Retirement Ain't Easy

This is the continuation of a series of posts – select Category LIFE AS A BAND MEMBER to read in sequence.

Starting 1982 I was still living in my one room apartment. My college classes at Central Texas College (CTC) were going good and the band, Second Chance, continued to practice and play local bars. We would hang out at Steve’s (bass player) parent’s house almost every night. The band would practice in a spare bedroom and then sit around the TV watching Star Trek reruns to the point of repeating the episodes word for word. My girlfriend (future wife) had gotten her real estate license and was working on selling houses in the Killeen Texas area. My day job was a full time warehouse/manager at an Army Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) Shoppette (like a 7-11) on Fort Hood. Those were fun times. Dennis and Steve were/are brothers to me.

In early June I quit my nice AAFES job. I don’t remember why, but I think it was because I planned to leave for the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) in August. My Dad had put forth the idea of me coming to Mississippi and finishing up a four year degree. Two of my brothers were now out of high school and thinking of getting a college degree. I would share the house Dad had purchased in 1967. I said OK. The girlfriend was not going to be happy but it was for the best.

After quitting my day job I was now free for the summer, I spent it clearing cedar trees with Steve, Dennis and Mick. The “job” was to clear cedar trees off a ranchers land out in Leander Texas and, for payment, we could sell all the firewood we could find on the land. We would get up early every morning and either head out west to cut cedar or we’d head to a Killeen hardware store intending to fix the chainsaws that always seemed to be broke. I learned what a cord of firewood was. I think we only sold maybe 3 cords that summer. Not much money was made and what we did make went to fix chainsaws. But it was fun.

We’d break at noon and eat our bagged lunch that Steve’s Mom had made for each of us. There was a bull named Doo-Dah occupying the land we were clearing and I remember Steve tried to ride him. For that moment I wish we had cell phones with cameras back then, but glad we didn’t for most of our adventures. That summer I lost one of my cherished Mo-Ranch staff shirts. I often imagine it still out there stuck on the limb of a tree, waving in the wind. A faded yellow flag marking one of the best summers I ever had.

August 1982 rolled around and I received my Associates Degree (2 year degree) in computer Science from CTC. It was time to head to USM to finish my degree. The girlfriend was not happy but it was one of those life choices that has served me, and her, very well. A college degree was a golden ticket back in the 80’s. Not sure if it helps much these days but it certainly doesn’t hurt. Dad and my brothers, Johnny and Tony, drove from Mississippi in Dad’s light brown Dodge truck, a 500 mile trip one way. We loaded up my meager possessions and they took off. I followed in my maroon Chevy Monza. I moved to Hattiesburg. It was the end of Second Chance version 2.0.