county fair 1977

I was in love with this girl named Bonnie. She had little apples on her chest. Long brunette hair. Hair with bangs that feathered back just like they were supposed to in the seventies. She was in one of my classes and she was always so sweet to me and she moved her hair around just like Jan Brady did. Sigh.

I asked her if she wanted to meet me at the fair and she smiled and said yes. I could have swooned.

I had a date! Yay! I'll bet that will fix everything!

We agreed to meet at the corner of the pavillion nearest the Lions Club booth. My heart sank when I saw that she was with about five of her girl friends. I had wanted to hold her hand or do whatever they did. I didn't have the guts to do that in front of all those mean leering teenage girls.

That wasn't much of an issue anyway, as soon as I got near them they started talking and walking toward the midway.

Bonnie said, "Hi we're going to the rides," and followed her friends.

What to you do? I started following. Bonnie and I made small talk for a few moments. Then her friends started walking faster. And so did she.

I started walking faster to keep up. The faster I went, the faster they went, turning their heads, flinging their long feathering hair, chagrined to see me keeping pace and going ever faster until they were practically trotting.

Then, they stopped, huddled, and the more pragmatic of the group approached me, wearing a bandana halter top, smoking a Marlboro Red, "Walter, we're gonna go meet up with some guys."

"What? What am I?"

She just chuckles in her way too low for a ninth grade girl voice and saunters back to the huddle, says something to the girls whereupon they all laugh, even sweet, sweet Bonnie, take a merry look in my general direction and practically skip away, to the beer gardens.

I was so bummed. I went and traded my puca shell necklace to a senior for some beer.