Arlo Starts a Tradition
2008-03-12 16:31:00
Arlo Cunningham caught up with me as I was leaving school, "Kes, I don't own but two good shirts and ain't neither one of 'em green!"
We plodded along in silence. I hated green. It was probably my least favorite color. I was more partial to blue or brow- "What exactly is St. Patrick's Day?" Arlo interrupted my color thoughts.
Silence overtook us again.......mostly because I couldn't think of anything to say. We didn't celebrate St. Patrick's Day back then. We were big on Easter, Christmas and the 4th of July. But if they didn't let us out of school, how big a holiday could it be?
I didn't even know who St. Patrick was. This was years before them little fellers started selling cookies on t. v. It had to do with Ireland. Or someplace like that over in the old country. And we had Irish descendants in our little community, including our family! But Dad was too busy working to turn aside for nothing except fairly renowned holidays. If anyone else broke out in celebration around March 17, it completely slipped by me.
Susie Branon was behind the green wave. She had invited everyone out to her house for a party. That wasn't unusual. She spent her study hall time conjuring up ways for us to congregate. She'd hold Sadie Hawkins dances, spin-the-bottle parties, Ground Hog recognition day, back to school "shockers", getting out of school celebrations, last Saturday in January commemoration.......
A St. Patrick's Day get together "at her place" came as no surprise. But the reminder to "wear something green" put a new wrinkle in the works. I was hard pressed to follow her logic. She never demanded orange and black at Halloween or red at Christmas.
"It's her cousin." Arlo must'a read my mind. "He's from Russell, Kentucky. I think his name is Tim O'Meara or O'Heara or something like that. Russell must be a big, sophisticated city where they place a lot of stock in this St. Patrick's Day thing. I reckon Susie is just trying to impress him."
I turned and marveled at Arlo. For a guy who was "a little slow on the uptake" he seemed to know an awful lot. And I'd never seem him so talkative. "Arlo, are you sweet on Susie?"
"Well, since she let her hair grow out a mite, you know she ain't half bad."
We all went. On a Friday night in McKenzie, Tennessee, in mid March of 1963 there was pitiful little else to do. I didn't wear green. I, thankfully, didn't have anything that was green! And I figured once things got rolling, it wouldn't make any difference.
Bo Edwards pinched me pretty hard before I even got up on the porch. I whapped him up high on the left shoulder! He was a couple of grades ahead of me and a little taller but if he wanted to fight, I wasn't going to back down!
Kay King pinched me in the hall as I was going to get something to drink. I was too startled to say anything! Kay was also a grade ahead of me and she was supposed to be going steady with Marvin Killebrew. I let it pass but I was munching on a brownie a few minutes later and looking for something to drink besides that awful looking green punch when it dawned on me. Kay was really very attractive! Lately she had been speaking to me between Algebra II and lunch. And she had never been accused of being subtle! I perked up a little. I had never gone out with an "older" woman. But this St. Patrick's Day party had suddenly taken on some new possibilities.
I figured I'd mosey around a bit and when the moment presented itself I'd pinch her right back! Kinda let her know that I hadn't missed her signal.....
Before I could execute my plan Arlo came by sporting a big green ribbon pinned to his cream colored shirt. I thought he looked rather ridiculous. Before I could tell him so he introduced me to Tim O'Leary or O'Heary....... He shook my hand and drawled, "Howdy, how's you'ins doing?" Russell, Kentucky, ain't near as big or as sophisticated as we first calculated.
I was fixing to spill the beans about the only reason for the stupid ribbon was Arlo didn't have no green shirt when Mrs. Branon pinched me on the arm! I jumped three feet and before I hit the ground Arlo was off rattling his "Irish" ribbon in front of Susie.
I feigned interest in Tim's East Kentucky coal mine stories as I worked my way toward the back porch. Kay was last seen heading in that direction. She had her back turned as I eased my way past the giant fern Miss Branon had so carefully cultivated. I pinched Kay lightly to let her know I'd been thinking about her too. Before she "came down" Scotty McCullar pinched the blue living tar right out of me!
It was the last pinching "straw"! He wasn't any bigger than me! Kay slapped me as I grabbed Scotty by the throat and we all three tumbled into the giant fern, kicking and gouging and flailing away at each other. It didn't take long for the crowd to gather. Scotty blasted me up side the jaw and I head-butted him through the screen as we fell into the back yard. Kay was still in there between us.
It took Mr. Branon and two of his hired hands to restore order! I didn't know didley about green punch, Leprechauns, shamrocks or the Blarney Stone. And I'm telling you, it was a handsome price I paid for that bit of enlightenment!
Scotty never pinched me again. Kay didn't really like me after all. And Susie's social gathering came to a screeching halt.
The first St. Patrick's Day I spent in college near 'bout everyone in the university went to class wearing a big green ribbon. I spent the whole day asking each one of them how they knew Arlo Cunningham......
