SCHOOL BOY PARADE

When I went to Boston Latin High School in the early 1950’s I was required to take military drilling once a week. We marched in the gym if the weather was bad but otherwise in the large courtyard outside. Originally as a freshman I was given the rank of private but by the time I was a senior I became an officer. In May there was a competition among all of the classes to determine which of the officers would become majors and as a result lead a battalion. The purpose of all this drilling and competition was to ready ourselves for the Annual Schoolboy Parade.

The parade was an annual event that drew thousands of people throughout the heart of downtown Boston. The Governor, the Mayor and other city officials reviewed the troops from all the schools and would present awards to the best regiments. The event rivaled the opening day at Fenway Park, the Marathon and even the Fourth of July in terms of importance.

After the competition in May in the courtyard I found out I one of the officers who excelled and I was awarded the rank of major and would lead one of Boston Latin’s Battalions. I should tell you that I was not very tall, never exceeding 66 inches in height. So there I was in the front of the battalion followed by the flag bearers  and all of the captains in a line behind me. Now everyone else was closer to six feet tall so the shortest person (me) was out in front of the entire troop of schoolboy soldiers,… made quite a sight for sure. Our school won the event that year and I couldn’t have been prouder.

The parade continued into the 1960’s but fell out of favor when the Vietnam War turned the country against everything military.

 

EMPIRE STATE BLDG.

As children grow older they don’t want to vacation with their parents. That was our situation in April, 1986. Our oldest son was 18 and he didn’t think it cool to be with his parents no matter where we went. Our youngest son was 14 and too young to leave home, so we dragged him along against his will. We travelled to Manhatten to take in the sights.

We did all the things tourists do in the Big Apple including taking in a musical “42^nd Street.” My son couldn’t believe we made him sit through it. Although we had been to the observation deck on the 86^th floor before , no trip would be complete if we didn’t visit the Empire State Building. As we climbed upward in the elevator my wife and I noticed two men in long raincoats next to us. Since it hadn’t rained they looked out of place.

While on the observation deck we heard someone on the speakers yell “get off the fence, get off the fence” I looked toward the commotion and saw two men on the parapets outside of the steel curved fence meant to prevent anyone from climbing over them. They were the two men who had come up the elevator with us.

What was their intention? My first thought was that they had made a suicide pact and were about to jump together to their deaths. Sure enough they jumped head first off the building. My heart stopped for a second and I was reluctant to look over to see their descent. However two large “phrummps” made me look. Two parachutes on opening caused the noise. Two daredevils were now floating toward Fifth Ave.

We learned later one was arrested and the other grabbed a cab and got away. We have been to New York City many times before and after but that was our most memorable trip.

BIBBI LUSHI THE CAT

When I was a young boy living on West Fifth St. our family had a cat that had unusual markings around his face, His fur there was all white as compared to the rest of his body which was black. It looked like a beard and reminded my mother of a person she knew in Albania named Bibbi Lushi. So that is the name she gave the cat. Now Bibbi Lushi fancied himself as the Van Cliburn of the family and would love to play the piano. He would jump up on the seat, then the piano and walk the length of the keyboard  back and forth for ten minutes or so until he was satisfied that the family was fully entertained.

Of course we were quite amused that the cat had this unique talent. We always closed the lid on the keyboard before retiring for the night… that is most of the time. When we didn’t we would be entertained as early as at 3:00 o’clock in the morning. Bibbi  Lushi had to get his practice in before the main performance during the day.

The sound of the piano from low octaves to high and back still resonant in my mind. Bibbi Lushi has a special place in my memory bank.

RED SOX

RED SOX

I love sports. In fact some have called me a sport nut. In my bachelor days I had season tickets to the Boston Patriots (that is what they called themselves before they moved to Foxboro), and for the Boston Bruins. I also got free tickets to the Boston Celtics. Why you may ask, because my friend’s father was an Executive with the B & M Railroad whose offices were conveniently located next to the Celtics Headquarters at 150 Causeway St.

During the summer when I was real young I attended both the Boston Braves and Boston Red sox baseball games. I attended more Braves games because tickets were easier to get. When the Yankees came to town I went hours early to get tickets to Fenway Park. I thrilled at seeing the 2 best players in baseball. Imagine Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio being in the same ballpark at the same time..unbelievable.

Eventually my allegiance shifted from the Braves to the Boston Red Sox. Let me explain why. My downstairs neighbor Frank Odenweller was a dyed in the wool true Red Sox fan. Unfortunately he had a plumbing business to run so he couldn’t attend as many games as he liked.

When Night baseball was introduced to Fenway Park in 1947, this all changed. His daughter Gerry would get him season tickets for all the night games as a gift every Christmas. Only she didn’t buy one ticket she bought two. Her reasoning being that he could invite a customer along as a perk to his business.

Many times either a customer would beg out or he couldn’t get anyone to go with him. The call came at the last minute. “Interested in a game tonight” Are you kidding, “Of course I am.” Here is the best part. Gerry insisted on driving her father right to the gate and then meeting him after the game at the Howard Johnson hotel on Boylston St. Naturally I was included in the transportation.

What a lineup. Johnny Pesky at short ,Dom DiMaggio in center ,Bobby Doerr at second ,Rudy York at first and the great Ted Williams in left. I was hooked a Red Sox fan for life.