When Granddaddy opened Steelers Bar in Westlake, he claimed it would provide employment for his sons, but many nights he stayed after they closed, sleeping in a back room. By then, with the exception of Granny, no one missed him.

In 1957 the world began to change. Strong undercurrents were setting us up for the 60’s, as Dwight (the Dozer) Eisenhower was elected, dragging with him that true patriot Richard Nixon.



Rosa Parks pushed civil rights to the forefront with her defiant, “I ain’t settin’ myself down in the back of no ... bus!” Playboy Magazine shocked the nation with semi-nude pictures of Marilyn Monroe, and RCA sold over eighty thousand tri-color television sets, facing patent lawsuits by Zenith.

Granny didn’t believe in the new technology, but my shy parents were showing signs of liberalism. One Saturday morning, Daddy caught me peeking through a neighbor’s screen door to watch cartoons. Soon after, as Fats Domino sang Blueberry Hill and Gogi Grant sang The Wayward Wind, Daddy drove to Lake Charles and purchased on time from Sears and Roebuck our very own black and white television set.

I was too young to care about Richard Nixon or civil rights, so I watched Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Green Jeans. On the weekends, after Mighty Mouse saved the day, I headed outdoors.