Do do do do take you back.....

This is a song written by Bill Conti for the 1976 movie Rocky.  It's about a feller bemoaning the fact he ain't gonna take "her" back.

That ain't what this is about.

This is selfishly all about me... writing down my "what ifs" about "if I could take you back."  If you perused this blog ever before, hopefully you will remember seeing the verbiage "written to me, for me, hitchhikers welcome."

Do do do do take you back.........

To grannys.  Age 9.  Foraging winter roads to get there.  Standing infronta the Christmas tree, "can't wait" to see what's for me, also, hoping my cousins like what I got them.

To a Ray Charles concert - where folks even way older than me are be-boppin' in their chairs.  The recipe calls for vibrance, wonderful rhythm, and Ray's 'it's always there' smile.  Yeah baby (not to be confused with Austin Powers Yeah baby.)

All my life, I've been a simpleton on keeping up with, in the know of - in the moment, chic things.  It took me forever and a day to finally decide "Rolling Stones" over "Beatles."  I was 60-something when I asked "Pink Floyd really sang that one?" Message:  I'd love to bring Freddie Mercury back, know that can't be accomplished, but just for a baby second to hear "I see a little silhouette of a man, Scaramouch, Scaramouch, will you do the Fandngo"  Thunderbolts and lightning very, very frightening me, Galileo, Galileo, Galileo, Galileo, Figaro - magnificoo..."

A Willie Mays 'back to the infield' catch.  Stan the Man wiggling his butt just before a double to right center field.  Brooks Robinson sucking up one of those "howinthehell did he catch that" grounders.

Locally... Bud Temple saying "Rack 'em Charlie." .. Bill Kerston hollering "HELLLLOOOOOOOOO wrestling fans."

Sandy Koufax facing Hank Aaron.  Lou stealing 2nd, then 3rd, followed shortly by Harry's "HOLY COW!"... Free peanuts, Pepsi and color TV World Series games at Woodys.

Hoss's "Dadburnit", Jed's "Weeeee dogggies".. Gomer's "Gyooooollllleeeee".  A fifteen second clip of Barney trying to get the bullet outta his pocket. JFK's "My fellow Americans."

The first time I remember something special about a girl (besides the fact she could kick a kickball as far as any boy in class) - that moment on Valentine's Day, nerves, hope, setting one's self up for failure, joy, when she finally opens that biggest Valentine card in the box. (Patty Gross, I will never forget!  The first in a long line that have left me by the wayside!  And in fairness, I maybe left one or two along the way.)

Those first kisses, and coming swiftly to the realization 'she', will have the remote control in life. (And, pleased as punch about that.) Googling 'pleased as punch' to see whyinthehell that's even a saying.)

A sock hop when we could all still move. Jumping off that too dang tall cliff into the lake, heart beating faster than me today without my BP meds, knowing, just knowing, I might die before I hit the water.  Then, paddling upward like crazy to make sure I make it to the water surface before all the air is outta me and I've not drowned.

After four consecutive failures to debark the ski lift, finally, a proudness, "damn, I'm sitll on my feet."  That look, that awesome look down the slope before launching.  Yum, just yum.

Spending the night at that one friend's house where his mom doesn't care if you ain't in bed by 2am.

A victorious baseball game behind Franklin School, age 9, racing across the street to be first in line for a  Mug's Up 5 cent root beer. Best root beer ever tasted in a lifetime.

The wonderful, scary, oh baby, moment when, you're at work, she reaches you by phone saying "My water broke."  The 14 mile drive from the airport to home that took 7 minutes.

The last day of school.  Every year.

Just one more time, please lemme hear "Now batting, number 9, Dagaberto Campaneris."

Joe Willie throwing one 70 yards on a rope, hoping one day I could have a girlfriend as pretty as one of the 73 girlfriends he had.

Jan kicking, Lenny throwing, Otis catching, Jerrel punting. Hank's distinctive voice.  The George Toma pristine fields at William Jewell.

A drive to Antioch to be the first in Liberty to learn which song topped The 40 Star Survey."

Jimmy's "Good night , Mrs. Calabash, whereever you are."  George's "Goodnight Gracie".. Walter's "And that's the way it is."  Good night Chet, Good night David.

I'd like to help my dad bail out our old metal boat.. or, put up my basketball goal.. play catch with my mom.. tease my sister back..hug on Brownie, or Gabe (Followed by taking Gabe on a car ride so he could "Snap!" at every oncoming car.!)

A drive around the Square.  Or the Koo Koo.  To/Fro the High School to Jewell and back. Past Repperts to see if the flag is up.

Race on my bike, ballglove on the handlebar, through the cemetary to get to the City Park for 4 hours of Indian Ball in 95 degree heat.

Staying home at age 10 in the air conditioning, no swimming, no whiffle ball, no nuttin' because "Tonight is the Big Game!"

Finally developing the "oomph" to make it all the way to the top of the rope climb at Frankin School, followed by "oh no, now whatinthehell do I do." - which, in 1961 was actually "now whatintheheck do I do." Chickenfat, JUST ONCE MORE!

As the king of dog-eared paper, the first of the year when that notebook mom gotya was perfect.  Struggling to finish getting Victor Schultze on the Big Chief notebook. (Yes, take you back is supposed to be about good things, struggle ain't a good word, BUT, completion of that was a good thing.)

The teacher rolling the projector into class, timed perfectly for one with ADHD before it was known what in the hell ADHD was, and thankfully, never medicated for.

Alone in the house, debating whether to spin "Harvest" or "I Wish It Would Rain" - or maybe listen to both.

A compilation video of every crush I've ever had, "Elizabeth Montgomery, Hayley Mills, Candice Bergen, Cher, Shelley Hack, Victoria Principal, Farrah Fawcett, Elisabeth Shue, Sara Jessica Parker, etc, etc, etc and I know there's at least 50 I forgot.

A good ole snowball fight. Kick the can. Build an igloo. Climb the mulberry tree for reward. Whiffle ball.  S'more Wiffle Ball.  And s'more....   A s'more by the campfire.  A marshmellow on a stick flaming.  63 lightning bugs in a jar. "First one to see the streetlights on."  The Flanigan's dinner bell, game over. The Flanigans, my friendship with every one of 'em.

Chasing the mosquito fogger (WHY? Why did we do that?) Dousing cars from atop a tree with mom's water filled empty Joy bottle.  Hustling down, running like crazy when onea the cars stopped.

Have enough energy to once again climb to the top of the hill by Jewell Hall (42 times) for a 25 second sled down to the bottom.  Mom's hot chocolate after.

Barry Sanders zig and a zag, Ditka knocking someone on their butt.. Willie Lanier, same.. Bobby Bell throwing and punting footballs 70 yards in practice.

The characters of the game that made sports fun.. Rick Dempsey, Yogi Berra, Hraboski,  Bob Uecker,......

Seeing, once again, this coach, that coach, this teacher, this school worker - those who have adobe bricked me into the person I am today, shortcomings included of course!

Of course a long, long list of those departed, taking sufficient time to hug each. Every cat and dog buried in backyards across Missouri.

I am quite certain you as well have your do do do do take you back list, dreams, memories, smiles. Maybe we matched up one or two.

Baseaball, and life, have been berry berry good to me.

Love, Victurd