After reading Mrs. G's post today, recounting her and a girlfriend's naive acceptance of a ride from a stranger, the goose bumps came back to a memory of mine.I used to hitchhike. I remember once hitchhiking to Stoney Creek Park with my friend Barb. Not a care in the world about "wacko's" back in the 70's. (Duh! I lived in Oakland county, home to the famous unsolved murders by the Oakland Child Killer )
One particular time, I had spent the night at her house, we got up and headed out to a full day at Stoney. At the end of our day, she got a ride home with a friend that lived in her neighborhood. Chit, I had moved to back Royal Oak by then and it was about 20 miles away.
So there I am, probably stoned, sunburned, wearing my bathing suit asking around if anyone was going to Royal Oak. There were three guys that said they were. One said he lived at 12 mile and Campbell and in my pot induced state, I was like "Wow, cool, that's exactly where I live." And I hopped in.
It was a powder blue VW. (what's with the VW hitchhiking stories? Mrs. G and some of her commenter's were in VW's too) Me, three guys, just about sunset. What the frap was I thinking? I know, I wasn't.
We headed out of the park and towards home. But then, they decided to take dirt roads "so we could smoke pot and not be seen." Mmmm, hum. Still, I'm all "OK, sounds like a good idea to me."
The bizarre thing, that's just what we did, rode around smoking pot, laughing, and having a good ole time. We stopped for some fast food and then they dropped me off at my house. The next day I though about what I did and kinda freaked. I drove past the street he said he lived on and sure enough I found the powder blue VW parked in front of a house. Never saw any of them again.
BUT ... this ... this really FREAKS.Me.Out.
I have said before, in 1973, I stuck my thumb out on I-75 and headed to Mexico with my boyfriend. We entered Mexico via Texas.
Summer of 1973
Hitchhiking, through rural TEXAS
Through the same area that THIS was going on.
Even though the movie is based on a true story, no chainsaws were involved. The killings and skinning of the bodies were true. Just the fact that I hitchhiked to Mexico and back kinda freaks me out when I over think it.
::: shudders :::
*** Side bar: Karin? Detroit? Bob (I think that was his name) and his VW? Gas Station? (we actually went in there!) Wig? Dead Hooker in the back lot? SCARY SHIT, eh? ***
12 comments:
Dang were you lucky! You coulda been . . . !
Well, of course, we wouldn't have known anyway
I too hitchhiked back when I was young and stupid (and later in Israel when I was not as young and not as stupid, but things were different here back then. Anyway I digress...). I shudder to think about it. I even remember rolling my oh so arrogant teenage eyes at some (in retrospect very kind and well-intended) middle-aged man who picked me up "so that the weirdos wouldn't" and lectured me all the way home.
And yet this is only one very small part of why I am incredibly lucky to have survived my teenage years (relatively) unscathed... Now ask me why the idea of having kids like me scares the crap out of me.
You're one of those statistics that never happened.
I think of some of the dumb things I did (though hitchhiking to Mexico beats me by a landslide) and I should be dead a few times over, too.
'Cause like a princess she was layin' there
Moonlight dancin' off her hair
She woke up and took me by the hand
She's gonna love me in my Chevy van
And that's all right with me...
John: Well, had Sammy Kershaw pulled up in his Chevy van, for sure I would have hopped in!
It's amazing that we all lived to tell the tale. I had no idea so many people hitch hiked.
I really love my sheltered life.
Sammy Kershaw! Yikes!! You means Sammy Johns? I'll never, EVER know how Sammy Kershaw landed Lorrie Morgan. It just doesn't compute.
John: Kershaw recorded it too...I haven't heard Sammy Johns.
Scary stuff, indeed. How could we have been sooooo dumb? And lived to tell the tale? Whew....
You did everything at that time in life that my mother scared the beejeesus out of me not to do. Sometimes I think I missed out on the risks of life, other times I think I was just such a sensible priss...
I remember getting a ride to the mall in grade 12 - my friend and I were waiting for the bus and 2 guys in a VW (what's with VWs in the '70s?!) offered us a ride. I was in classes with both of them so said sure (they were a year older but had failed a few credits). My friend was all freaking out and yet, even though they were considered "hoods" and less than reputible at school, I felt totally "fine" with it and it was. Maybe the fact that my dad had coached one of them in baseball a few years prior had something to do with it...but still, I knew they respected me. Do we know that instinctively or do we just know things for fact?
I try not to think too much about the stupid and sometimes dangerous stuff my friends and I did from the ages 13-22. Sheesh...we are lucky to be alive!! I guess that saying is right that "God takes care of idiots and little children."!!!
and waaaaaiiiit a minute....you smoked pot?!?! teehee!
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