Early Days. Richie, David and Andy. Part 2 of a series.

Before or even after (in this case) this post, read My First Text Book on how it is done.

Before moving forward with my early pubescent stories with my buds, I should take a step back and give you at least the simple basics of how we all came 'together' initially. All of us had attended Green Elementary School and at this point were in 6th grade at Orchard Lake Middle School. Richie lived on the same street, Andy was two houses up on the adjacent street and David lived in the same subdivision. He was much closer to the middle school and far further from the elementary school where Richie, Andy and I had walked to daily. Richie was literally a few houses and a crossing guard away. Andy and I had a brief walk. My Mother picked our house in part so she could watch me through the kitchen window walk to school to give some reference. I don't honestly know if David did or not walk to Green. It seems a bit far at that age. But, it was a different era so parents were much more likely to let their kids 'fend' for themselves than today.

We all had to walk to OLMS (Orchard Lake Middle School) as well and I recall it being hell, particularly in a Michigan winter. You had to cut through woods, woods which will become more of this story, to get there and after a fresh foot of snow falling and there being no removal it was challenging. There was an alternate route without woods, but it was also longer, so I recall weighing snowfall and temperatures for at least 4 months out of the year. I also recall afternoons at David's in 6th grade as a stopping point before enduring the rest of the walk home. Richie, David and I had gone to school together since kindergarten, at least as best as I can recall. Andy didn't move there until later on, like 4th or 5th grade. Richie was always apart of my 'life' to some extent since kindergarten at this point. We went to each other's birthday parties, were in some of the same classes. I don't recall him playing soccer, which I did all the way through elementary school, but I could be wrong. David and I, however, were somewhat rivals for a while at Green and I am not sure how he ended up in our 'inner circle' in 6th grade.

In 3rd grade, I had started "Chenot's Cafe" named after my teacher, Renne Chenot. Having such a profound love for below zero temperatures and games like dodgeball, I created a disco at lunch recess. Lunch was brought from the cafeteria (no idea how I pulled that off but I had lots of chutzpah when I was young). We had a dance floor and lounge with a couch that either Ms.Chenot or someone donated to the class. I became the school's John Travolta. This was the same time Saturday Night Fever came out as a movie. While many of the kids in my class had not been allowed to see the movie, I did and anyone with a radio had heard the Bee Gee's and others with music in the movie. My Father bought me the album along with many others which I would bring to class. Over time, other kids also starting bringing music for the 'sessions.' I would lead dance classes at times.

It was during these lunch hours that my friends Lisa and Leslye taught me how to write my name in Hebrew, something that did not stick in my skill set much beyond the following year. I just now cheated and looked it up:   רוברט but I don't have any knowledge of the alphabet. I remember you read Hebrew from right to left, not left to right. My name in Hebrew is Azriel, which according to Google means "bright fame." I seem to recall something of that nature and it felt befitting of my stature at Green School at the time. One or both of them had to go to their class at Hebrew School to derive the information back then; we were not sitting with smartphones on the couch. They also tried to teach me to tie my shoes, a skill that whether it is my ADHD or otherwise, I have never truly mastered. But their efforts and friendship remain dear in my memories. Leslye and I are still in direct contact to this day and Lisa and I are connected on social media albeit I have not seen her since the 6th grade.


I don't recall specifics, but I remember David being somewhat of a problem during some of these lunch hours. He would create havoc which led to our being 'shut down' at some point. I can't say that it was him alone, but I remember his being somewhat of a mastermind behind disrupting our scheme. I was able through some tough lobbying with my Principal and pleading with my favorite teacher ever (revealing a security question) to revive it once but then there was another objection, this from lunchroom/cafeteria staff and then some faculty. It regarded food to the classroom and even though we had a 'system' in place where students went and got their lunch, brought it down and returned their trays after a period of time, this was somehow problematic. Young as I was, I knew this was being made into an issue more than it really was one. Somewhere in the spring of my 3rd grade year, the sun came out, trees started to blossom and Chenot's Cafe turned off its lights though somebody brought in a lava lamp and that remained lit in the lounge in our classroom.