Archives for October 2016

LA
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The above picture is of the gym in Frankfort, Indiana. It was built in the early 1960s’. I spent seven years teaching and coaching in that school system. Some of my greatest sports memories took place in that gym. I was fortunate to be a very small part of Coach John Milholland and his teams in 1972 and 73 when they won Indiana high school basketball sectionals. The movie “Blue Chips” was filmed at this gym.  The first team picture is the Frankfort team winning the 1972 Sectionals. The second team picture–well that goes all the way back to 1960 my senior year in high school. The picture is of the Pimento Peppers that year. No we never won a sectional. Take a close look at #40.  
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​Stealing a bit more from Lunsford when he quotes the author of “Blue Highways,” (William Moon) when Moon writes about what a perfect evening might be, “it’s one of those moments in life that I’ll take to my grave.” I often have come away from a basketball game with similar thoughts, “what a perfect evening this has been.”
 
Tonight another basketball season begins for me, and as I sit just a couple of rows behind the bench, I see that all too familiar look on the face of the coach; a look that is hard to describe, a cross between happiness and pain. It really is a great game!
 
In 1891 Dr. James Naismith invented the game. Can you believe what a New York sports writer once said of his creation?
                               “Naismith’s game is nothing more than the silly business of
                                               throwing an inflated bag through a hoop.”

​Shame, shame on that writer.
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November 4, 2009
Keep on,
​Larry Adamson ​​

 
The color blue has been significant in a number of songs. Also, it is my favorite color.
I listened to two songs today on one of my oldies tape while driving my corvette with the top down that brought back memories. The songs were “Misty Blue” and “Blue Velvet.”

Not too long ago I stood at a recreations baseball field. I watched as a group of kids were getting ready to play an informal choose up game. I had to smile when I saw the last player chosen and then I over heard one kid say to this last chosen one, “you’re in right field.”  I thought back…some things never change.  
 
In the sport of baseball playing right field has kinda a special notation about it.
 
If you think back to your early childhood days generally the last person chosen in a pick-up game would be told “you’re playin’ right field.” Supposedly that would be the position where one would be least likely to hurt the team. Right field was where nothing happens. Most batters are right handed and so few balls would be hit in that direction. I can remember a few pick-up games as a youth and if there would be a girl at that field that day two things for sure would happen. One, she would be chosen last and two, she would be sent to play right field. It was just the law of the choose up games. Thinking back to that time…that also was where the one tree we had in the outfield was. At least that person might find some shade. If few balls were hit that way one could do a bit more of “outfield day dreaming.” 
 
The folk group Peter, Paul and Mary once sang about playing right field. (Footnote–I once (1961) stood back stage with Mary prior to her going on at a concert of theirs–at the time a rather attractive lady I must say.)

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August 29, 2016
Keep on,
Larry Adamson
 

Just some thoughts:    
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I always liked Payne Stewart, and over time I grew to like him even more.
 
 I did not have a lot of dealings with him during my twenty plus year’s tenure with the United States Golf Association although I did talk with him on occasion regarding his entry into the U.S. Open and his responsibilities of the U.S. Open trophy. The trophy was placed in his possession for a year following his winning the Open which he did not once, but twice. On occasion his wife Tracey would call to check that his entry was on file and that all information was correct for his play that year.
 
For me, Payne was the kind of guy many of us knew or went to high school with. He was a little cocky and self assured, but not rude or arrogant. He was good looking, a good athlete, and popular with just about everyone. He was just a likeable, fun guy who most times was kinda “just full of himself.”
 
There are many reasons why I came to like Payne: how he mellowed over the years and how he worked at other things than his golf skills. Plain and simple, he softened with years. Time can have a way of doing that to most of us. At least, hopefully it will.
 
What I really liked about him was something he said to the sports writer, John Feinstein, when John interviewed him for one of his books. And by the way, in my opinion Feinstein may be the best sports writer in years. My personal dealings with him while on staff at the USGA were most enjoyable. That could not be said of all media folks. Now back to Payne…
 
When talking with Feinstein, Payne spoke about the death of his father and the birth of his first child, a daughter:
 
                  “I felt so bad that he would never see her. It wasn’t fair at all. But I felt better
                    knowing that he’d seen me grow up and marry someone he truly loved, and he
                    saw me overcome a lot of the dumb things I did as a kid. That’s the best thing
                    about being a parent, isn’t it? Seeing your kids figure life out. It’s the thing I
                    enjoy more than anything else I do; watch my kids grow and figure things out.”
 
As I said, I liked Payne for reasons other than his ability to hit a golf ball.  I like the line about “Seeing your kids figure life out – that’s the best thing about being a parent.” Payne added, “I just hope they figure it out a lot quicker than their old man did.”  I think many of us can identify with what Payne said.
 
Sadly, Payne died October 25, 1999.
 
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November 19, 2014
Keep on,
Larry Adamson

​One of my all time favorite books and also movies is Robert James Waller’s book, The Bridges of Madison County. It is one of the very few books or movies that I watch or read again. And again….
 
