Holy Wayback Machines, Alumni
The humble one received correspondence from a mystery alumnus. The memories included in the note were poignant as all get out. Just the kind of reminiscing I expect of you veterans of the website. I'll include the trip back in time below.

Shannondale 1961 Summer Memories

Whenever I hear Quarter to Three, (Gary U.S. Bonds), I am in that Olympic size swimming pool & I can smell the chlorine...I can feel the heat from the sun...I can see my sweet friends.

Whenever I hear Petite Fleur (Chris Barber Jazz Band), I'm back in the basement of the Shannondale club house on a Saturday night & the music is wafting down the stairs from the adult dance upstairs.  One Saturday, the teens got to go upstairs for a special dinner...4th of July celebration, I think...& I learned what a "Shirley Temple" was.  There was some big name singer...jazz, as I recall...who played "It Must Be Jelly Cause Jam Don't Shake Like That."   Didn't they have the greatest fireworks?  It wasn't the norm in 1961 to see huge extravaganza displays like it is now, so I was pretty blown away by the show.

I, too, remember Bill Schroeder & how we had a picture of the Snoopy character for him.  & how our cute friend, Donna, liked him so much.  & the boy we called "Egg" because we were trying to get him to substitute saying "egg" for his other more colorful language.  & what a sweetheart & great friend Bill Nowell was ("...we have a cistern...")  & how he tried & tried to teach me to play ping-pong ...unsuccessfully, but he was indefatigable in trying.  & how kind Bill Nowell's dad always was to me...how he always tried to make all us kids feel special & @ home...& his Saturday night "dress up for the dance" shirts.  & I recall "Gamby"...Mike Gamberdella, the jockey...or maybe it was his brother who was the jockey @ Charles Town.  & Dave, the local guy, who worked @ Shannondale & also hung out with us in the "teen" room.  & I remember Jake & Jeff, the lifeguards & the girls who liked them &, while I can see them, I can't put names to the girls...believe one was named Marie.

There was a slender, dark-haired lady sitting around the pool with her friend one sunny day.  I would have learned more adult names had I known I'd want to remember them later on.  It was her 40th birthday which seemed altogether scary & sophisticated & done in to me @ 15.  She thoughtfully said to her friend, "If I knew then what I know now..."  I've often thought of that comment on birthdays since then & wonder if I know it yet.  & that 40th milestone birthday is a couple (ha) years ago now, too.

More than anything, I recall the sunny, happy days......I still can't hear Blue Moon (Marcels) without feeling the atmosphere of the clubhouse once again & wanting a rainbow sherbet cone.   "Blue moooooon..."  & Bill saying, "What?  Another one?"

One Saturday night there was dance upstairs & I went in the ladies room & met a young woman with a baby...she was crying.  I felt sorry for her so I offered to babysit for her.  She was so happy & went upstairs to have fun with her other adult friends.  & there I was, thinking I must be some sort of a ninny for taking that baby when I wanted to have a good time, too.  But then my teen friends in the basement got into watching the baby, & it turned out to be a real ice breaker for many of us.  (Note to self:  Remember this next time you don't  really want to do something but think you should.)

I particularly recall one rainy day & us shut-in teenagers sitting around the teen room coloring in kiddie coloring books after Bill once again tried to teach me to play ping-pong before I once again gave up.

Remember Tossin' & Turnin' (Bobby Lewis) blaring over the loudspeakers?

It was such a long time ago that I climbed to the top of the high dive & bravely jumped off...finally.  Last thing I heard before I hit the water was the huzzahs & hoorahs of my friends who'd been goading me to try it for over a week.   Oh, yeah, & A Little Bit Of Soap (Jarmels) was the soundtrack in this landmark event in my life.  I'd like to tell you I went on to Olympic swimming fame...I didn't.

Wasn't it great to be a teenager @ Shannondale in the summer of 1961?  Well...yeah...thanx for the happy times. o