Girl Lost - Part 3

                                                                         Part 3

The Road East

Almost all military families are familiar with being uprooted every few years from friends, homes, schools, personal possessions, and even their pets. Some  are able to absorb the losses while others struggle with every new move. For me, though I felt the losses, the traveling was the most enjoyable part of being a military brat. I was almost completely living inside my head by now and would use the travels and destinations to create the most safe, stable and enjoyable stories in which to hide.

Omaha was to be our first major stop. We were going to visit another of my mother's sisters. I found Aunt Eileen to be the exact opposite of how I thought my Aunt June to be. If there was a real Mrs. Claus, Aunt Eileen could have been  her. Somewhat on the portly side she smiled and laughed as she tried to wait on us hand and foot. She was one of the few people in my life who would say she was glad I was there and happy to see me and I believed it a hundred percent.

Aunt Eileen lived over a ground floor bar with two of her kids - Doreen and Billy - they were about the same age as my sister and I. It was only one flight up from the street level  but two flights from the parking lot in the back. The ones in the back were old and rickety and looked like a light wind would be sufficient to bring them down. Climbing up them was scary. I just knew the stairs would either break dropping me down to the ground or the staircase would pull away from the building wall
falling away from the building into the gravel parking lot carrying me with it.

                                                                           

It was a short visit and it went by way to quickly. Billy was excited to show us all his model crazy cars  that decorated his bedroom.

                                                                                   

Day two saw all the kids sent off to the movies while the adults visited. We walked to the theater and on the way we passed a Piggly Wiggly. I'd never heard of them and haven't seen one since but loved giggling every time someone said it's name.

                                                                             

The matinee was Blue Hawaii with Elvis. I loved everything about it and swore that if I ever got married it would be in Hawaii at the same location as the wedding scene, on a raft with a recording of Elvis singing the Hawaiian Wedding Song playing in the background.

                                                                                   

The next day we were on the road again. Next stop was supposed to be Johnson City, Tennessee, where my dad had been born but we ran into into a car issue in which a gas station outside of St. Louis (Mom had no desire to visit anyone from her hometown) filled our gas tank up with water. The area had been experiencing heavy rains and the station had apparently left a cover off one of it's tanks. After being towed and the tank emptied and refilled, our journey continued.

One of the best parts driving across the country was stopping for meals. Mom always made sure we had 3 meals a day but they were budget dictated - tuna casserole, chicken casserole, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, meatloaf and usually on Sunday's fried chicken or pork-chops.  And, if we were really lucky - not - LIVER!   The Howard Johnsons' were okay but were to similar to mom's everyday cooking and it was a hassle to park, get seated, decide what we were going to get (as opposed to what we wanted), order, then try and sit there patiently waiting for the food. But McDonald's! Give me a cheeseburger with pickles and small fry and I was as close to happy as I could get for the next 200-300 miles. And, we didn't even have to get out of the car to get our food!

Johnson City, Tennessee

I knew my dad had been born a Johnson in Johnson City so I was excited to see his hometown.  His last name changed after his mom divorced and moved to San Francisco and he was adopted by her new husband. It was going to be very short visit - just a few hours. We drove up a very narrow road flanked by tall trees. The road up the  hill was long and steep. Steep enough that I found myself wishing I could get out and walk it because I was having serious doubts on whether or not the car was going to make it.

Our destination was a very, very large house that sat at the top of the hill. It had a huge front porch and maybe because of the faded paint it reminded me of the house from the movie Psycho. Everyone seemed happy to see my dad and the adults all sat out on the porch and visited for an hour or so while we kids were left to meander around the yard and stretch our legs (plus kids were still supposed to be seen and not heard) and then we were back on the road.

We finally reached Hampton, VA., where we would live while my dad was stationed at Langley AFB. I think my parents were very glad that trip was over.

Girl Lost - Part 2

Part 2

                                                                    California.

Defense Secretary McNamara decided to start closing smaller military facilities and we found ourselves moving  to Long Beach, CA.  We ended up living at 360 Smith street.  At the time we lived there, it was a worn and tired little house with a small garage off to the side. (I googled it and it looked like it had been completely remodeled and found the last time it had sold it went for about $78,000.) My folks set up bunk beds just inside the back door across from the water heater to share with my brother.

Long Beach was where I bought my very first item of girls clothing on my own. Nylons! We had a small neighborhood store a few blocks down the street and right by the door there was a display of  them. I didn't know the difference between nylons, pantyhose or tights but I knew how they made girls and women's legs look and I thought it might help my mindset if mine looked nice like theirs. It took a few more visits before I was able to build up a enough  courage to buy my them. I was sent for milk and after grabbing a gallon I paused at the display - selected a package -  read the size chart on the back and picked out the correct size. It felt like my whole body was shaking and sweat was pouring down my face. I was sure the clerk could see my heart pounding as I stepped up to the counter and paid. She bagged the items and I was out the door in a matter of seconds. She didn't even give me a glance. I got about a half block down the street - pulled the package out of the bag - shoved it down the front of my pants - took some very deep breaths trying to calm myself - and headed home. I took to hiding them up in the eves of the garage.  It had taken me 13 years to have something feminine of my own but I had finally done it!

