When I was quite young, under seven, I always played with a girl across the street named Shirley.  Shirley was one of five kids and the same age as I was, and my mom would let me cross the street to play with Shirley or her mom would let her come over and play with me.  We played outside most of the time because Shirley had a swing set, and because when we were at my house, my mom didn’t want Shirley inside because she touched my mom’s things and asked for food or drinks.  My mom just hated that!

        My favorite place to play was at Shirley’s house on the swing set.  For some unknown or unremembered reason, Shirley and I would take turns singing a song and swinging as high as we possibly could.  I can almost close my eyes and remember swinging to the top of the limits of the swing and singing, “Swinging on a Star” at the top of my lungs.  When I’d finish it would be Shirley’s turn to swing and sing.  We had to take turns because the old swingset would rock with our swinging and if both of us were swinging it would rock right out of the ground.  We were afraid we would turn the swingset over and then we’d be left without our swingset.

            Shirley knew many more songs than I did because she and her family had a television set.  My family went to church a lot and I knew lots of hymns.  Most of the secular songs I knew were from Walt Disney because my family sometimes went to a neighbor’s house and watched the Disney program.  Shirley taught me a lot of wonderful songs like High Hopes, Over the Rainbow and Blue Moon, which were some of my favorites.

            When Shirley couldn’t play outside I sometimes went three houses down from mine and played with Fay.  Fay took piano lessons and I was so jealous.  I would beg her to play for me and I’d sing along if I knew the song.  She taught me chopsticks and a couple of really simple silly songs on the piano including “Heart and Soul”.  Fay’s family was also religious and she knew a lot of the same hymns that I knew.  I’m sure her Mother appreciated my playing with Fay because she got a lot of piano practice in.

As I grew older and learned to ride a bicycle, my mom allowed me to ride down to the end of our street and I became closer friends with Jeanie.  The musical connection between Jeanie and myself was that we were in choir together in high school.  We were also cheerleaders together in high school and it seems every time our squad was on the road to a game we all ended up singing together.

            I will never forget the incredible feeling of swinging and singing with Shirley.  I felt so free and happy.  And I didn’t mind that we had to take turns because it was so worth the wait.  My inner child springs forward every time I am near a playground.  I have no hesitation getting myself to the swingset and I really don’t care if anyone sees me.  I do refrain from singing at the top of my lungs but there are times I could break forth.

            I’ve never learned to play the piano but I remember every song that Fay taught me on the piano.  Sometimes I think that maybe 67 is not too old for taking up the piano, but I don’t have one.

            As for singing together with Jeanie and the cheerleaders, I still enjoying singing whether by myself or with a group.  I sang with a band for a few years and the thrill of my life was singing at Rockford’s Labor Day festival, “On the Waterfront”, in front of hundreds of people.  My friends and family were there for me and it was definitely the highlight of my life.