From the time before Kellermans, before Johnny and before my Father wanted
me to follow in his footsteps and attend Medical School, I'd wanted to join
the Peace Corps. I was 14 going on 15 when John F Kennedy made his
statement laying down the 3 goals and I so desperately wanted to be part of
something so important. My Daddy was proud of me, 'Our Baby's gonna change
the World!' he'd tell anyone who would listen. But everything changed. I
wasn't the naïve 17 year old who left for a Summer vacation with her family
in the Catskill Mountains. I was a 17 year old woman who despite vowing
never to change myself or my plans to be with a guy, found myself deeply in
love and considering changing my whole future for a guy I'd known less than
3 weeks. It's funny how things turn out.
Well some things turn out funny. This was one thing I knew for certain that wouldn't. In fact, I was liable to be grounded until at least the beginning of next semester.
"Daddy can I talk to you?" My father put down his newspaper as I stood in the doorway to our living room, fiddling with the buttons on my old-faithful cardigan. "Of course Baby. Is there a problem at school?" "No, no." I stepped further into the room, feeling more nervous than the time I'd asked to borrow $250 for Penny, "Everything's great. It's all going really well. In fact Daddy, I got an A in my last test." I'd decided on the 'lay on the academic excellence to soften the blow' tactic. "It's just, tomorrow when we go to Kellermans, you see I had such fun spending time with you and Mom and taking part and getting to know new people, and if I promised to take my books to study in my spare time, I was wondering if.Oh and I would help you when we got back in the-" "Baby just spit it out," I heard Mom chastise from the adjoining room. "Daddy, I've been offered a Summer job by Neil Kellerman as one of the Dance Instructors and I think this would be a great opportunity for me and would look great on my College application and I'd study hard in my spare time," I blurted out the words so fast and strung together that I could barely understand what I'd said! One look at Daddy and I knew he'd understood perfectly well. He took a deep breath and removed his reading glasses, "Last Summer I didn't know what to do. For the first time in my life I was disappointed with you Frances and I'll never forget that. At the end of season show I was so proud of you again, you looked great up there and I was glad there was someone who could love you half as much as I do. But, I refuse to watch you throw away another career choice on a whim." "But Daddy, I'll-" My heart was racing. "No Baby, I won't allow it." It was never often that I'd let myself cry in front of my Father but lately it seemed to be happening a lot.
The next day we left for Kellermans in silence.
Well some things turn out funny. This was one thing I knew for certain that wouldn't. In fact, I was liable to be grounded until at least the beginning of next semester.
"Daddy can I talk to you?" My father put down his newspaper as I stood in the doorway to our living room, fiddling with the buttons on my old-faithful cardigan. "Of course Baby. Is there a problem at school?" "No, no." I stepped further into the room, feeling more nervous than the time I'd asked to borrow $250 for Penny, "Everything's great. It's all going really well. In fact Daddy, I got an A in my last test." I'd decided on the 'lay on the academic excellence to soften the blow' tactic. "It's just, tomorrow when we go to Kellermans, you see I had such fun spending time with you and Mom and taking part and getting to know new people, and if I promised to take my books to study in my spare time, I was wondering if.Oh and I would help you when we got back in the-" "Baby just spit it out," I heard Mom chastise from the adjoining room. "Daddy, I've been offered a Summer job by Neil Kellerman as one of the Dance Instructors and I think this would be a great opportunity for me and would look great on my College application and I'd study hard in my spare time," I blurted out the words so fast and strung together that I could barely understand what I'd said! One look at Daddy and I knew he'd understood perfectly well. He took a deep breath and removed his reading glasses, "Last Summer I didn't know what to do. For the first time in my life I was disappointed with you Frances and I'll never forget that. At the end of season show I was so proud of you again, you looked great up there and I was glad there was someone who could love you half as much as I do. But, I refuse to watch you throw away another career choice on a whim." "But Daddy, I'll-" My heart was racing. "No Baby, I won't allow it." It was never often that I'd let myself cry in front of my Father but lately it seemed to be happening a lot.
The next day we left for Kellermans in silence.