Going to the Beach

It was in the summer of 1966. My mother had a Chrysler convertible and we were going to the beach. The top was down and us kids were in the back seat. No seatbelts and no booster seats just the open road and the wind blowing in our faces. The radio,which had a rear speaker,was turned up loud ! I distinctly remember the "Crykles" singing their new hit record, Red Rubber Ball. " I know you're not the only starfish in the sea " and ending with ,"the morning sun is shining like a red rubber ball." Mom drove a little faster as we bounced up and down in those seats singing away. It is one of those memories that just sticks in your head.
I remember the car,the road,the song playing,my sister singing with me and all in vivid detail. It must be like those Savants you see on television sometimes. How they remember and "see" whatever it is.
I would have been 13 years old then. That was 44 years ago! I can't say for sure I remember other things from that summer. Doesn't seem like anything extraordinary happened that year. Thinking back though I believe that may have been the last summer for regular beach going with Mom. At 14, I was allowed to ride my bike just about anywhere I wanted to go,as long as I was home in time for supper. I had other interests in mind by then too. Oh,I probably went a time or two with Mom but not much. My sister would have been 16 and driving her own car by 1967.
I couldn't tell you another song that group ever did. To be honest the only way I knew who sang it was I looked it up. So it wasn't that it was a favorite group of mine. We went to the beach a lot with Mom back then. In the early afternoon after the housework was done she would load us up and drive down to the bay.
Some of the other Mothers in town would be there with there broods as well. We usually stayed for a couple hours or so.

Mom and I at Sammis Beach (circa 1958)

Why that song and that time is embedded in my mind I can't be sure. I'm thinking it may be divine intervention. God does work in mysterious ways. Maybe this is his way of giving me comfort when I need it. Sometimes when I am feeling a little low I do remember things like that and it does cheer me up. That explanation is as good as any,don't you think ?