Tender Tale I - Page 1.2

A Tender Tale

She - er - ry, can you come out tonight? (Come, come,come out tonight)
You-oo-ooh better ask your mama (Sherry baby) Tell her everythingis all right
Why don't you come out (come out) with your red dress on (Comeout)
Girl, you make me lose my mind... ...The FourSeasons

This gorgeous hunk of college freshman - er - freshperson- bent over a dustpan on the front porch was no child! Whoa -but this is the South - things are a bit different here. Evenin the enlightenment of the new decade (1971) things progresseda little slower here than any place I'd ever been. After properintroductions - an evening supper - bowling in town - I thoughtthings were going pretty well. My mistake!

Toapproach her uninvited was to put life and limb in danger - hervirtue was defended with great zeal - Geez -- all I did was holdher hand! Realizing I had unleashed a wild and angry beast - Ipromptly tethered it to the nearest sturdy object - making surethe tether was applied in a most secure manner. I then beat ahasty retreat to seek the council of her brother. Upon receiptof his council - I decided to let things be - and continue onwith my career (while I was still able to). I understand she eventuallygot loose from that tree...

Graduating at the top of the class usually has some advantages.In this case - the Navy allowed me to choose my ship. Having justflown on commercial planes for the first time - I decided I likedflying a lot. And it just so happened that the Aircraft CarrierRanger had the kind of equipment I was trained for. I put in forthe billet - and received the assignment. But before I finishedSubschool - the Ranger had received orders of her own - to majoroverhaul - and the replacement of the Autonetics SINS. That meantthere was no longer a billet for me.