The DU Lounge

to see the orthodontist the next morning. It is 60 miles one way and there was a stop halfway to allow transfers to a local busline which was an opportunity to get off at the wrong place and really mess things up.

I spent the night with my aunt, went to the orthodontist the next morning. Because my aunt had to work on Saturdays, I spent the entire afternoon roaming downtown Nashville by myself until the bus left to go back to Guthrie at 5:30. I did lots of window shopping, roamed all the bookstores, ate lunch, went to movies - in other words I had an absolute blast! I got my very first political pin in 1960 (JFK/LBJ) which I still have. This continued until I was about 15 and got my retainers and only went every 3 months.

I can't believe my dad was OK with this, but he probably thought I was hanging out in his sister's office all day - my mom knew better. (she knew I was probably hanging out at Mills Bookstore anyway)

As a Boomer I am part of the last generation (outside of cities with good public transportation) that really got to have that kind of freedom, and that makes me sad for the following generations. Mr YD spent a lot of his young years at Camp LeJuene NC and he roamed all over the place by himself. When our daughter was the same age he was hesitant to let her go alone to a friend's house to play and we could see the house from our front yard. That is how much things have changed.

Of course, one result of all this was that it never bothered me to go into a restaurant by myself or go to the movies alone. I had many adult women friends who would not do that.