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.