My Favorite Melody

The first memory I have of her was in the fall of our 9th grade year.   We had Mr. Askew.  Some sort of history, second period.  She dashed in every day just as the late bell was ringing.  Then proceed to clean grass off her shoes.  Who knows what my first class of the day was, but I can sure tell you what her's was.  Band.

No, she didn't play an instrument.  She was on the glamorous flag corps. Or, as we called them, the Silks.  You see, the flags were nylon, satin or 'silky' material, hence the name, Silks.  One of the sponsors also called them the "flaggetts."   Mr. M made up that word.  He was probably so aggravated and wanted to use another name but Flaggetts came out instead.

I digress.  She spent her first class session marching on the field.  Yelling commands over the music at marching band members.  Counting for them, telling them to start now, stop here, turn in one more line, etc.  All done in preparation for the BIG, Friday night halftime show.  Ah, those were the days!  Our band was HUGE and our football team great.  Always. 

Oh, back to the cleaning of the shoes.  Every day they were covered in freshly cut grass.  Remnants of marching and practicing on that wet football field.  So much fun.  Such great memories.  Before I knew it, I was asking her how I could become a Silk to.

Fall became winter then winter to spring.  At the end of our Freshman year we both completed a workshop and were successful in obtaining a coveted spot on the Silks for the upcoming marching band season.  That was the beginning.

Flash forward - Thirty (cough, cough, wheeze, giggle) some odd years.

Today we met for lunch.  An early lunch.  A lunch that lasted for hours.  It was great.  I think we solved most of the world's problems.  Or at least our part of the world.  Now if we could only get the rest of the world to listen.

Thank you Melody D for your inspiration.  Love to you.

Just Bebe.