Just For the Boyz………………..
Comin up, I had a lot of male friends. Lookin back, they were very deep friendships for such a young child. There was nothing intimate sexually going on (Although that is not unusual in boyz who grow up to be Same Gender Loving). My early friendships were full of wonder, joy and happy times. They were full of Hot Wheels, pajama games, piñatas at birthday parties, running up and down the fire escape at school, throwing erasers at each other and not paying attention in school. (I almost got suspended once for fighting!!) But since I was such a ``good boy’’ usually, I escaped that blemish on my record. While I never cut school, I do regret fooling around in math class and not really taking school seriously until high school. I guess I should consider myself lucky because many Black males drop out and never get their high school diplomas. I had a mother & father who would not hear of that, so I got the diploma and successfully went on to college.
But there were some boyz who I still think of till this day. There was Amado. Handsome, neat and friendly, he was an exotic bird in the flock. I don’t even know what country he was from, probably The Soviet Union, the Ukraine or Egypt. He was funny, happy-go-lucky and full of energy. We used to go over his home over on Spruce Street in West Philadelphia and run up and down the street and all over the house. His parents didn’t seem to mind or care. We attended the same school right around the corner, Lea Elementary School, and often went to the same classes. Amado did better than me in school because something in him helped him apply himself. Like I said, I didn’t learn that lesson until I hit high school. I knew this dude wasn’t Black, but we were great friends none the less. There was a mysterious bond between us that held both the sexual energy of youth and the mystery and magic of male friendship.
Douglas was a young brother who held my attention for several years as we attended grammar school together. He was rambunctious and fun to be with. He loved to play physical games like cops and robbers and would laugh constantly as he entertained himself and his close friends. He was a light skinned Black brother with curly hair. He was very handsome and retained a great nostalgic, almost mystical smile. I am still learning how NOT to value people more because they have a lighter hue. I hate to say that, but I will admit that such a prejudice still exists in me even after reading all the Black history books and all the other reading about how we have suffered as a people because of prejudice and discrimination centering on our darker skin. Douglas was rough and tumble—a boyz’s boy. His laughter and bright, fresh face will forever be emblazoned in my memories of childhood. I always remember him hiding in the closet at Lea School and jumping out and scaring all the other children. He was great fun!!
Curtiss (Now Hale) is still a friend now. He used to love playing with Hot Wheels and was a charmer. He was one of the most handsome gentlemen in grammar school there was and was like by everyone. He would stick with me thought think and thin, but never had much of a negative thing to say.. . He believed in family (he and his mother are best pals and have helped each other through rough times as well as good times). Curtiss also has a very strong sense of humor to go along with all that male energy and European styled distinction. (He recently went on a venture to Paris, France which I’m dying to hear about). No matter what, I would help Curtis out in any way I could as much as I could because he has been a friend for about 45 years. That is a lot of time through which to maintain a friendship with the same person. Hale is that person. We traveled down life’s waterways, rivers, streams, underpasses and mountain peaks together always maintaining a steady friendship and helping each other out. He served as my personal assistant when I had an office on 38th and Lancaster Avenue in West Philadelphia a few years ago and he was a big help to me in that capacity. He has achieved a good degree of success recently and I am very proud of him. I don’t know what keeps us as friends, but I am thankful for whatever energy there is that makes that possible. We don’t agree on everything, but we are always willing to talk and defend our positions—always ending up laughing and being good friends.
