I was petrified lighting Parliament after Parliament; I know the back story of the recessed filter and knew if I needed something clever to talk about; if the story was not interesting, I was showing brand loyalty. I was at Club Paradise in downtown Lexington. I was a first year junior attending the University of Kentucky; proud member of the Wildcat Marching & Pep Bands, loyal brother to a service and social Fraternity and Middle School Education student with an emphasis in Mathematics and Social Studies. I had a niche for wooing and courting a Freshman girl for a few weeks, becoming quite the confidant and best friend.
"Gap" buds Stephanie and Van asked me if I wanted to go dancing; I jumped at the chance. I had a closet full of tight T's, coincidentally, they still fit! I turned up Bebe singing "A Little Brains, A Little Talent" from a recent revival of "Damn Yankee's" checking the look of my Levi's in the mirror, all the while singing with total abandonment. Quaffed the hair with Aussie hair gel, splashed on a powerful amount of CK Be, because everyone else was wearing CK One; completing the look with a smart pair of shoes timed with the last verse of "Cinderella, Darling" from "How to Succeed..." Baby blue house phone rang, ride was here.
I asked a few questions and was reassured what a good time it was going to be. We were going for a few hours to let out some academic steam and to show joy for the life we had. Stephanie and Van grabbed my hands, Van got the cover and we ascended the footfalls that led to the bumping bass and light show that got my heart pumping and adrenaline driving; I was greeted with Crystal Water's "100% Pure in Love".
With perspiration of shyness dripping a bit on the brow, I lit my cigarette. I couldn't stop at one until, the analog tubed boxes revealed Judy Garland riding the Trolley in St. Louis backed up with the 90s bass beat repeating, getting louder, forcing my hips to sway and shoulders to shrug in tribal type motion. A brunette fellow approached with gleaming whites and asked if I would like to dance; the universe reeled and I found a bit of home. It was my first gentleman dance.
Thank you, Dan for opening the chest on a past that had been forgotten. May the cobwebs be wiped away and the joys, of moments defining who I am, be revealed.
