Book Entry 67: 1965 My First Date With Larry

           I guess Larry thought what Ron said was funny.  I didn’t realize it then but Larry had wanted to ask me out since our youth group had visited his church to play volleyball.  It seems funny after all these years but I can write down that on Monday around 7 in the evening on January 18^th Larry called me and asked me to go out with him the following Friday.  I accept the invitation and began to worry about how to call him back and cancel our date if mom and dad wouldn’t let me go. 

Mom was on the phone again with Liane asking if Larry was a nice boy.  Thank goodness Liane liked Larry.  She gave mom a good report and the rest is history.

Larry and I went out on Friday.  The next night I went out with Doug,  Paul, and Linda.  It was a date to a movie we’d been looking forward to for the whole week.  Sunday I went to Larry’s church in Turlock with a friend.  Larry was there of course.  I felt like a princess with two boys wanting to date me.  I really liked Doug.  We were becoming good friends.  His dad was a lawyer I think and I don’t know what his mom did.  He was not like anyone I’d ever known from Hughson.  This whole dating thing was fun.  Getting to go places with people my age, with friends who owned cars, bowling or to movies we chose.  It all felt very grown up.

As much as I liked going out with the gang from Ceres, I never did again.  I’m glad I realized Larry was a better pick for me.  He went to a church like mine but in a different town and his family lived and worked on their farm like my family did. When we talked it was as if we’d known one another forever. 

At some point during the evening Larry told me what Ron had said about me.  We both laughed.  I think Larry thought it was funny but I might have laughed because it made me nervous.  I did laugh out loud when Larry told me Ron was his cousin.

A funny thing about our first date was that between the time Larry asked me out and the time we went out the following Friday I went from having hair down my back to having a very short hair style.  The first instant Larry looked at me it was obvious he noticed.  He didn’t complain about it that night but he started complaining about it after a few dates.  I let it grow out again.

 

We went to a basketball game at Turlock High.  After the game we, like everyone from the game, headed toward Main Street.  We drove up Main Street and out Lander for a few blocks just to the old Penguin Ice Cream Drive In, turned and headed back toward the high school again.  Now it seems silly but there were lots of kids doing it and it was kind of fun.  We were “Dragging Main.” 

I felt so good that night.  Larry treated me like a prize and I loved it!  When we neared the corner of what is now Golden State and Main Larry asked me if I wanted to go to Latifs for a snack or if I wanted to stop at the Caroline Hotel.  I could feel my heart stop beating!   

I was not familiar with Turlock although I had been to Latifs a few times with my family.  The Caroline Hotel was just across the street from Latifs.  I didn’t realize there was a coffee shop on the bottom floor of the Hotel.  Larry was simply asking if I wanted to eat at Latifs or in the Caroline Hotel coffee shop.  When I realized what he meant I was greatly relieved.  We had a good laugh when I told him my mom made me bring a dime, which was in my shoe, in case I needed to call home.  It had run through my mind that a hotel would have a pay phone and I was about to use that dime to call for rescue.  To my delight, Larry remained a true gentleman.

Larry gave me my first kiss as we turned onto Sante Fe from Geer Road.  It was just a quick little kiss.  It was perfect!  The whole night had been perfect.  In those days girls didn’t call boys and I was sure hoping he would call again.