IF YOU WANT TO DO MORE THAN LOOK

EVEN AS TEEN, I ALWAYS KNEW WHY I WASN'T 'IN' ANY CROWD!!


I would run around with stuff like this in my head!! Comparing it directly with the Rihanna video (which is a sad commentary on the state of affairs on how seriously we are taking messages that condone violence against women) it is innocent on the verge of being naive. Don't know anyone who liked this song other than me in high school, but it didn't stop me from singing it waiting for the bus or walking around Northland Mall.

Northland was an actual destination then, full of nationally recognized stores and anchored by Hudson's. I remember they had a way cool cookie place down from the JC Penney court, that if you were lucky and there wasn't a crowd, you could request a warm cookie right off the baking wheel! The Market Place in Hudson's used to be on the third floor and they had the best blueberry muffins EVER!! I'd get off the Greenfield bus and bum rush for the bakery window and buy three or four of them and THAT would be dinner for the night!!

I don't know how many times I would find myself running for the bus, trying to catch it as it turned to leave the depot area!! The 8 mile bus was a 'sometimey' bus, as it never seemed to keep to its schedule, from the first bus to the last!! Missing that connection would really have thrown me off, because I still had papers to throw and training to get in.

The newsstation where I'd draw the papers for my route was kittycorner across the street from the bus stop, which was in front of the apartments that made up my route. So instead of going home to get my newsbag, I'd haul the papers across the street and get to delievering papers. Jan and my darling brother were on their own and usually done with their route by the time I was getting started on mine.

Nearing the end, I would usually wave at Hutch as he sat in his chair watching the news. Finishing, I would then start throwing the papers on the street route, which picked up right after the apartments. Working from 'back-to-front', I would end up passing by my house and finally dropping my books from school, only to pick up my training bag. When I would finish the route, I'd stand once again on 7 Mile Road, and start my long walk to the Crowell Recreation Center where I boxed from 5:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Occasionally we'd go to different gyms to train, the old 8th Street Gym, Butzel-Adams, and over at Herman Gardens (are they EVER going to rebuild that area??). Of course we'd go and have training at Kronk, days I'd call 'though we walk in Valley'days, because that was always some hard work!! For sure, I would go to school the next day 'marked up' from the competitive sparring that took place there.

I'd get home around 9:00 p.m. most evenings. Scramble through my books and scribble stuff down and call it 'doing my homework'. Read what notes I took for the day and drift off to sleep, to dreams of becoming a king on the wild frontier.