A caped crusader in Black, a man meant for play when he was a child, a young boy with a youthful grin and a fantastically energetic way about himself—that was Wilson. He lived right down the street when we were kids and one never tired of playing in front of his house. Jumping off the front porch, laughing and grinning-- always days filled with action and childhood delight & excitement. Wilson never gave up on playing physical games like tag and tug of war—he was a man child and this must have been the Promised Land. He was so funny, kind and loving as a friend—a totally platonic friend-- mind you. Neither of us knew anything about sex or sexuality at the time. We must have been about six or eight years old at the time. Wilson, however, would be like a ship passing in the night because his stay on the block—on 49th Street—would be short and sweet. His parents moved and, of course, took Wilson with them. But his smile and all the fun we had as children will never be forgotten. Thanks for all that boy energy and fun, Wilson—I will never forget you….as long as I live…
Stanley had green teeth. To make matters worse they were kind of chewed up and funny looking—his teeth, I mean. Everybody hated Stanley because of this. He was also as thin as a string bean. Somehow he seemed well adjusted and normal otherwise. That is if there is such a thing as normal. He only did average in school and had a hard life with the green teeth and all. When I say he had a hard life I guess I’m projecting on to him how I would have thought if people teased me relentlessly about something as personal as that. Like I said, he really seemed OK with it. I never understood why he didn’t just scrub his teeth really good. Maybe he did and it just didn’t work. I have often wondered what ever happened to Stanley. We were so unnecessarily hard on him and his green teeth. He was right out of Dr. Souse. All he needed was the green eggs and ham. (There I go teasing poor Stanley again!!) I hope Stanley will forgive me for all the taunting and teasing I did to him because of those pearly green teeth. He just seemed to get used to all the teasing. I bet he grew up to be someone famous—wealthy maybe. He may have had the last laugh after all. I bet he had about 10 children and a lovely wife. He has probably achieved much more than I ever will. Where ever you are Stanley I hope and pray you are well and doing quite well. Maybe they have found some secret to getting rid of those teeth by now and maybe you have new ones that are really pretty and white. It is a shame what some people have to go through over color!!
Phillip was fat. The jelly rolls were his trade mark. People thought he was dumb too. It was an odd thing in those days—the early 60’s to late 60’s. To be fat that is. No one wanted to be fat like Phillip. He was just big. They used to call it Big Boned. Well, a lot of the people who used to tease Phillip about being Big and Fat are really big and fat themselves now!!. Take me for instance. I have gained about 35 extra pounds. I have reasons for it which I won’t go into, but I really could eat less and get on an exercise regimen. But, that’s too personal, let’s get back to Phillip. He was fat and because of this, he was seen as inferior. He was also teased relentlessly. Other boyz would squeeze his chest and say ``Milk Duds’’ ``Milk Duds’’ and they would throw sticks at him. I wasn’t any better than the rest. I hope Phillip will also forgive me for all the teasing. I don’t remember throwing sticks, but I may have. As I recall, Phillip went on to a good school after grade school and was quite smart. He may have gone on to the prestigious Central High School in Philadelphia where all the smart boys went... I’m not really sure, but I think I’m correct... We thought he was just a Baby Huey type. We thought he was dumb, but he wasn’t. He was doing well in school even while we teased him unmercifully and goofed off in class. I am almost sure he went on to do something good with his life. I don’t have all the details, but I heard he was doing well. I don’t know if he is still fat, or big boned, but I have to wish him well also. I hope he forgives me also. We were just being nasty, cruel boyz in those days. Let’s hope GOD will forgive us also. It looks like Phillip also had his own personal revenge by doing well and paying attention in school while we played around and threw erasers at the teachers and pissed in the fire escape. GOD has a funny way of making things that go around come around --doesn’t she!!...
Bruce Bunch and his brother Joe Bunch were friends of mine when I was a child. They lived right down the street on 49th street. If I wasn’t over their house when we were kids, they were over my house. I remember one night Joe came over for dinner. We were having a meal, the likes of which I can’t remember. I do remember that we had Brussels Sprouts. Joe hated them as did I. The look on his face when he bit into one was excruciating. I don’t thing many of them have gone down the old hatch since then, for me at least. We lost Joe much too early in life. I often wonder what it would have been like if he hadn’t passed away at the age of about 36. Joe introduced me to the book ``Man-Child In the Promised Land’’ which opened my eyes to reading for enjoyment and not just watching the TV all the time. That book was not only entertaining; it was also educational and reflected inner city life, which I was very familiar with. Bruce was good for fighting in the fire tower at school as we threw chalk board erasers at one another and went back into class with white faces. We often got into trouble together. He was more rough and tumble than his brother Joe and grew up to be a successful oil company merchant like his Dad, Alvin. Joe went on to work on Wall Street in New York before his untimely passing.
