Things I Have Learned - Just a little excitement

Today’s Wisdom:  Every man can transform the world from one of monotony and drabness to one of excitement and adventure. –Irving Wallace

By Bill D. Ward

Many years ago, back in college, a friend of mine and I struck up a conversation with two new girls in the campus coffee shop. They were freshmen from Minneapolis, stuck way out in Marshall, and complaining that there was nothing exciting to do there. Being very quick thinkers, we told them, for a good time, we would take them to the Showboat Ballroom at Lake Benton.

I drove. I don’t know if the girls thought of it as a date, but my friend and I did, because those didn’t come often in our world. It was hippie time in 1970 and the girls dressed every bit the part. We danced to the Pilgrams showband from Pipestone and had a good time.

When midnight hit, everyone headed out, but there was some commotion at the door. Evidently the sheriff’s department had undercover people in the crowd and they were now pointing out the kids who had marijuana. My little hippie was selected and quickly found herself in the back seat of a Lincoln County squad car.  

There wasn’t much the rest of us could do except wait in my car. She showed up about twenty minutes later, absolved of guilt, free to leave. There was no arrest, just plenty of excitement. Surprisingly, she wasn’t upset, like maybe she was used to this sort of thing.

I tried to date her again, but she wasn’t interested. I guess I and my exciting time in Minnesota just weren’t that impressive. But, like Rick and Ilsa in Casablanca, who had their moment in Paris to remember, the hippie and I had our moment at the Showboat. We both moved on and it has been years since I could even recall the name of either girl. 

One of the things I have learned is that sometimes the most interesting things happen when we least expect them. When I walked into that coffee shop, it never occurred to me that my action that day would lead to a date with a hippie, culminating in a police encounter. But, completely unplanned, Lincoln County made it a special evening, one with a story for her to share someday with her grandkids. I hope she has had a chance to tell it. I also hope she remembered my name. 

I’d call her and ask, just to complete the story, but I have no idea who she is. Some stories just turn out that way. Perhaps she will read this and call me. I’m just sayin’.