Category Archives: Memoir

Girlfriend is Better — VII

Posted on December 30, 2023 by Al

[First Draft] Winter in the Sawtooth Mountains hits heavy. Short days and freezing nights keep many people away. In the 1970s, almost no one lived north of Ketchum, Idaho, where my sister spent 15 years after college enjoying the Sun … Continue reading →

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Girlfriend is Better — V

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Al

Two years into Sarah’s reign as my girlfriend, I became entangled with Molly J. I worked as a lifeguard for three summers, age 19-21, at a local private swim club. A dangerous place for a barely out of his teens … Continue reading →

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Girlfriend is Better – IV

Posted on December 19, 2023 by Al

[Work in progress, not fully edited] Grades 7 through 10, ages 11 through 15 saw zero girlfriends in my life. After that, relationships got real. Girls no longer were playmates with dresses. We began rehearsing roles as lifemates. From now … Continue reading →

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Girlfriend Is Better – III

Posted on December 18, 2023 by Al

[Work in progress, not fully edited] Entering a six-year high school as an underage, undersized brainiac, I lost my magic touch with girls. I had relied on them seeking me out. With a larger pool of potential beaux, an endless … Continue reading →

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Girlfriend Is Better – II

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Al

            Kathleen McNeil had luxurious, long, wavy black hair, usually free or in a ponytail. I found it irresistible. I would slowly, reverently stroke it, which she found soothing. At least, she let me continue.             I had been moved from the … Continue reading →

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Girlfriend Is Better – I

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Al

            My first girlfriend had dark, curly hair, barely reaching her shoulders. Five years old, she sported black Shirley Temple-esque wavy ringlets. In my memories, she wears a white button-up shirt with rounded collar, and a plaid dress. A few freckles … Continue reading →

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I Can See Clearly Now

Posted on November 17, 2023 by Al

My paternal grandfather, Al, died when I was in the third grade. Born and raised in Miles City, Montana, he’d been through many incarnations in his 76 years. Deputy Sheriff in Custer County, banker in Omaha, steel worker in Seattle, … Continue reading →

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I Can See Clearly Now – IV

Posted on November 14, 2023 by Al

For medical school, we were told to buy a microscope. With my thrifty father, raised in eastern Montana during the Great Depression, I headed downtown to a store specializing in lab equipment. He steers me to the “Used” section, where … Continue reading →

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I Can See Clearly Now – III

Posted on November 13, 2023 by Al

In 1960, I joined a summer swim team, at age 11. We practiced Monday through Friday, June through August. Swimming laps for over an hour in chlorinated water left our eyes red and blurry when we got out. In addition, … Continue reading →

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I Can See Clearly Now – II

Posted on November 10, 2023 by Al

The year before, I had not missed one day of school. A model student, I rarely had disciplinary encounter with the dreaded Assistant Principal, who was reputed to have drilled holes in his paddling board. When I went up to … Continue reading →

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