The Happy House
A memory was brought up yesterday, when I wad notified of the death of another of my Dad’s friends.... it seems they are all going fast these days.... but, wow, I have some great memories, especially when really young of these people
My Dad was basically one of, if not the head of a motorcycle club, one that started here in Tyler, Tx in 1969, just as we rolled into town. He worked for years as a manager, head mechanic and did all custom paint jobs at a Honda dealership. This was just a big group of hippies back then, though there were a few bad apples, Dad stayed away from them so to not get into any kind of legal trouble.... with any biker group there will always be those who toe the line.
Anyway.... once a year, we held what we called the "un- birthday party. " the neighborhood wad invited also, so they would get to know these friends of ours and realize they was no need to fear them in any way.. some of the best ppl I've ever known.
At this party, everyone brought all the leftover plates, party gifts, balloons... anything left from any b day, x mas, all the holidays... and we decorated our yard, front and back, plus the inside.... there would be maybe 100 or more ppl there.... playing party games, eating potluck, ppl playing music... neighbors getting pics taken sitting on bikes...
This became an annual thing... then twice a year bc it was so popular with everyone. It continued until I was 7, when we moved to Lake Palestine, where i grew up.
We did a lot of this kind of thing... trying to bring together the hippie biker community together with just the regular working people... ( Mom was a hairdresser)
It was a really happy time in my life...I think in pretty much everyone else's, too. If it wasn't, I was kept well sheltered from it.
I still go by that house from time to time...a friend lives just up the road...I think pretty much my happiest memories are from when we lived inside that little house. It was really small.... I'm pretty sure my bedroom was actually meant to be a dining room... and my brother was ' on the sunporch.... but it had beautiful high ceilings and narrow tall windows....it was ' white.... and had a big front porch that was painted red. Typical picket fence, and a sidewalk that led right to the park, which was only blocks away.... same as school.. just up the road. Both parents work was ' within a mile. I think my whole world fit into about 2 square miles then....
It still looks almost exactly the same today.... even the iris and lilies we planted there still bloom...I smile, knowing that somehow...a little part of that house will always hold a part of me in that way... the same way i hold a part of it inside my happy place....☺