Evel Knievel and me

Evel Knievel and me

When I was a kid all the boys in my neighborhood wanted to be Evel, and I mean all the boys. I remember one summer when 3 boys bruised, sprained, broke or otherwise busted up some body part trying to be the one to jump over something like 6 (or was it 16) garbage cans lined up on my street. It was wild and crazy. We were smart enough to know we shouldn't tell our folks why we were taking the garbage cans down the street, but not smart enough to not do it in front of Hazel's house.

Hazel was a the neighborhood recluse which, of course, led us all to call her a witch and play nasy tricks on her whenever we could. She was always watching from her window, with one hand on the phone to dial someone's parents to report the latest misdeed. When she did venture out it was always with too much perfume and a look of pure disdain. My mother always made me buy a box of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies from my order for Hazel and then take them to her. I'd always ring the bell and thrust them into her hands quickly and run. Everytime I sit next to an older woman on the bus with crooked lipstick and too much perfume I think of Hazel and Evel Knievel.

In addition to the garbage can fiascos there was the time all the boys went to Donny Putz's house (true last name, poor kid) one evening to watch one of Evel's jumps on tv. No girls allowed, I was miffed, not that I really cared but I sensed a shift beginning to occur. It may have been the beginning of the end for hanging out together, boys and girls, without the weirdness of budding breasts and crackling voices. So, the boys were at Donny's and the girls were at Erin Humpel's (again, poor kid) house. I wanted to watch the jump, Erin and Michelle wanted to put on music and dance. Without warning the lights went out and the record player ground to a halt right in the middle of some 70's dance song.Everyone, boys and girls, gravitated to Donny's front yard.

We loved Donny's house, his mom was often working and left her cigarettes and cash just laying about. Easy pickin's for quick hands. The cigarettes were mostly for posturing in the school yard ( I wouldn't actually light one until the following summer) and I don't know about anyone else but I spent my ill-gotten gains on Charlie's Angels trading cards, you know the ones with the bad gum that you just threw away.

I don't remember what caused the blackout, although one theory was that Hazel hexed the power so we couldn't see Evel jump. I just remember thinking how weird it was that we were suddenly boys AND girls and not just the gang. By the end of the summer Michelle and James were going steady and Matthew and Erin made out in Donny's basement. I hung on the sidelines desperate to go steady, and yet equally relieved to still be able to just hang out at Donny's house without worries. The following summer Donny would kiss me and things were never the same.

Rest in peace Evel.