Saturday Night in Small Town USA

by Diane Davis
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The streets were frozen and snow was in the forecast. I love snow, and like so many people in this little rural town in the deep south, we saw very little of it. I kept praying.....please, please, please don't let it snow tonight. One flake, just one little tiny flake and my Mom would definitely tie me to the couch. "Too dangerous to be out, she would say. He has only been driving for two years. You two can stay here with me and watch TV." It was Saturday night 1960 and my hair had been rolled up since early morning. It was date night and I had a date. I was 15 and he was 16 and there was no place I would rather be than to be seen with him in his 1953 two door hard top Ford. By far the sportiest, most looked at car in town.

The door bell rang. My Mother answered the door as I sprayed just one more time. There he stood. Green cords, green plaid shirt and a heavy green jacket. It was my date at the door and he was gorgeous.....all 5ft. 9in. of dark hair, beautiful brown eyes and raging hormones. I was so thankful my prayers had been answered......No Snow!

We walked to the car, he opened the door and we were alone. We were going to the movies and I had anticipated this movie, almost as much as I had anticipated this date. The movie was Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue in "A Summer Place". We drove the one mile to the only movie theatre on Main Street. We parked the car and walked across the street to the Ritz Theatre. We paid our 50 cents to get in, bought our 10 cent cokes and our 15 cent pop corn and settled in for 1 and 1/2 hours of Troy and Sandra.

The movie was not a disappointment. It had a little bit of what all teens liked then. A little insinuated sex, romance, great clothes, teenage possibilities, young love, parents who don't understand and all those great Sandra Dee hair do's--not to mention Troy Donahue in his red jacket. There were a lot of tears, some hand holding and a good feeling when the movie was over. Troy, of course, got his Sandra, and the two of us walked away from "A Summer Place" and into a winter wonderland of snow flakes. I have yet to hear the theme song from "A Summer Place" by Percy Faith that I don't remember that night, Troy and Sandra, snow flakes and the magic of being 15.

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