Man of infrequent action- Drowning interlude

My earliest memory is — I believe — me drowning. Some deep, buried, vague memory. I can only assume I was a toddler. It certainly wasn’t me being born like some water baby, as that “new age” stuff was I think well after my mother’s time and even if it wasn’t, that’s not my mom’s thing. It was the early 1960’s and she smoked and drank while pregnant like everyone else did. My birth was in a hospital and I’m sure she was zonked out on whatever the hell the drug of the day was. But I digress!

Anyway, I assume I was a toddler that had fallen into someone’s pool. All I remember was sinking down, looking up dumbly, as a hand reached in, grabbed my foot, and pulled me out, no worse for wear. Again, this had to be mid ’60’s and if it was someone’s pool, I could only guess that we were in Florida at Darryl and Marylou’s place in Key Biscayne

We’d visiting there numerous times in the ’60’s and then their later places in Sarasota. But here’s the thing– from what I remember as I got older, these guys lived in style. It was a mixture of Madmen and the Rat Pack doing a week of shows at the Copa. Darryl was my mom’s cousin and a really great guy. He *lived*. I think he sold lawn mowers and ran a bar, but he had a lot of friends, a lot of gatherings by the pool, he enjoyed life and he managed to grab himself the perfect life mate match, a lovely lounge singer named Marylou. 

Marylou was one hot number and a popular singer in her familiar places in the sunshine state and even performed with celebrities. I don’t know a lot of details because my mom would never really tell me much about any of this stuff during my life and then would just drop a bombshell on me during casual conversation. A year ago, during a meal, someone had mentioned Marylou being a singer and my mom blurts out “Yeah, Nixon played piano with her once.” Sure enough, back in the ’60’s, Richard M. Nixon had a place in Florida and evidently being practiced on the piano, one night he accompanied Marylou during a performance.

This is just one of the interesting tidbits she would share out of the blue. My kids would stare at me with a “I can’t believe you never said anything!” and I’d just point at her. It’s all her.  I don’t tend to keep stuff in much. If there’s a story to be told, I intend to tell it.  If for no other reason than so it can be passed on. And my my kids can never say I didn’t share. It’s all gonna be out there on the blog kids! This is the year I cover it all! 

Anyway, this is the kinda casual ’60’s party atmosphere you’d have at Darryl and Marylou’s place. The kinda laid back atmosphere where people are Laughlin’, eatin’, smokin’, drinkin’, and a toddler could very easily waltz right over to the pool and fall in. *****And I would wager everything I have, that either Darryl or Marylou jogged over, stuck a hand in, grabbed me by the foot, hoisted me out and put me on a towel, or in a highchair, saw that I was fine and continued whatever they were talking about and absolutely no one gave it another thought, ever. I don’t even know if my mom was there or if she was ever told, because who cares, I was fine. 50 years,after, the last time I saw Marylou, I brought this up. She had no memory of it and that’s not a surprise because who cares, I was fine. She probably never did give it another thought even though she, or Darryl probably saved my life. And she performed with Nixon, I don’t know if you’ve heard….

But as a side note, just think how that toddler falls in pool, gets saved scenario would play out these days so many levels. Probably get eight crisis counselors. Two camera crews and a SWAT team involved. Then a reality show. 

This was originally supposed to be about my attempts at water sports. Maybe in the next installment….