Drive ins, Duke & Memory

My friend Carolyne posted this picture on Facebook.  As did my oldest & very, very dear friend Sue.

Carolyne asked:  Do you remember?

And I do, indeed, remember going to the drive in.

As a child, Jack & Jean would load us up into the car, with a grocery bag of popcorn prepared by Jean & a cooler of beer & soft drinks prepared by Jack & take us to see a movie.

I cannot identify which movie we first saw at the drive in – the files in my brain are too crowded to find it.  Something Disney – Snow White or Cinderella or Bambi.

My sister Janet might remember – her mind is clearer & cleaner than mine.  I think we wore our pajamas, but Janet might know about that.

And I remember going to the Fiesta Drive In in El Paso, on Mesa, with my friend Betsy Kerr.  

 And her older sister Carolyn & Carolyn’s boyfriend, Duke. Who was not only an athlete (a really cool thing to be at our high school) – but Duke did an outstanding job in our school’s production of “Arsenic & Old Lace” – also a really cool thing.

Betsy & I hid in the trunk of the car, because we were too young to watch the R rated movie – The Graduate.

At the end of the movie, as we were driving away from the Fiesta Drive In, Duke said to Betsy & me:

One day, you will realize the symbolism of the final scene.

Or something like that.

Over these past forty years, I have pondered over Duke’s challenge.  

And watched The Graduate innumerable times.   And pondered over the last scene.

I watched the last scene again this afternoon.  And this is what I realize I took away from that night at the Fiesta Drive In:

. . . and the vision that was planted in my brain, still remains.

Thank you, Duke.