Quotes one might ponder from the book:

“Her abstinence from her recollections has been a matter of survival.”
           
​“I can’t tear myself away from the realness of my responsibilities.”
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Just some thoughts:
 
Buddy Holly’s classic rock-n’-roll hit “Peggy Sue” was written about an actual girl Holly knew, Peggy Sue Gerron. In fact Peggy Sue dated and later married  Jerry Allison the drummer for the Crickets, Holly’s first band. Year’s later she wrote a book What Ever Happened to Peggy Sue?” 
 
Recently in reading her book I was taken by the number of things that so many towns, communities of the 1950s’ had in common. Holly and Peggy Sue grew up in the west Texas town of Lubbock. In that town there was the Hi-D-Ho drive-in restaurant. Every town of any size in American especially during this time had such places. 
 
“We also hung out at the Hi-D-Ho, drinking Cokes or a sour time, and talking—seeing and being seen. Every important thing that happened to a couple became common knowledge at the Hi-D-Ho drive-in in Lubbock, Texas. The main drive-in was on 19th Street. The building had plate-glass windows in the front that curved down the sides so we could drive all the way around and see who was there and with whom. We would drive from one Hi-D-Ho location to the other, park, get out of the car, watch the guys kick tires, and talk to our friends. All my girlfriends dragged the drive-in on Saturday night. If we had a date, we did the same thing. Going steady? The Hi-D-Ho was the place to be seen. Having problems? The Hi-D-Ho was the place to work things out. I always wondered how many girls were proposed to at the Hi-D-Ho and how many breakups happened there.”
                                                 Peggy Sue Gerron–What Ever Happened to Peggy Sue
 
The movie “American Graffiti helped give credence to the popularity of such places in the lives of kids from the late 1950s’. A number scenes took place at Mel’s Diner.  
 
As I read that paragraph I thought back to my growing up days. The “strip,” well that was Wabash Avenue in Terre Haute, Indiana. The Hi-D-Ho’s for our generation  would have been O’Days, TheTrianon and last on the strip, Henri’s. 
 
Up and down, round and round.
 
Where was your Hi-D-Ho?
 
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September 22, 2016
Keep on,
Larry Adamson  

LA
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Just some thoughts:

CHUCK BERRY
 
“Just take those old records off the shelf, I’ll sit and listen to them by myself, today’s music ain’t got the same soul, I love that old time rock-n’-roll.”
 
Jerry Lee Lewis once called him the “Hank Williams of rock-n’- roll.” He was referring to Chuck Berry, his song writing and performing talents. Over the years I have seen Chuck Berry numerous times; even once saw him in prison. Now, that’s a story for another time.

In Peggy Sue Gerron book What Ever Happened to Peggy Sue, she describes what it was like the first time she saw Chuck Berry. “The house lights dimmed, and a hush swept across the audience–the calm before the storm. the Master of Ceremonies appeared, welcomed us and announced the first act. When the curtain opened to Chuck Berry belting out “Maybellene,” pandemonium broke out. Throughout the auditorium, people rose up out of their seats and began dancing where they stood. I’d never seen anything like it before in my life.  I was mesmerized by both the audience and music that I thought I’d surely died and gone to heaven.”     
 
A couple weeks ago, I was on the golf course when my cell phone rang. Normally, when I’m on the golf course I will let it ring, but I looked at it and thought, “Better take this call. I think I know who it is as the area code was for St. Louis.” I answered, “Larry, I got two tickets for this coming Wednesday night. You always told me if I ever got tickets to immediately call you.” My instructions to my friend, who was living in St. Louis, had always been, “If you can ever get tickets to the small club where Chuck Berry still plays a couple times a month, get them and call me, I’ll be there.”
 
The next Wednesday saw my friend and I and a bunch of other folks packed like sardines in a can in the basement of a small club in the heart of St. Louis. We were there to see eighty-six year old Chuck Berry do his thing. And do his thing he did! Now he is not the Chuck Berry of our 1950s’ days as his son and daughter helped him with various things while he was on stage. At times the lyrics seem to fade a bit and he still does an abbreviated duck walk; but he is still Chuck Berry.
 
I’ve told my oldest grandson, “When I’m old and you all have put me in the Home and I’m just sittin’ on the porch, get a convertible, load me up (of course the top must be down) and take me for a spin. Put on some of that good ol’ rock-n’- roll music like Elvis, Little Richard, Fats, Ricky, Dion, Jerry Lee and of course, Chuck. If you don’t get a rise out of me, take me back to the Home and tell them, he’s done.”
 
             “Call me a relic, call me what you will, say I’m old fashion, say I’m over the hill
                    Today’s music ain’t got the same soul I love that old time rock-n’- roll.”
 
                                                  “I reminisce about the days of old.”
 
Yes, I do reminisce about the days of old and about a lot of people, places and happenings from that time. I do so more than often. You?
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June 25, 2011
Keep on,
Larry Adamson