My Main Street Memories

About a mile and a half or thirty minutes from Varnum Drive to Main Street.  Sometimes via First Avenue, sometimes via Division Street. It depended on the destination. The Division Street hill wasn't daunting to a 13-year-old.

Anne Marie and I walked to Woolworth's. We stood gazing at a Rolling Stones album. It cost $5.99 and the cover was a pair of jeans, but only the zipper. My parents never would have allowed that album in the house. Besides, we only had money for singles. She picked "Joy to the World" and I chose "If." Three Dog Night and Bread.

Sometimes I'd meet up with Kathy. She lived off Love Lane and would be waiting for me on Division as I trudged up the hill. We'd saunter down to Main Street, for pizza at , or the sweet and sour combination plate at (egg roll, chow mein, sweet and sour pork — $2.50). Maybe stop at Earnshaw's.

My favorite place to spend allowance money was the Buz Terry Music store. I could browse sheet music to all the latest songs. If I bought one, I'd bring it to Mrs. Bowser on Hall Street when I had my piano lesson on Wednesday afternoon.  I bought the sheet music to "Half-Breed," and it had Cher on the cover, all dressed up in animal skins and feathers. One dollar.

Silverman's for school shoes and Keds. My mom had been bringing us to Silverman's forever, when it was a smaller store, up Main Street on the opposite side. Now, in the spacious building, with Solomon's at the other end, there was plenty of room. Mr. (Howard) Silverman was always there to greet us, and either he or another salesman would take out the metal plate and have us place one sock-covered foot on it at a time, taking careful measurements. 

My first job was at the Kent Cinema. Mrs. Erinakes was a strict but fair boss.  Before long, she'd sent me to work at the Hill-Top Drive In. My mother picked me up from work on hot summer nights and told me I smelled like greasy French fries. Nearly thirty years later, my sisters and I drove up the hill, where the drive-in used to be, and moved my mother into the dementia unit at . Life is a circle.