That's us at 19 yrs in San Clemente Vic on my left giving the thumbs up
We started dating in the summer of 1996 when we were 19. It was the same year a blizzard blanketed the East Coast & No Doubt ruled the radio waves. He had recently left UCLA and was driving across country with my brother and their friends. A group of us planned to link up once they arrived in southern California to crash at his moms house located in a little surf town, San Clemente. The house sat on a bluff over looking the Pacific Ocean on curvey little street decorated in palm trees, Buena Vista. It was a beautiful backdrop for two teenagers falling in love. We were young & carefree.
The guys drove across the United States in an old light blue 1950's pick up. The truck inherited the name "Old Betsy". What a reliable 'Ol girl. She had a hood covering the back of the truck that was filled with blankets, books, food, water & thrill seekers.
At the Furthur Festival in Anaheim, Old Betsy in the background (L to R: Victor, Me & our close friends)
Cardboard replaced Betsy's back window due to a run in with a homeless dude somewhere in Montana (they found him in the back of the truck stealing food). Now, to get Betsy moving there needed to be a "pusher" and a "driver". The pusher would get out and push Betsy while the guy at the wheel reved her engine kicking her into gear. Once ol' girl gained momentum the guy pushing would jump in. No one complained about this tedious process. It was just the way it was. I failed to mention , once Betsy got going the smell of gasoline would fill the air. Wind would fill the back of the truck as we cruised along the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). I am sure non of this was legal, nor was it safe, but we loved riding in this pickup just the same. She was a major player in our coming of age, offering freedom to explore the world as teenagers transitioning into young adults.
San Clemente, California
I remember early that summer of learning about my brothers cross country plans and being told that one of the guys girlfriend's wanted someone to fly with her out to California. I had taken the summer off from work and was in search of adventure. When I was told we would be staying at Victors moms for part of the trip I instinctively knew (like those knowing knows) that he and I would become good friends. I had no idea that this journey would lead me to my life's partner.
We were first introduced when I was 16 years old. We happened to be in the same town one afternoon. My best friend went to his high school & my brother happened to skate with him. Prior to meeting him my friends had shown me his picture in their high school year book. He was quiet and handsome and kind. The girls loved him. One afternoon I took the bus to visit my best friend. When I got off I saw my brother from a distance & said , "Look! There's my brother." My best friend's friend replies "Oh my gosh and look he's with Victor." And so began our first meeting. My brother & Victor rode their skateboards over to say hello. When Victor approached he went over a bump in the sidewalk causing him to do a perfect flip in the air landing on his back. Years later, after our second meeting he would joke "I was literally head over heels the first time I met you."And, he was...literally.
There were various encounters that happened between us since that first introdcution. I barely remember most of them but Vic can recall each one. He remembers calling my house to talk to my brother & how whenever I would answer I'd keep him on the phone asking about his family, friends & school. He recalls how shy he felt during those conversations. He remember's the time a group of his buddies came to pick up my brother to go skateboarding and I stepped outside and called out "Hi Victor!" He remembers his friends ragging on him saying "Dude, Bill's sister only said hi to you." He can remember swimming in my families pool & we both remember running into each other in the local supermarket. His dad asking him afterward "Who was that?" My mom asking me the same question.
When we sat alone together looking up at the sky, 3 years after our first meeting, in the parking lot of the Furthur Festival in Anaheim analyzing the shapes the clouds made, I couldn't help but want to share this experience with my best friend. I wanted to tell her how Vic and I ended up alone together. How I tried to come up with things to talk about. How nervous I was. I wanted to tell her how we spent the day looking for our friends and laughing over broken watermelon we found splattered on the ground. I wanted to tell her how we couldn't make grilled cheese to sell at the Festival because we forgot bread. (I know-key ingredient). And how one evening after everyone went to bed he came into my room asking if I wanted to watch a movie with him. I couldn't wait to share with her how we stayed up all night talking and laughing never really watching that movie And how every night after we would sit up until the sun rose sharing our views of the world & life. She would love to learn about how he and I would say "Let's go to Denny's for breakfast when everyone wakes up." Yet never went. To this day, whenever visiting San Clemente we always joke about eating at Denny's. I wanted to tell her about the time he gently reached for my hand as we walked along the beach and how, it was in San Francisco, where we had our first kiss. And when 10 years after that kiss while eating dinner in New York City with friends he says "I love San Francisco because that's where we fell in love." I couldn't wait to share how, before the end of the trip, he asked "What's going on between us?" and that I felt overwhelmed with the question and declared that "I'm not ready for anything serious. I don't want a boyfriend right now." And how, when he agreed my heart broke a little. I was excited to share with my best friend how he drove back across country to see me again just one week after I flew back to the east coast, even though he was suppose to have stayed in southern California as Fall had just rolled into town. And how it was in the grass of the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young concert that I realized, while Heart of Gold was playing in the background, that I could date others but would always be comparing them to him. And decided a long distance relationship was worth a shot. He agreed. Who could have guessed years later my son would share his same name?
Our little family on San Clemente Pier in 2012
And so in 1996 our journey began, creating a magnificent flame that has guided us at even our darkest of times & has danced happily for us during our most joyous-Always, flickering a light of faith, of hope & of love -illuminating the world inside a tiny little Brooklyn apartment.
No comments:
Post a Comment