Mine Goes to Eleven!

When a friendship spans a lifetime you end up sharing a lot of those awkward but funny ‘coming of age’ moments. In retrospect, one of the most memorable was when we discovered ‘girls.’ As most of you know, Don was always popular with the ladies and this is where it all started.

I think I had already discovered girls during the school year, but out at Mattituck most of the girls we knew were either older or younger so our summers were still focused on sailing, steal the bacon, boating, fishing, clamming, crabbing and any other mischief we could cook up. I remember in August, 1966 some parents organized a kids’ dance at the MYC. I remember the time because Don had just turned 10 and I was “almost 12.”

Well, this little 13 year old hottie we had never seen before shows up at the dance and Don and I were off to the races. As rival suitors we monopolized that girl’s dance card all night. Though she may have hoped for some attention from the older boys, she sure played it up for ours. I remember she asked how old I was and I said “almost 12” (Don was still a 10 year old kid) and she whispered that 12 was not so young. I wonder what she was telling him! So Dootze and I traded off slow dance after slow dance and at one point he told me, “Ten! I’m up to ten!” And I replied, “Yeah, well, mine goes to ELEVEN!” (Okay, maybe that was Spinal Tap.)

Anyway, we were both being played and I remember I scammed on that girl for several years after, but by that time she was pursued by the older guys with money and cars. But for the next 40 years I don’t think any woman ever came between us again. Not even at 4 am in the Broken-Down Valise!