and cake decorator. Now I am a seamstress! Go figure!
But, as I look back on my life, it was good. It was all good. Even the bad parts were good. My name went from Louella Beth to Lou Mercer.
My oldest daughter always said "What don't kill you, will make you strong." Lot of wisdom in that girl. Maybe I never made it to American Bandstand with Dick Clark, but I made it this far in life and that right there is about the best I can hope for. I figure American Bandstand made it a lot of years without me for a reason.
I think God had other plans for this little girl. Not real sure what they were, but here's hoping I did whatever I was put here to do. If not, I hope I get it done pretty damn quick!
Oh, to return to that year! I was 16 years old. American Bandstand was the goal of everyone of us little teeny boppers back then. The most important item of attire back then was a clean pair of bobbi sox, a full skirt and crinoline petticoats. My dancing partner was Corky Dipman and we won every time we danced. I loved Corky with my whole heart and had I died in my 16th year, I would have left behind the perfect world. The highlight of that summer was when Corky took me to Wichita to Joyland amusement park. The fact that we rode so many rides that I ended up barfing from the top of the Roundup, was not enough to dim the memory of that day. The fact that we skipped school to go and were the only ones there made it even more wonderful.
I went back to Wichita many years later and found Joyland abandoned and rusting. The carousel horses were gone from the Merry Go Round, and the tracks for the Roller Coaster were rusted and twisted. Tumble weeds grew where our feet had walked. I could still hear the laughter and see Corky smile. Ah, the days of sand and shovels!
I think he was my first boyfriend and I do not know why we broke up. I think he actually started going with a girl who had more to offer then flying feet. I think I may have become interested in home brew that my new friend LaVeta had to offer. And she knew lots of boys from Sterling, Kansas and they were not jocks. I never much liked the sports scene and the boys with the letter jackets even back then. I did like the home brew and the cigarettes, though.
Shorthand was my favorite subject in school. I envisioned myself being a secretary and I loved the shorthand tablets. What I liked best was the size and that the back cardboard cover had all the shorthand symbols printed for me just in case I forgot. I still have that kind of tablet for notes, but they no longer contain the shorthand symbols and that is kind of sad. I never did master the typewriter. One girl in class could actually type over 90 (?) wpm. That means "words per minute." I think 24 was the best I could do. Sadly, to be a secretary in any place that mattered, one had to be proficient in both typing and shorthand. Alas!
Sadly, school held little fascination for me and I envisioned a life full of rainbows and butterflies. Well, you see how that turned out, don't you? I started my restaurant career with my hands buried in a sink full of dirty dishes. I dreamed then of being a waitress. When I moved up the chain to waitress, I dreamed of being the cook. I finally became the cook. And the baker and cake decorator. Now I am a seamstress! Go figure!
But, as I look back on my life, it was good. It was all good. Even the bad parts were good. My name went from Louella Beth to Lou Mercer.
My oldest daughter always said "What don't kill you, will make you strong." Lot of wisdom in that girl. Maybe I never made it to American Bandstand with Dick Clark, but I made it this far in life and that right there is about the best I can hope for. I figure American Bandstand made it a lot of years without me for a reason.
I think God had other plans for this little girl. Not real sure what they were, but here's hoping I did whatever I was put here to do. If not, I hope I get it done pretty damn quick!
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