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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA MARCH 14, 1947-TOM Our little house on Thomas Street in Lincoln Heights sat on a hill overlooking downtown LA. It's always a great time to be a kid and this was no different, except it did seem a safer world, in spite of the A-bomb that the Commies had. We could hop the streetcars and cruise all over without our parents worrying. We explored the many artesian caves that honeycombed the hill, played on the flying trapeze that crazy Old Man Allen's sons practiced on, and from our hill had an aerial view of Happy Valley and could watch the gang fights. Nothing was safe from our curiosity - abandoned houses, the hobo jungle down by the train tracks, and theincredible concrete lined LA River. It was a Saturday morning cartoon years before anyone had a TV. Thank God my mother was usually taking care of one of the younger kids, or she would have tied us to tree to keep us from wandering off. One day my little brother's basement campfire got out of control and burned half the house down, which was fine because it was getting hard to have fun anymore without running into some gang of kids who wanted to kick your ass because you weren't from their neighborhood. For the next ten years I learned how to play baseball, perform gymnastics, dance, surf, drive a car, kiss, smoke, drink, and watch hair growing out of every pore on me. |
After graduating from high school and just beginning to enjoy some freedom, the Vietnam War came along. Along with most of my friends, I got drafted and spent two years as a photographer in Texas. Oddly enough, as much as I hated being in the service, I experienced and learned a great deal, met some wonderful people and as the old saying goes," I wouldn't trade the experience for a million bucks, but I wouldn't give you a nickel to do it again." LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA SEPTEMBER 15, 1969-KIM As I walked up to the porch, I looked in through the big picture window and saw Kim Roberts sitting at a table. We had mutual friends, and she had even met some of my family, but we had never really met. As I walked across the room saying hi to other friends at the party, my real goal was to introduce myself to Kim, say a few things, and leave knowing that I had made a good friend. After four hours of non stop talking, one of us had to leave and so I said, "It was nice to finally get a chance to say hello to you," and gave each other a friendly, quick kiss. Three weeks later I cut my sound editing night class, stopped by Susan's and just my luck, Kim's '61 Porsche was parked in the driveway. A couple of hours later I walked her out to her car and we said good night. I sort of expected the same kind of friendly little kiss. It's funny who you end up spending your life with. Neither Kim nor I were looking for anyone at the time, but when we both look back, it does seem that life had us circling each other. And I just thought it would be nice if we became friends. Thirty plus years later we've gotten everything we wished for and some things we didn't. Happiness and sadness, earthquakes and a house washed away in a flood, plus two incredible children and an adorable grandson. There isn't enough room to write about how much we love Ethan, Monica and Sam. They do however, make the world a funnier, kinder and better place in which to live. |
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