On my fifteenth birthday, my younger brother and I were kicked out of a bar. In Wyoming during the 1970s, minors weren’t allowed in bars, even when parents accompanied them. But Dad tried to sneak us in, whenever he thought he could get away with it, with the idea that we could have a Coke while he drank something stronger.
On my fifteenth birthday, we all dressed up and went out to dinner at a historic inn here in Sheridan. This establishment had a restaurant, bar, and gift shop on the main floor. Visitors could view rooms on the second and third floors, where celebrities like Buffalo Bill Cody stayed.
After eating a nice dinner in the restaurant while listening to a man play the organ and sing popular songs, we decided to visit the bar, where another musician was playing the guitar and singing. These entertainers fascinated me because this was something I wanted to do when I grew up. We found a table, and Dad was just about to get our drinks when the manager approached. “Gee, I hate to tell you this,” he said. “But we don’t allow kids in here.”
As we left the establishment, disappointed, Dad told me, “Well, when you sing on that stage with your guitar someday, you can tell the audience that you were thrown out on your fifteenth birthday.”
I’ve never sung on that stage. But I’ve performed in plenty of other places and enjoyed telling audiences about how I was kicked out of a bar on my fifteenth birthday.
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Last week during ACB Presents the Daily Schedule, we were asked to talk about a surprising event. That, along with fellow blogger BeetleyPete’s similar feature, inspired the above true story.
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Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography
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New! Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me
Copyright 2021 by Abbie Johnson Taylor.
Independently published with the help of DLD Books.
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Sixteen-year-old Natalie’s grandmother, suffering from dementia and confined to a wheelchair, lives in a nursing home and rarely recognizes Natalie. But one Halloween night, she tells her a shocking secret that only she and Natalie’s mother know. Natalie is the product of a one-night stand between her mother, who is a college English teacher, and another professor.
After some research, Natalie learns that people with dementia often have vivid memories of past events. Still not wanting to believe what her grandmother has told her, she finds her biological father online. The resemblance between them is undeniable. Not knowing what else to do, she shows his photo and website to her parents.
Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding.
Her younger sister, Sarah, senses their parents’ marital difficulties. At Thanksgiving, when she has an opportunity to see Santa Claus, she asks him to bring them together again. Can the jolly old elf grant her request?
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My Corner 