Comin up, I had a lot of male friends. Lookin back, they were very deep friendships for such a young child. There was nothing intimate sexually going on (Although that is not unusual in boyz who grow up to be Same Gender Loving). My early friendships were full of wonder, joy and happy times. They were full of Hot Wheels, pajama games, piñatas at birthday parties, running up and down the fire escape at school, throwing erasers at each other and not paying attention in school. (I almost got suspended once for fighting!!) But since I was such a ``good boy’’ usually, I escaped that blemish on my record. While I never cut school, I do regret fooling around in math class and not really taking school seriously until high school. I guess I should consider myself lucky because many Black males drop out and never get their high school diplomas. I had a mother & father who would not hear of that, so I got the diploma and successfully went on to college.
But there were some boyz who I still think of till this day. There was Amado. Handsome, neat and friendly, he was an exotic bird in the flock. I don’t even know what country he was from, probably The Soviet Union, the Ukraine or Egypt. He was funny, happy-go-lucky and full of energy. We used to go over his home over on Spruce Street in West Philadelphia and run up and down the street and all over the house. His parents didn’t seem to mind or care. We attended the same school right around the corner, Lea Elementary School, and often went to the same classes. Amado did better than me in school because something in him helped him apply himself. Like I said, I didn’t learn that lesson until I hit high school. I knew this dude wasn’t Black, but we were great friends none the less. There was a mysterious bond between us that held both the sexual energy of youth and the mystery and magic of male friendship.
Douglas was a young brother who held my attention for several years as we attended grammar school together. He was rambunctious and fun to be with. He loved to play physical games like cops and robbers and would laugh constantly as he entertained himself and his close friends. He was a light skinned Black brother with curly hair. He was very handsome and retained a great nostalgic, almost mystical smile. I am still learning how NOT to value people more because they have a lighter hue. I hate to say that, but I will admit that such a prejudice still exists in me even after reading all the Black history books and all the other reading about how we have suffered as a people because of prejudice and discrimination centering on our darker skin. Douglas was rough and tumble—a boyz’s boy. His laughter and bright, fresh face will forever be emblazoned in my memories of childhood. I always remember him hiding in the closet at Lea School and jumping out and scaring all the other children. He was great fun!!
Curtiss (Now Hale) is still a friend now. He used to love playing with Hot Wheels and was a charmer. He was one of the most handsome gentlemen in grammar school there was and was like by everyone. He would stick with me thought think and thin, but never had much of a negative thing to say.. . He believed in family (he and his mother are best pals and have helped each other through rough times as well as good times). Curtiss also has a very strong sense of humor to go along with all that male energy and European styled distinction. (He recently went on a venture to Paris, France which I’m dying to hear about). No matter what, I would help Curtis out in any way I could as much as I could because he has been a friend for about 45 years. That is a lot of time through which to maintain a friendship with the same person. Hale is that person. We traveled down life’s waterways, rivers, streams, underpasses and mountain peaks together always maintaining a steady friendship and helping each other out. He served as my personal assistant when I had an office on 38th and Lancaster Avenue in West Philadelphia a few years ago and he was a big help to me in that capacity. He has achieved a good degree of success recently and I am very proud of him. I don’t know what keeps us as friends, but I am thankful for whatever energy there is that makes that possible. We don’t agree on everything, but we are always willing to talk and defend our positions—always ending up laughing and being good friends.
