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As I've mentioned a gazillion times here within this blog ~ I grew up on the mountain on Scenic Highway. As a kid, like most of the kids I knew, I stomped all over Lookout Mountain neighborhoods.
I'm thinking of one road in particular today ~ Agricola Drive. Most of it was a long stretch of dirt road back then that I'd walk or ride my bike down countless times forth and back. Agricola wasn't a high traffic road, usually if I walked with pals, we could stroll right down the middle side by side without having to move to the shoulder in single file.
Agricola Road was a nice walk from my front door. To take the long way, I'd just travel up Scenic Hwy until I reached Tuckahoe Golf Course and then take a horseshoe right turn onto Agricola Drive. It was a little longer with a few uphills on the way. When starting on Agricola Drive from the top, the golf course would be on the left. My mind still sees the road as it runs by a little dump site right at the edge of the golf course. Every now and then I'd go dump diving with a friend.
The dump was at the end of Hazel Drive. That was where my shortcut would come out if I wanted to get to Agricola Drive quicker. There were no uphills to Agricola Drive, a really quick fun trip if on a bike. I could zip and zig-zap my way to Agricola in no time. I'd pedal down the hill in my front yard, on across Scenic Hwy, onto and across my neighbor's yard. I really didn't have to pedal much. We had some nice steep hills in my old neighborhood. I'd cross over onto Red Oak Road and ride down to where the Condra's lived. I'd take a sharp left up the Reese's driveway and pedal on through their flat backyard which took me to Hilltop Road. I'd connect with Hazel Drive then to Agricola (close to the little dump).
Once on Agricola Drive, it was downhill all the way. From the dump I remember the sharp curve in the road that ran by an old farm house. Classmates, Karen and Rusty Morgan used to live there for a short time. They had a sour apple tree in their backyard. I never was invited in when on a visit, but was invited to play in their yard and partake of the fruit thereof. The Morgans moved before we graduated elementary school. It's been a long time but I still remember them.
After the sharp curve the Agricola straightened out for the rest of the way to Fairview Road. There was a little cottage on the right where a little lady always seemed to be outside in her straw hat and apron working in her garden. It was a small tract of land but she made use of every inch of it with flowers here and vegetables there. It was very quaint. It was about there that I could see the rear of Pearly and Ben's Store in the far distance. Pearly and Ben's was my usual destination.
Almost immediately to the left of the little lady's cottage was a large pasture on the left that extended along down Agricola to Fairview Road. Pine trees lined the boundary of the pasture, dense vines and weeds covered the rusty fencing. Sometimes cows could be seen scattered in the field. Most of the time the field was vacant of cattle and full of weeds.
This was the eerie area of Agricola, because in the overgrown field was an old two story abandoned house. The boards were rotten and dark. The windows were vacant and black. If ever there was a real haunted house, it was that house on Agricola. If I were afoot, I'd quicken my pace. If I were on my bike I would tighten my grip on the handlebar pedal a little faster. I would never coast by that place.
I liked Agricola Drive except for that old house. Anytime I walked by it, my heart would find it's way into my throat. Once or twice I ended up making the return trip home a little too late for my liking. I was on foot and did not like walking the way back up that road at dusk. The house seemed to have moved even closer to the road. It seemed to have a spirit about it, the blackness within the windows even blacker.
I had dreams of that place countless times as a young boy. In the dream there was only one street lamp and the light from the street lamp offered the only safety for me. Dusk would quickly turn to night and I had to run, run and run up that dirt road into the night if I ever wanted to make it home again. There was no quick way, no safe way, no light for my feet. I had to pass that old house and hope that I woke nothing that dwelt in it. I ran as fast and as quietly without sobbing - only silent tears. It was a horrific dream for a 10 year old.
The road now is paved. Pearly and Ben's Store is gone. The old house no longer in the field or in my dreams. It's all very different there, but the memory is still very vivid.
Joe Piscopo is a multi-talented and funny fellow. I used to look forward to his skits on Saturday Night Live, especially the ones with Eddie Murphy. Those two guys made a great comedic duo. Eddie quickly found his place on the big screen when he left SNL, but Joe didn't seem to catch hold of his shooting star. Joe was one of the most talented cast members to come from the show. Was sketch comedy and stand up all he wanted to do? Maybe he never got the right vehicle for a career on the big screen. Maybe he doesn't really care for acting. Did his bout with cancer in the early eighties change his direction? I always wanted to see Joe Piscopo do some more acting.
He did a great job playing opposite Michael Keaton in Johnny Dangerously (1984). I remember going to see Joe in Dead Heat (1988) in which flat-lined. In 1986 Joe also starred in a Brian de Palma comedy with Danny DeVito in Wise Guys. Other than Johnny Dangerously, most of the films Joe starred in are forgettable. Other very talented SNL alumni, for some unexplainable reason, didn't make a successful move to movies as did previous alumni. I'm a fan of Phil Hartman and Dana Carvey, Victoria Jackson and John Lovitz...those guys can made me laugh. They just didn't translate to the big screen as much as I had hoped. Phil did go on to play a wonderful role that suited him in the sitcom Radio News. Lovitz has done some good supporting rolls ~ but not much playing the lead.
