MARLENE ... AKA ... "WEINER"

In the past I have mentioned her several times in these posts, so it is time I added some more "detail" to who Marlene is & some of the role she has played in my life. Hopefully, too, this will satisfy Bubba, who seems way too interested in the details of this relationship.

Marlene -- called for some unknown reason "Weiner" by her two younger brothers -- was the object of my affections, starting in the early 60's in Honeoye, New York. It was my second year at Honeoye Central School. My sophomore year. I don't know were she was my freshmen year at the school -- DUH, try the 8th grade -- but that second year at school, Marlene became "IT" as far as my heart was concerned. She truly was ... "My First Love".

We had a great relationship in the beginning, as most couples experience. Her family accepted me & allowed me to join in most all their activities as the "7th member". It was -- & is -- a memorable time in my life.

Marlene & me were a "couple" till the end of my junior year. We broke up that Summer, but had times when we were back together. It was a very small school, in a very small town & it was certainly hard to not drift back to each other. We always cared about the other person ... a relationship which lasted -- in various forms -- to this day.

A lot of my Senior year, I was strictly single, & always aware of which fellas were walking down the school halls with Marlene. I had the proverbial "broken heart" for a long time.

Finally things got better for me. Time does heal. So the less I needed Marlene in my life, the more she entered it. We never stayed apart too long. We'd be back together, get in some argument or disagreement & "break-up". After awhile, we'd start the "make-up" process & it would all begin again.

One of the BIG blow-ups we had occurred late in the school year of 1965. We were in the "make-up" process ... when I changed the rules of the game. I had a date to a school event with a very good looking, much younger girl [try 8th grader] named Pam. Actually, in that time, I had several dates with Pam. I was cookin.

Marlene did not take it well when she found out about Pam & me. Jealousy is one word for it. Maybe it was just because we always seem to think of the other as ... "mine".

This is where my memory gets ... well ... fuzzy. The bottom line is: I dumped Pam. Thereafter, Marlene & I were once again "steadys". Ah ... stupid, young love.

A few weeks later, Marlene had a school activity in New York City. [I had a date with Pam while Marlene was gone -- just to "explain things" to Pam.] Marlene returned from NYC with an autographed photo of herself with Heavyweight Boxing Champion Jack Dempsey, as a gift for me. Being a big boxing fan back in my teens, I was elated at the gift.

The photo, & folder it was in, stayed in my hands for all of five minutes. I made some wise-ass comment about the photo would look better without Marlene in it. She snatched the photo out of my hands, took it back & we broke up again. Swift !!

And I don't think Pam would go out with me anymore, either.

Through the college years, Marlene & I continued our off/on relationship. It became more difficult when I moved on to schooling in Memphis, Tennessee. We drifted apart at times, but I still stayed in contact with Roy & Ruth, Marlene's parents. That never changed

Eventually Marlene & I married others & lost contact for a few years. We both got divorces & eventually were back in contact as friends, which we remain to this day, me living in Arkansas & Marlene dividing time with her new husband between homes in New York state & Summerland Key, Florida.

It's nice to be adults. We get along now & don't disagree ... well, very often. I even got my autographed Jack Dempsey photo back from "Weiner". Life is good.