I couldn't believe what a neat guy I was....

Growing up in Chilliwack..................1951

I guess I was 13...my first real date...I was taking a girl to the movies....I was walking to her house, going to the door ...meeting her folks probably....her dad is a cop...oh gawd ...I was a mess all day Saturday.....but I had asked her and that was it I guess, no backing out.....I met her at the skating rink.......... The Strand Theatre was converted in to a skating rink in 50 or 51....The new Paramount theatre was finished in 1948 and Rudy Martins Dad converted the Strand to a wooden floored roller rink....I liked to skate .....It was a neat little rink and had a small cafe on the front where the large entrance and ticket booth used to be....we rented boot .......but back to the first date......Louise Dougherty.....she used to help lead the city parades with the majorettes...marching and throwing a baton around ....she was 2 grades behind me......and I was going to the movies with her.........I had a bath and picked out the best clothes I had, then I combed my hair forever trying to get the wave just right....sometimes I used Brylcream and sometimes a little sugar and water to keep it in place......I may have used both this night....what did I get myself into...I was a mess.....so nervous, I wanted to back out.....but ....I'm going to do this.......I walked 8 or 10 blocks to Her house on Princess Avenue which seemed weird as I usually rode my bike everywhere.....It was a warm summer night .....I was warm....yipes.....I'm here .....up to the door.....whew ....here goes..........knock.... knock...
She is at the door....oh gawd...Hi....come on in, this is my dad ... daddy this is Gary Scales ....uhh Hello Mr. Dougherty...Gawd I'm gonna die....my mouth has dried up...my chest is pounding ..Louise says I will be just a minute and has to do something as I sit down and look at Mr. Dougherty as he is reading the paper....he didn't say anything...nothing...just read the paper...maybe he will say something ....should I say something....my mouth is to dry........ just ....oh gawd Louise, please hurry....five hours later she flits into the room......Good bye daddy.......umm gbye Mr. Dougherty.....and outside we go....ahhhhh I start to calm down....I am not near as nervous anymore...the nervy stuff was scared out of me I guess......she looks so young and nice ( she is only in grade 6 or 7) her hair had a ribbon in it...and here I am with a girl, going to the show......as we walked and talked I wondered how she could be so cool when I felt like a babbling idiot.....but it was getting easier now...I was fishing today.....she said she liked fishing......by the time we got to the Paramount I couldn't believe what a neat guy I was.......we sat downstairs....I didn't want to sit in the balcony, downstairs near the back we were safe from any teasing classmates........ I can't remember what movie was on but we had popcorn and drinks ...the whole deal....then after a while, when the main feature came on.... ...oh man... it's the arm thing...do I dare put my arm around her...I've got to do that or I would have to tell of my failure the next day.....It's almost mandatory...what if she doesn't like that.....but I did.....I did put my arm around her....It was okay...she moved in a little closer.....whoa ...I had my arm around a girl...not my sister or my mother...but a whole other person....like me ....only a girl person ....who has agreed to let me hold her.....I was just inches way from this girl person,. the screen was a blur ,I was thinking ....what is she thinking.....it was magical but also my arm went asleep....when it's there it stays there...too much trouble to go through all that again.... the movies over at 9 pm...it is still plenty light out and the brightness makes us squint when we leave the theatre......I don't remember the walk to her home...but I do remember rubbing my dangling arm, and I certainly do recollect the quick kiss when I walked her to the door and my feeling of accomplishment as I walked to my home.....
I dated Louise a few times in High School and when I was 19.....One Saturday night and we went to a dance at the East Chilliwack Hall.....Shirley was involved with putting the dance on...I knew that and that is kinda why we went there....I had just met Shirley days before but we had not been out together yet.....Well I was definitely stuck on her and we danced just about every song.....When the dance was over and I was driving Louise home she said "she sure is cute isn't she"...well, yep...embarrassed...... she sure is ....and thanks for being so understanding........I don't know how to end this except I drove my "first date" home and married that cute girl who was at the dance.