The thing is, I still like Joe. I don't see him much anymore. Truth is, Joe does his own thing. He never cared for the Hollywood game. He likes doing stand-up and grateful for all that did come his way. I don't think he ever saw himself as a movie star, but enjoyed just being a part, he loves those supporting character rolls. He's a guy that doesn't have to have all the limelight~ he just enjoys being in the cast ~ a part of the team.
I'd still like to see him in a good roll. I know he's big screen worthy. I've seen what he's got ~ more than a lot of other joes up there on the screen.
My dad would be at the wheel of our the Kingswood Estate station-wagon as we made our annual trips to Columbia, South Carolina to visit with kinfolk. Whenever dad needed to pull over for a fill-up, I'd ask him stop at a Gulf Service Station. There was a time when Gulf handed out a free Wonderful World of Disney magazine to children of their patrons. I loved these magazines because I loved anything Walt Disney. The publication was chock full of colorful photos, illustrations, articles and activities to keep my mind occupied on a long road trip. Most of the time, if convenient, dad would comply and pull over at a Gulf. I was terribly disappointed several times when dad would pull over only to find out the station had run out of their supply. There was a time when Gulf started selling them and dad and mom weren't about to spring the money for it. It was fun while it lasted.
I never told anyone this before, but there was a brief time my life I didn't like my name. As a kid, the name 'David' just didn't
seem to have much pizazz to it. I know it's the name my mom and dad gave me right after the doctor slapped me around, but it just didn't seem to fit.
I
discovered my love for drawing about the time I was in second grade. I
couldn't get enough of it. I remember practicing drawing characters from 'Peanuts' over and over again until I got pretty good at it. Charlie Brown was the first character to master because his head was round. I could draw round real good. Snoopy was the next on my list. That nose of his sure was a challenge.
Throughout elementary school I became known as the
kid that could draw real good. My parents didn't know when I was born
that I was going to be the kid that could draw real good. I often thought
to myself that my name should reflect my special ability. David just didn't cut it.
I once read a Peanuts strip in the Sunday funnies where Charlie Brown mentioned to his friends that he didn't want to be called by his name, but by a name with more pizazz. The gang started coaxing him into revealing the moniker he preferred. He finally opened up and said it, "FLASH!" All the kids started laughing at him. Poor Charlie Brown.
I knew the name I wanted. I didn't want it to be just a nickname. I wanted it to be my real name. I wanted people to know me as 'ART'. I knew deep down though that that would never happen. I was a David and there was nothing I could do about it.
As time went by the desire faded. Every time I looked in the mirror with each passing year I looked more and more like a David. I don't think I could've been anyone else but a David. Even when I look in the mirror today I look like a David. My mom and dad knew what they were doing all along.
I've mentioned umpteen times in my blogs that Gina and I lived in Bowling Green, KY right after we got married. We lived up there for six years. We didn't have much money due to bills that needed to be paid, just starting out.
For entertainment we'd checkout VHS movies at the Warren County Public Library or rent a VHS tapes at one of many local movie rental places around Bowling Green. Movie rental businesses were almost on every street corners at that time. We went out to movies when we had the money and rented when we didn't. Sometimes we just couldn't afford to do anything we'd go to one of many parks in Warren County.
Not long after moving there we found out about this dollar cinema, Martin Twin (Carmike) that was in this old dying mall on Nashville Road. The real name of the mall was the 'Bowling Green Mall' but I preferred to call it 'DEATH MALL 2000' because it was pretty much vacant inside. Gina and I would often shop at the Big Lots and Kroger there - both stores had direct access to the parking lot. You had to actually venture into the bowels of Death Mall 2000 to get to The Martin Twin. I remember the feeling I had going in, walking past, through and under ancient mid-century decorations and fixtures. It was like a time capsule. The fountain in the middle of the mall looked like something out of an old Star Trek movie ~ futuristic in a campy, tacky sort of way. Everything in that mall was so outdated. Walking through Death Mall 2000 gave me the feeling that I wasn't supposed to be there...because most of the lights were off in the giant facility. We moved to BG in 1990 and left in 1996. I remember WKU purchased the building toward the end of our stay. The theater was still there when we left seventeen years ago.
I enjoyed going to that theater. The movies were just a buck and the walk through the Death Mall 2000 coming and going was always interesting. The people that did walk the dead mall were interesting characters and I'd always pack heat when I went. I never had any trouble, but I'm a good Boy Scout.
Of course at the dollar cinema you got what you paid for - the films were second run and the quality left much to be desired. I remember gong to see Memphis Belle and the film kept stopping. We got about half way through the feature when the room went dark for the last time. Someone came to the door and said that the show had to be canceled and that our money would be refunded. I was disappointed. I had to wait till the movie was released on VHS the next year to see the rest of the show.
Anywho, I enjoyed going to the Martin Twin in those days. I often went alone after Gina went to bed. Gina would sometimes ask me where I went the night before and I told her that I had gone to the dollar theater at Death Mall 2000.
P.S. The old Bowling Green Mall was resurrected by Western Kentucky University and is now home of WKU Center for Research and Development. What do you know...they kept the fountain!
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