Lawless in Lincoln
In the first grade I lived in Lincoln Nebraska. All the kids in the neighborhood were older, and I tried pretty hard to keep up.
It gets very cold in NE, and the snow drifts get several feet high. The winds can be quite high as well. I remember the porch was iced over one day and seconds after we put the cat outside a gust of wind blew the poor kitty right off the porch.
I first got caught cussing during this time, I was shouting random cuss words while playing guns with my friends. (never mind that I didn't know what any of the words meant)
I rode my bike on these motorcycle trials nearby called the Bear trails. My parents had made these trails off limits until I got older, but I was a rebel. When I got home I had ticks all over my socks, they were every where like a horror film. Luckily only a couple had attached themselves to my skin. Hard to claim you were not in the woods when you are screaming like a little girl and covered in ticks.
One day several older kids were walking up to the Dairy Queen, so I asked my mom if I could go along. After my mother strictly forbid me walking up there I went anyway. I was busted before I ever got there, and I've never been in more trouble in my life until a few weeks later (more on that in a second). It wasn't the crime, it was the ballsiness to defy so openly that got me. Never mind that I had no money at all, so DQ wasn't going to be much fun. Don't know that I gave any thought to the money since my parents had paid for everything up to that point, and I doubt I had any idea that money was required.
At the park across the street from my house some older kids had a pack of Winston's, so I became the first second grader in my family to get busted SMOKING. This was the most trouble I'd ever been in,and only weeks after my DQ troubles.
Lastly a friend of mine had me over one afternoon to play. We were listening to records and playing when I saw he had the best song ever on 45. Kung Fu fighting! Awesome! he said that he was tired of it, and that I could have it, but his mom mustn't know. Hiding a 7" single on a first grade wiry body is not easy, especially when you are riding your bike. So I stuck the record under my shirt, and started to ride off when I heard six words I've never forgotten 'I know you have that record' yep his mom was onto me. I was caught in cold vinyl. I explained that it was given freely, but she was not happy and as she confiscated the disc told me it was not his to give. I suspect me and the mom were both Carl Douglas fans. I was never invited back.
So for a year in NE I led a failed life of crime. I was busted at every turn, and got away with nothing.
Badlands indeed.
R
It gets very cold in NE, and the snow drifts get several feet high. The winds can be quite high as well. I remember the porch was iced over one day and seconds after we put the cat outside a gust of wind blew the poor kitty right off the porch.
I first got caught cussing during this time, I was shouting random cuss words while playing guns with my friends. (never mind that I didn't know what any of the words meant)
I rode my bike on these motorcycle trials nearby called the Bear trails. My parents had made these trails off limits until I got older, but I was a rebel. When I got home I had ticks all over my socks, they were every where like a horror film. Luckily only a couple had attached themselves to my skin. Hard to claim you were not in the woods when you are screaming like a little girl and covered in ticks.
One day several older kids were walking up to the Dairy Queen, so I asked my mom if I could go along. After my mother strictly forbid me walking up there I went anyway. I was busted before I ever got there, and I've never been in more trouble in my life until a few weeks later (more on that in a second). It wasn't the crime, it was the ballsiness to defy so openly that got me. Never mind that I had no money at all, so DQ wasn't going to be much fun. Don't know that I gave any thought to the money since my parents had paid for everything up to that point, and I doubt I had any idea that money was required.
At the park across the street from my house some older kids had a pack of Winston's, so I became the first second grader in my family to get busted SMOKING. This was the most trouble I'd ever been in,and only weeks after my DQ troubles.
Lastly a friend of mine had me over one afternoon to play. We were listening to records and playing when I saw he had the best song ever on 45. Kung Fu fighting! Awesome! he said that he was tired of it, and that I could have it, but his mom mustn't know. Hiding a 7" single on a first grade wiry body is not easy, especially when you are riding your bike. So I stuck the record under my shirt, and started to ride off when I heard six words I've never forgotten 'I know you have that record' yep his mom was onto me. I was caught in cold vinyl. I explained that it was given freely, but she was not happy and as she confiscated the disc told me it was not his to give. I suspect me and the mom were both Carl Douglas fans. I was never invited back.
So for a year in NE I led a failed life of crime. I was busted at every turn, and got away with nothing.
Badlands indeed.
R
posted by Robert_M at 1:16 PM
2 Comments:
When I first moved to Texas, there was a DQ up the street, so I walked there with Whitney and Bryce. It was getting late, so we started walking home, and they told me we were lost, even though we were like a block from their street. I was mad. They will tell you I cried, but it's not true. Then later they hid cigarettes in the bushes at my parents' house. They also used to go spy in people's windows at night, but I did not participate. And we used to hide in the closets and under the beds in Fox and Jacob's model homes while realtors were showing them to people. It is a wonder I turned out OK.
kids are bad
Post a Comment
<< Home