Respectfully,
Kes
We plodded along in silence. I hated green. It was probably my least favorite color. I was more partial to blue or brow- "What exactly is St. Patrick's Day?" Arlo interrupted my color thoughts.
Silence overtook us again.......mostly because I couldn't think of anything to say. We didn't celebrate St. Patrick's Day back then. We were big on Easter, Christmas and the 4th of July. But if they didn't let us out of school, how big a holiday could it be?
I didn't even know who St. Patrick was. This was years before them little fellers started selling cookies on t. v. It had to do with Ireland. Or someplace like that over in the old country. And we had Irish descendants in our little community, including our family! But Dad was too busy working to turn aside for nothing except fairly renowned holidays. If anyone else broke out in celebration around March 17, it completely slipped by me.
Susie Branon was behind the green wave. She had invited everyone out to her house for a party. That wasn't unusual. She spent her study hall time conjuring up ways for us to congregate. She'd hold Sadie Hawkins dances, spin-the-bottle parties, Ground Hog recognition day, back to school "shockers", getting out of school celebrations, last Saturday in January commemoration.......
A St. Patrick's Day get together "at her place" came as no surprise. But the reminder to "wear something green" put a new wrinkle in the works. I was hard pressed to follow her logic. She never demanded orange and black at Halloween or red at Christmas.
"It's her cousin." Arlo must'a read my mind. "He's from Russell, Kentucky. I think his name is Tim O'Meara or O'Heara or something like that. Russell must be a big, sophisticated city where they place a lot of stock in this St. Patrick's Day thing. I reckon Susie is just trying to impress him."
I turned and marveled at Arlo. For a guy who was "a little slow on the uptake" he seemed to know an awful lot. And I'd never seem him so talkative. "Arlo, are you sweet on Susie?"
"Well, since she let her hair grow out a mite, you know she ain't half bad."
We all went. On a Friday night in McKenzie, Tennessee, in mid March of 1963 there was pitiful little else to do. I didn't wear green. I, thankfully, didn't have anything that was green! And I figured once things got rolling, it wouldn't make any difference.
Bo Edwards pinched me pretty hard before I even got up on the porch. I whapped him up high on the left shoulder! He was a couple of grades ahead of me and a little taller but if he wanted to fight, I wasn't going to back down!
Kay King pinched me in the hall as I was going to get something to drink. I was too startled to say anything! Kay was also a grade ahead of me and she was supposed to be going steady with Marvin Killebrew. I let it pass but I was munching on a brownie a few minutes later and looking for something to drink besides that awful looking green punch when it dawned on me. Kay was really very attractive! Lately she had been speaking to me between Algebra II and lunch. And she had never been accused of being subtle! I perked up a little. I had never gone out with an "older" woman. But this St. Patrick's Day party had suddenly taken on some new possibilities.
I figured I'd mosey around a bit and when the moment presented itself I'd pinch her right back! Kinda let her know that I hadn't missed her signal.....
Before I could execute my plan Arlo came by sporting a big green ribbon pinned to his cream colored shirt. I thought he looked rather ridiculous. Before I could tell him so he introduced me to Tim O'Leary or O'Heary....... He shook my hand and drawled, "Howdy, how's you'ins doing?" Russell, Kentucky, ain't near as big or as sophisticated as we first calculated.
I was fixing to spill the beans about the only reason for the stupid ribbon was Arlo didn't have no green shirt when Mrs. Branon pinched me on the arm! I jumped three feet and before I hit the ground Arlo was off rattling his "Irish" ribbon in front of Susie.
I feigned interest in Tim's East Kentucky coal mine stories as I worked my way toward the back porch. Kay was last seen heading in that direction. She had her back turned as I eased my way past the giant fern Miss Branon had so carefully cultivated. I pinched Kay lightly to let her know I'd been thinking about her too. Before she "came down" Scotty McCullar pinched the blue living tar right out of me!
It was the last pinching "straw"! He wasn't any bigger than me! Kay slapped me as I grabbed Scotty by the throat and we all three tumbled into the giant fern, kicking and gouging and flailing away at each other. It didn't take long for the crowd to gather. Scotty blasted me up side the jaw and I head-butted him through the screen as we fell into the back yard. Kay was still in there between us.
It took Mr. Branon and two of his hired hands to restore order! I didn't know didley about green punch, Leprechauns, shamrocks or the Blarney Stone. And I'm telling you, it was a handsome price I paid for that bit of enlightenment!
Scotty never pinched me again. Kay didn't really like me after all. And Susie's social gathering came to a screeching halt.
The first St. Patrick's Day I spent in college near 'bout everyone in the university went to class wearing a big green ribbon. I spent the whole day asking each one of them how they knew Arlo Cunningham......
Respectfully,
Kes
