THE
of the cars continued to steam up
under the prescribed regulations.
Hanging On The summer I graduated from
college I had an epiphany: the
time was right to get married. I
VIEW FR
was becoming bored with dating
and was just plain sick and tired
of adhering to the dating code.
Experimenting with the joy of
sex without losing my virginity
was becoming more difficult and
exasperating. I thought that I better
find a husband before it was too
OM HERE
late. But no one had asked me, so
what could I do?
I had just started teaching third
by Linda G. Weiser
grade and was sharing my first
apartment with another teacher,
I
n the summer of 1956, I had just college, a pledge for one of the when one Saturday morning the
graduated from college and was college fraternities invited me to his phone rang. I picked it up and
waiting to join the workforce as a pledge dance at the frat house. The heard a voice say, “This is Dick
teacher in the city of Buffalo. I was dance was a semi-formal affair, the Weiser, I just spoke to Bob Barone
5'9" tall, had dirty blonde curls with boys wore dark suits and the girls from Alfred College [where we’d
crinkly blue eyes and I loved boys. could wear long or short gowns. both gone]. I lost track of everyone
My Mother used to say “Lin, The week before the dance, I was while I was in the army and Bob
use your God-given common sense horseback riding at my aunt’s farm. suggested that I call you.”
and be mindful of your ways.” I very The horse got the bit in his teeth Then he added, “I’m in the
well knew what she meant. and took off. I couldn’t stop him neighborhood and would like to
By this time, there had been a lot and fell off hard. I was a mess! stop by.”
of boys in my life—all types and There were brush burns and sores I raced through the rooms
sizes, although most were tall. The all over my arms and legs, especially straightening up, throwing on brown
boys had taken me out to dinner, to on my knees and elbows. The night wool slacks and a turquoise sweater
parties, dances, clubs and bars. We of the dance, I wore a strapless blue that buttoned on the shoulder. I
danced, we sang and we huddled satin gown that was floor length heard the doorbell ring as I ran a
together watching frigid football to cover my legs. My arms were comb through my tangled curls.
games. concealed by long white above the Dick stood in the doorway as I
After these dates, if we liked elbow gloves with pearl buttons at remembered the last time I had seen
the boys, it was usual to engage in the wrist. Although my knees and him, four years earlier when we were
an activity referred to as “necking” elbows were badly bruised, my bare both college students. I had been
or “petting.” This part of the date shoulders proved alluring. In the car with one of my dates at a party
was conducted according to an things started to heat up fast. My being held at somebody’s empty
unwritten code of ethics that we strapless blue gown was becoming lakeside cottage when he walked in,
knew as the “nice girl versus not dangerously close to becoming all six feet of him, wearing a white
nice girl” dating code. If a girl was a a topless one. Breathlessly, I tee shirt, creased khaki pants and a
“nice girl,” some things were allowed interceded, “No! Stop!” and gave big smile that lit up his handsome
and some things weren’t, but if she a good shove until the activity was features. We listened as he cracked
was in the “not nice girl” category, reluctantly ceased. us up with his jokes. I watched
most things were a go. I made sure While dating in college became his exuberance energize the whole
that I was considered to be in the more frequent and demanding, I gathering.Then Dick bent close and
category of “nice” girl. still adhered to the dating code as whispered in my ear, “Let’s dance!”
When I was a freshman in best I could while the back seats I thought about the way we
(continued on page 22)
www.tricountywoman.com I 21
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