A caped crusader in Black, a man meant for play when he was a child, a young boy with a youthful grin and a fantastically energetic way about himself—that was Wilson. He lived right down the street when we were kids and one never tired of playing in front of his house. Jumping off the front porch, laughing and grinning-- always days filled with action and childhood delight & excitement. Wilson never gave up on playing physical games like tag and tug of war—he was a man child and this must have been the Promised Land. He was so funny, kind and loving as a friend—a totally platonic friend-- mind you. Neither of us knew anything about sex or sexuality at the time. We must have been about six or eight years old at the time. Wilson, however, would be like a ship passing in the night because his stay on the block—on 49th Street—would be short and sweet. His parents moved and, of course, took Wilson with them. But his smile and all the fun we had as children will never be forgotten. Thanks for all that boy energy and fun, Wilson—I will never forget you….as long as I live…
Stanley had green teeth. To make matters worse they were kind of chewed up and funny looking—his teeth, I mean. Everybody hated Stanley because of this. He was also as thin as a string bean. Somehow he seemed well adjusted and normal otherwise. That is if there is such a thing as normal. He only did average in school and had a hard life with the green teeth and all. When I say he had a hard life I guess I’m projecting on to him how I would have thought if people teased me relentlessly about something as personal as that. Like I said, he really seemed OK with it. I never understood why he didn’t just scrub his teeth really good. Maybe he did and it just didn’t work. I have often wondered what ever happened to Stanley. We were so unnecessarily hard on him and his green teeth. He was right out of Dr. Souse. All he needed was the green eggs and ham. (There I go teasing poor Stanley again!!) I hope Stanley will forgive me for all the taunting and teasing I did to him because of those pearly green teeth. He just seemed to get used to all the teasing. I bet he grew up to be someone famous—wealthy maybe. He may have had the last laugh after all. I bet he had about 10 children and a lovely wife. He has probably achieved much more than I ever will. Where ever you are Stanley I hope and pray you are well and doing quite well. Maybe they have found some secret to getting rid of those teeth by now and maybe you have new ones that are really pretty and white. It is a shame what some people have to go through over color!!
Phillip was fat. The jelly rolls were his trade mark. People thought he was dumb too. It was an odd thing in those days—the early 60’s to late 60’s. To be fat that is. No one wanted to be fat like Phillip. He was just big. They used to call it Big Boned. Well, a lot of the people who used to tease Phillip about being Big and Fat are really big and fat themselves now!!. Take me for instance. I have gained about 35 extra pounds. I have reasons for it which I won’t go into, but I really could eat less and get on an exercise regimen. But, that’s too personal, let’s get back to Phillip. He was fat and because of this, he was seen as inferior. He was also teased relentlessly. Other boyz would squeeze his chest and say ``Milk Duds’’ ``Milk Duds’’ and they would throw sticks at him. I wasn’t any better than the rest. I hope Phillip will also forgive me for all the teasing. I don’t remember throwing sticks, but I may have. As I recall, Phillip went on to a good school after grade school and was quite smart. He may have gone on to the prestigious Central High School in Philadelphia where all the smart boys went... I’m not really sure, but I think I’m correct... We thought he was just a Baby Huey type. We thought he was dumb, but he wasn’t. He was doing well in school even while we teased him unmercifully and goofed off in class. I am almost sure he went on to do something good with his life. I don’t have all the details, but I heard he was doing well. I don’t know if he is still fat, or big boned, but I have to wish him well also. I hope he forgives me also. We were just being nasty, cruel boyz in those days. Let’s hope GOD will forgive us also. It looks like Phillip also had his own personal revenge by doing well and paying attention in school while we played around and threw erasers at the teachers and pissed in the fire escape. GOD has a funny way of making things that go around come around --doesn’t she!!...
Bruce Bunch and his brother Joe Bunch were friends of mine when I was a child. They lived right down the street on 49th street. If I wasn’t over their house when we were kids, they were over my house. I remember one night Joe came over for dinner. We were having a meal, the likes of which I can’t remember. I do remember that we had Brussels Sprouts. Joe hated them as did I. The look on his face when he bit into one was excruciating. I don’t thing many of them have gone down the old hatch since then, for me at least. We lost Joe much too early in life. I often wonder what it would have been like if he hadn’t passed away at the age of about 36. Joe introduced me to the book ``Man-Child In the Promised Land’’ which opened my eyes to reading for enjoyment and not just watching the TV all the time. That book was not only entertaining; it was also educational and reflected inner city life, which I was very familiar with. Bruce was good for fighting in the fire tower at school as we threw chalk board erasers at one another and went back into class with white faces. We often got into trouble together. He was more rough and tumble than his brother Joe and grew up to be a successful oil company merchant like his Dad, Alvin. Joe went on to work on Wall Street in New York before his untimely passing.
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