Magic

I am struggling this morning to get this recipe, something put together.

Some breakfast casserole to serve up hot (or cold).

Something to put on the table.

I know that I don’t have to do this. I want to. I want to do this.

For some reason, whatever reason (I don’t know why) it is important. It is important - to me.

And so back, back to beginning, when you are having trouble, go back - and back. 

Back to the beginning. The beginning, it is a good place to start.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road.

*****

This Touchstone (Substack) idea hatched from a thought I had. Something I wondered about.

I was thinking about all the places I have been. My time here. And paths, all the paths I’ve crossed. People I have walked with. Hands held. Shoulders stood upon.

Where do I come from? Where have I been? Where am I going? 

People. Geography. And Time. 

And all the ways that we interact and intersect.

*****

So this is cool. Germane I think. 

People, geography and time and all the cool intersections that are there, hiding, just below the surface, when we kick dirt and scratch ground.

1979, I am not sure of the exact month and day, but sometime about now, late in the winter, early spring. 

Some time around now, 44 years back, a great friend and I, we went out for a night, a non-school (Friday or Saturday) night - skating. 

Not ice, wheels. 

My Dad drove us to a (destination) place, a big (popular) roller rink, in the days (a day) when skating on wheels, indoors, with music, in a day when things (activities) like that - were popular.

Roller skating. Can you imagine? (Did you do that too?)

I will try and be quick here. 

My Bud and I, we went roller skating. Something, something fun, something different - to do. 

We met girls. Saddie Hawkins, two girl friends asked me and my friend - to skate with them.

Love was in the air.

(The) Boys from Camillus, met the Girls from Central Square. (West End boys. North End girls.)

Skating. Dancing. Some smooching. 

Closing time. Last call - for Hawaiian Punch. 

Phone numbers were exchanged. 

My Dad picked us up (my great Friend and Me). We were Giddy. We met these North End girls. Girls that chose US (two geeks). We were Giggity, giggity, Giddy.

Magic was all about. Spring. Rainbows. Flowers. Something was in the air.

*****

Young love. Hormones running wild. Teen spirit. (Smells like sweat and hormones. That is what teen spirit smells like.)

I digress…

Here is what is cool. Poking around. Kicking dirt. 

People, geography, Time 

This place. This spot on the ground where Scott and Jim went roller skating. Got Sadie Hawked. (Could that be a hashtag? #SadieHawked (???))

This place where we went roller skating, 44 years back, in 1979, it was called Sports-O-Rama

It has history. The roller rink was (it really was) a place, a spot on the ground - on earth - where magic - happened.

Kicking dirt. A little digging. That ground. That place. That location, 

It was once the childhood home of one - - - L Frank Baum

No shit.

Over the Rainbow.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road.

Touchstones.

(Photo at the top is what it looks like - today. But don’t be fooled. Kick some dirt. Try it. You will see… The magic. The magic. It is - still there.)