This is a true story that’s bitter-sweet for me from the 1950’s through the 1960’s It’s about a childhood friend who passed away in 1966 in an auto accident, he was only 19 when it happened but my story starts from the 1950s, he lived a couple of houses from me and he would hang out with us and in the summer and we played a lot of baseball across the street at the monerstary grounds.

Kevin was his name and he had red hair and freakles and he was the one kid on the block who seemed to have all the bats, baseballs, beause most of us had only one bat between us and I didn’t have a glove that was left handed, so I always had to use one of their gloves I was the only left handed kid of the boys.

So we would choose up sides and play baseball but if Kevin didn’t like being wrong on anything and then he would take all the balls and bats, and storm off and go home and the game was over! This was normal for us “here he goes again”! Then we would find a way to play a new game. There was a couple of summers we would play our “world series” game and his Grandfather who lived with him would be the coach, it was played like a real game 9 innings and 3 outs, like real baseball but not a full lineup!

I don’t remember who won the games but it was fun to just play in it and Kevin brought all his equipment with him! And we were like hope he doesn’t get mad and leave! But he ever did most likey because his Grandfather was there. Over the years we moved on and I only saw him at the dances we played at as a band in the 60’s, he was in high school then and would come with a few other kids, and I think a girlfriend, we would say a quick hello untill the next time.

Kevin had this great car that he fixed up a real cool looking car and the last time I saw him I was walking down to the poolroom that me and my friends used to hang out in the 1960s and it’s weird, but as I was walking across the street I noticed him waiting for the light to change he was the first car, I was about to say hello but the light changed and he took off and I just went my way, and in the morning my father said to me “Your friend was killed last night in an accident” I read the headline I coulnd’t believe it!

Every once in awhile I think back and remember Kevin and think how sad because he was a bright kid and who knows what he could have been if he lived we’ll never know. I wanted to share this with you because Kevin never got the chance to look back, so whatever decade your favorite memories are from as a kid, cherish them all.

Photo by Francesco Paggiaro on Pexels.com

Beginning in 1959 my parents and my sisters, brother, and I went on our first family picnic to Interstate Park in New Jersey. It was followed by many more including my Grandmother, all my Aunts and my Uncles at the time, and two of my oldest sisters were married so with my brother-in-law it was a great big summer day filled with lots to do!

We would all gather and meet there early as possible, to get a good table close to the bathroom area! We set up the tables with goodies that were prepared on the day before someone would make the potato salad, another would make the corn on the cob and so on, there was a boat dock right there you could go fishing if you wanted, and there was a great trail to hike on that went on it seemed forever up the palisades!

Then we take turns playing football, or tossing a baseball, the kids would fill up their water pistols, including the grownup kids! We would also go there on the 4th of July in the 1960’s over the years, It made for some great memories.