Parent's rules broken............

"Normal" Midwest kid in the 50's, 60's... Mostly well behaved... Probably leaned toward the "a tad wild side" from 18 to 22...

Folks had very few rules... Their strategy was simple... If I wanted to do something, they deducted "if we can afford it... if it seems safe... if it's not going hurt anyone... then we Ok it." Not really rules, just their logic.

My father half tongue in cheek had the rule "wait until you're 35 to get married.... and only then if you're sure!" I broke that one....... twice....

Mother, again perhaps tongue in cheek - her thing was "Finish everything you start.... excepting sex." I broke that one too.. Ahm, I think I dropped Astrology my sophomore year in college.

With grandparents in mid-Missouri (we live on the western end) weekends frequently found my parents gone for a couple of days... leaving me, Junior, at home to "don't burn the house down." That rule I upheld - but on one occasion they won out with humor.

It had become pretty obvious from previous weekends they had left this high school senior at home - small knick knacks got broken, more food than any ten starving men could eat outta the fridge was gone... and the next door neighbor met them with a sly grin upon their return. ie, something was usually up - and that was an old fashioned "beer blast" whilst they were gone. Not being the lecturing/grounding/swatting type - they schemed in other ways.

I remember the Friday well.... after school... laying around on the couch as they prepared to head for the Lake of the Ozarks for a two night stay.... "What's on your agenda tonight Victor?"... "Oh, nothing much... might go down to the City Park and watch a ballgame... might go over to Smitty's house and catch some TV." - "Well - have fun, be safe, and don't burn the house down." "K, thanks - you guys have fun too."

When their car rolled out, I went to the phone to call Robert.. Robert was to call Tom & Danny... Called Claudia, she was to call Betty Lou and Jan. They each in turn called more, and more. Within 30 minutes, there wasn't a parking spot within two blocks of the house.

I am not a very observant person... In fact, once a couple of years back I asked my wife "when did you put that picture up there?"..... "Two years ago." "Oh."

Anyways, my father sold books. He traversed the midwest selling to bookstores and college campus's. Within his publishing company, they carried a book on Homosexual Love, written by John-somebody. About 45 minutes into the party - a load roar happened - so deafening it even carried over "Louie Louie"... Seems my father had left the Homosexual Love book out on his desk... and signed a small note "To Victor, with love, John-somebody." Fortunately, my friends were mostly aware of my father's sense of humor - and I was not burdened to be dateless for the remainder of my life as I first thought I would.

Sunday afternoon the neighbor met my folks with that sly grin. Dad grinned back equally as slyly.