Long Beach was also where I learned to skateboard. No tricks like today's kids just a plain old method of transportation. Rode it to Huntington Beach and back - once. It didn't help that it had the old style wooden wheels that stopped instantly when they came in contact with even the smallest piece of gravel.

                                                                            

Long Beach Unified School District
Hamilton Junior High School - 7th Grade

I hated it. In part because it was junior high and I had to go  to different locations for each class and have different teachers in most. Didn't and don't like change. It didn't help that I was completely overwhelmed by my gender and sexuality issues. If it wasn't for a new crush, Patty D., I wouldn't  remember any students at the school. She was the only one I remember having talked to while there and she'd sit with me at lunch and visit.

I had mixed feelings about the teachers.  I had Ms. Latham for English 7, and then History and Geography. Only received C's which was sad because I had a minor crush on her.  P.E. got me an A which was probably given out to every student that showed up because I spent most of my time hiding behind the other kids. If no one was going to let me participate as a girl,  I was going to be invisible as much as possible during gym class I decided.

Art and Industrial Drawing were both B's. I had a love hate relationship with both Art and the teacher.  Did my most favorite drawing but hated having my work critiqued.  I felt I was drawing for me which didn't always translate to what the teacher wanted. I then found myself upset with him after he presented an attitude in criticizing a football action pose he was making me hold for the class to draw.  He probably would have gotten more cooperation if he had let me chose a more feminine pose.

Music! I hated the class. We had to study opera but basically without a teacher present. He'd come in and put an opera record on then leave for the hour to go help with the school talent show he was going to direct. The only thing  I learned was that they were Italian operas and one was The Barber of Seville and the other was Tosca. At the end of the week, he would stay long enough to hand out a quiz and then disappear again until the end of class.
I wasn't sure how I was supposed to study for something in which I didn't understand the language so I didn't even try. Grade in that class - a "D". The only one I ever got.

While there, I went an all area schools' talent show at the Hollywood Bowl with the other students from our school. I can only remember one of the performances. It was by a young black teenager about 13 or 14 years old. He sang the Battle Hymn of the Republic and by the the time he'd finished  I was covered in goosebumps from his amazing performance.

There was, however, a more exciting event for me at the show. Door prizes were randomly being handed out between  the performances and I was called up to the stage to receive one. Returning to my seat with my small box I was totally self - conscience thinking everyone in the Bowl was watching me. At my seat, I unwrapped the box to find a pair of earrings and necklace - the perfect prize even though I couldn't wear them! Unfortunately, my excitement didn't last long because when I got home it was "suggested" my mom might like them and I ended up giving them to her. I had wanted to keep them so bad I came close to tears but at the same time I was happy that I could give her something nice.

Church

There were a few things that happened on the local stage outside of school that helped to expand my perspective of life beyond my limited scope of a 7th grader. The first was attending church. We didn't go often but the one occasion that comes to mind was when the family walked over on a Sunday to a nearby church. My siblings and I went into the Sunday school class and my parents went into the adult's service.  When class was over, we waited out on the church porch with the other kids for our parents to get out of services. I was shocked at how fast their potty mouths came out as the others in the class teased and bad mouthed each other.

Then it was the adults turn. As they came out the door, their foul mouths also kicked in and I remember one parishioner immediately voicing his anger at how long the service had gone past it's scheduled time.  I was already lost over the concept of a god and now seeing the effect of  what going to church was having on both the kids and adults (none?) left me even more confused. What was their purpose in attending?

On a more positive note, we had to walk by a cage in someone's yard that contained a large monkey. Pausing to see it was definitely more enjoyable then going to Sunday school, I thought.

                                                                      Watts

The second major incident was the Watts Riots. We lived about 8 miles from the Watts area and pictures of the fires, rioting and looting were constantly on TV and in the paper. The violence would eventually spread to other areas of Los Angeles and south to Long Beach. I didn't really understand the whys at the time and no one seemed interested in explaining them to me which was fine as I was dealing with my own issues. (I was only an immature 7th grader who should only be seen and not heard after all.)

Mom did express concern about us returning to school in late August or early September as we didn't know how long the riots would last. We did walk to school but the only thing she should have worried about was me stopping at Winchell's Donuts everyday on the way home.
                                                                         

Watts riots
Burning buildings during the riots
Date	August 11–16, 1965
Location	Watts, Los Angeles
Goals	To end mistreatment by the police and to end discrimination in housing, employment, and schooling systems
Methods	Widespread rioting, looting, assault, arson, protests, firefights, property damage, murder
Resulted in	The people of Watts being left unemployed in poor conditions
Casualties
Death(s)	34
Injuries	1,032
Arrested	3,438

                                                                Signal Hill

One of the most amazing things I saw while living there was when we would drive by the Signal Hill oil fields.  At 13, I knew nothing about oil but I was fascinated with the towers and pumps and my nose was always up against the car windows trying to get a better view. I would end up creating so many stories in my head  about them while we lived there (especially having previously seen Superman and the Mole-Men when younger).

                                                              


                                                                        


Secretary of Defense McNamara would strike again and the facility my dad was at was closed. Next stop - Langley A.F.B.