My brother Don

I have mentioned my younger brother Tommy Joe...but I also have an older brother Don.  Don was much older than I, but I sure looked up to him.  He was the typical good looking 60's guy.   Maybe it was because of Don, but I was always car crazy and when he got his first car I was really excited.  I remember the car...not the make or model, but how he got it.  Mom worked at a convalescent hospital in Terra Linda and some old dude needed to get rid of his car.  He sold it to Mom and Dad for $50.00.  It was an OK car...nothing like the cars that Don and I envied in the Hot Rod magazines that Don got each month... but it ran.  And gave Don freedom.  Dad felt that letting Don have a car was the worst thing he ever did... and because of that he forbade any of us girls to ever own a car while living under his roof.  That dictate was the worst think I could have heard.. I wanted a car more than ANYTHING when I was 16, 17, 18....  But when Dad spoke...it was the END of the Conversation!   Judy says I used to argue with Dad, but I really don't remember that.  I just remember him being totally unreasonable at times... hmmm could that have something to do with my age???  

Some of his decisions weren't all that bad... like when I wanted to join the Army.  Judy got me into that one.  She talked to a recruiter and decided the Army would be good for me.  At 18 years old, and FEMALE, I would need my parents consent to join.  Mind you, guys were being drafted and forced to go into the Service, but if a "minor" female wanted to join, she needed a "permission slip" to do it.  I always thought being a female was so unfair.  I'm glad that women are now equal to men in these respects.  On this subject... females also got paid less than men for equal work until 1967.  When the law passed to pay us females the same wage as a guy when we were doing the same work I was thrilled.  It meant a raise for me... probably from my $1.25 and hour to $1.30 an hour!!

Anyway, back to Don.  Since I was such a Tomboy Don and I got along really well.  I remember Dad would not let me mow the lawn  (that girl thing again).  But...when Dad wasn't home Don would LET me mow the lawn!!  I loved mowing the lawn... it was like real work, fun real work back then.  (as you can see, Don wasn't stupid either--- he got out of mowing and made me happy all at once).

Don also let me help him work on his car.  That was the greatest.  I loved changing spark plugs, learning about changing oil, filter, etc.  I especially liked the timing light when he had to tune his car up.  I don't know why...but I thought that timing light was just way cool.

I remember one time Don and I were sitting up on the hill by our house and Don described a go cart he wanted to build for me.  He had the whole go cart all designed and ready to run in his mind.  I was really excited... the thought of zooming around in a go cart was super exciting to me.  But... with his limited finances, he never was able to build that go cart. 

But...he did one better for me!!  In 1964 Don lived in SF and he bought a Honda 250 Motorcycle!!  It was AWESOME!!!   And, for some reason he couldn't keep it in SF.  So...he stored it at our house.   Being 15 1/2 I had my permit and could ride the motorcycle legally!!   Riding that motorcycle was the most exciting thing I had done up to that time in my life.  The feel of flying along with the wind in my hair was the greatest!!!  I remember getting up at 5:00 am on school days just to take the motorcycle out to Novato Dam or some other country road.  I would get home just in time to join JoAnn and head for school.  Luckily it was almost summer when I got to ride the bike.  Once Summer came and school was out...I rode that bike ALL the Time!!  And...I took my sisters on it.  They loved going for rides on the bike.  None of them wanted to learn to "drive" it...but they loved riding on it with me.  I don't remember when Don took the bike away... but I'm sure it was a sad day in my life!!

Don got married shortly after High School, but that marriage didn't last.  He then got married to Sandy and they had Teri.  I am very grateful to have Don in my life again.  He's a great brother.