Childhood Memories

I remember being a young boy and going to Mr. Rueben's house across the street. He played music in the cheese factory bars where lounge lizards are groomed and fabricated. Motown even made an album[*] with him which included his song "Rings" - "...ring, ring, the doorbell rings,nobody's home ... I got Jim Croce on the stereo.." I can hear it now as I type.

[* Album -that's an old piece of circular vinyl that makes music with a needle spins on it; also known as a 'record' for you youngsters out there.]

He would play these funny little dittys on the piano for us neighborhood kids. I recall two of them in particular - "It's as easy as one, two, three... sharing things that makes us free, who knows that maybe us two or three, can start the world on the way to love - Love, love, just what the world needs plenty of, we can start the world on the way to love." Hmmmm, typing that out made me feel like an acoustic hippie.

Here's the other tune: "I wish I were a squirrel with a big long tail, I wish I were a squirrel with a big long tail, cause if I were a squirrel with a big long tail, I'd put it up and away I'd sail..." Fun stuff. Catchy tunes that at thirty-six have lasted me decades;decades of grin material. They put a smile on your face and bring you back to a time of simpler things - days when your biggest worry was whether or not you were going to be force fed brussel sprouts at the chime of six.

And what of Mr. Rueben? Well, he didn't make the big time. In fact, I know he was divorced and moved around a bit from here to there and every now and then I see him at the strangest places like eating out on an all-exciting evening at Piccadily with my parents. That's the last time I saw him. We exchanged emails but I don't have it any longer.

I think I'll stake out a strange place this week and see if he's there. :)