Morning Coffee; Episode 7

Mornin’ to ya! I like my coffee black and strong. 

I noticed an obituary in the newspaper of a woman who graduated from my high school. She graduated a couple of years before me. I didn’t recall her, so like we all do, I found my old school annual to see if it jogged my memory.

It didn’t.

However, I continued to look at some old pictures. 

I sometimes think of someone I may have interacted with or a person who, for some reason, decides to stroll through my mind. 

While strolling through those pages lost in time, I came across pictures depicting everyday life in school. Some of them showed kids acting foolish, mugging, posing, and just being caught in the moment. One stood out. It came from my freshman year, and I was not in it. 

The picture was taken at a record hop or sock hop. (Do they even use those names anymore?) It shows a boy alone in the middle of a dance routine. Kids are standing to the side, watching him.

His name continues to stand as a mystery. I remember him from seeing him around school. He was at least a couple of years ahead of me. The crowd he ran around with were the hoods--in other words, they were cool. He greased and slicked his hair back, laying in a mass of blonde curls. A good-looking guy who dressed neatly. It always appeared to me he was shy—but here he was dancing on his own and everybody watching.

I can’t remember the song he danced to. It was rock and roll and he knocked it out of the park. It was incredibly choreographed. His moves were crisp, sharp, and timed to the music. He seemed inside his own orb and we were only allowed to gain entrance. 

To me, it can only be described as electric. It would have to be placed right up there with a winning touchdown, a last-second winning basket, or a walk-off homer. Maybe better—it lasted the entire length of the song. It was on a stage. Everyone stood and gazed. Every guy there wished he was him and every gal there wanted to be with him.

I don’t know what ever happened to the boy. But he had a shining moment that stands out in my memory. And, yes, I still wish I was that guy that night filled with electricity. 

I’m glad he took the time to share that moment with us. It is such a good memory.