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Teenage Friends

 I didn't have many teenage friends. Some friends were actually schoolmates, while others were members of the Columbus' Squires, an offshoot of the Knight of Columbus. Schoolmates were few, as I dropped out in the eight-grade.

 Most of my friends got together at the Knights of Columbus club house, either to attend meetings or enjoy the amenities, like the swimming pool. We also got together at the local Dairy Queen soda fountain.

I remember the names of six schoolmates, and a handful of the club cohorts. Perhaps I have a good excuse not to remember their names because I have been away from them for fifty-five years. The aforementioned friends were exclusively male. Schools were not co-educational in organizational form. Sometimes it was a challenge to meet girls of our own age. There were, however, charitable events called Kermesse, attended by teenagers of both sexes. Attending those events often required having the courage to approach gals who one didn't normally know; it was not an easy task. Rejections were common, but sometimes one got lucky and met a friendly gal. Female attendees were, for the most part, students attending private schools.

I remember the Robles' family. I also remember the Mares' brothers; Roberto, Rafael and Ricardo. Others include Rafael Herrejon, Sauel Aguirre, and Manuel Rios.

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