OK.  I know it has been a while since my last “Top Summer Memories” blog, but I’m here now to make up for lost time.  This memory, like the last one I blogged about, isn’t necessarily a fond one, but it’s a favorite memory nonetheless.  And the reason is because it taught me a valuable lesson that is still sometimes hard for me to accept.

Once I had my driver’s license, one of my favorite activities was to go to the drive-in movie theater.  Whether it was with a date or with a group of friends or just Mike Doherty and myself sneaking him past the gate in the trunk of my car to save a few bucks, going to the drive-in was a can’t-miss summer event.

It didn’t even matter what movie was playing.  It was the total experience that made it so worthwhile.  The fresh summer air.  The awesome snack bar that sold much more than just popcorn and sno caps.  (They actually had a Basket o’ Shrimp that was so fresh you felt like you were at the beach)  Or just the fact that you’d always run into someone you knew there.

I remember one visit more vividly than all the others.  My buddy, Pat Carper, and I decided we’d go to the drive-in one night and watch Back to the Future 3.  I know…it’s the weakest in the trilogy, but we didn’t know that when we went.  And like I mentioned earlier, it wasn’t even about the movie.  It was more about the social aspect of the trip.  Pat picked me up in his Chevette and we drove to the drive-in.  We made sure to get there just before dusk to get a good parking spot and also to soak in the atmosphere.  After all, this wasn’t our first rodeo.  We knew how to make the most of our time there.

Pat brought a cooler of iced down drinks.  In case my mom is reading my blog, I’m sure they were Cokes.  So since he provided the drinks, it was my job to make the first run to the snack bar.  I still remember our order.  Popcorn, Reese Cups, Sour Patch Kids and of course, the Basket o’ Shrimp.  I got to the snack bar and ran into a couple of my buddies from school.  We made small talk and cut up for a few minutes.  Then, while we were in line, I asked them whom they were here with.  It turned out that they were on a double date.  Their girlfriends were waiting for them to come back with the food.  They also informed me that a few of our other friends were here that night on dates too.

Then they returned the question.  “Who are you here with?”  It wasn’t that big of a deal, right?  It didn’t matter that they were on dates and I was chilling in a Chevette with a pal, did it?  I decided to take the high road.  After all, you can never make a situation worse by telling the truth.

“I’m on a date too.”  OK.  I didn’t take the high road.  I panicked and tried to save face.

“Who is she?” came the natural follow-up question.

“You don’t know her,” was my predictable answer.  She goes to Clarke County high school.  I picked a high school far enough away to avoid any other follow up questions but close enough to still make my story believable.  We all paid for our food and went our separate ways.

As soon as I was out of sight, my walk back to the car turned into a sprint.  I ran so fast that one of my shrimp fell out of the basket and on to the gravel lot.  There was no time to go back for it either.  Sorry.  I’m lying again.  I totally went back and ate the shrimp off of the ground.  (In my defense, they were that good)  I got back to the car and told Pat what had happened.  He was as mortified as I was.  There was no way we could risk our buddies coming over to say hello and find us together, exposing my lie.

The opening previews weren’t even finished when Pat fired up the ‘Vette and we slowly rolled out of the lot. We tried not to call any attention to ourselves and certainly did not make eye contact with anyone on the way out.  Then we drank a few more Cokes and headed out to the mall.  (Which, back then, was a slightly lesser cool place to hang out…but a hang out spot just the same)

So why am I sharing this story?  Why is it one of my best memories?  It’s because it reinforced one of the truest life lessons and one of my favorite quotes from the greatest movie of all time, Hollywood Knights:  “Everything changes.  Nothing stays the same.”  That goes for culture, people, places, you name it.  Nothing is immune to this rule.  Somewhere along the way, it had become unacceptable for guys our age to go hang out at the drive-in together.  Actually, looking back, it probably appeared extremely creepy.  For us, the drive-in was now more of a date-only type of establishment.  And Pat and I had somehow missed that memo.

The previous story is just a microcosm of this fact.  As with everything in life, we’re either ahead of the curve of change or behind it.  Being ahead is a good thing as long as it’s not too far ahead that you miss out on what the here and now has to offer.  Being behind it can lead to embarrassment and wasted time.  I know that most people don’t particularly enjoy change, but natural change should be embraced.  It is always for the better.  Case in point…after that night, I had a lot more fun at the drive-in on actual dates with my future wife than I ever had with Pat. (Except for the fact that she would never give drive-in shrimp a chance)