Fox Street was Sweet

When I was a youngstar of about 6 or 7 years of age, I knew atleast three magic charm words:  HOCUS-POCUS, ABRACADABRA, AND OPEN SESAME. I.... was a magician!

Oh My God!! It's my word have you heard? I was all over shining and done from begun to fun. Ready to try out the new day.

Funny note: except for bathing, I hardly ever closed the bathroom door when I occupied it. Of course I had a toilet to run from. I'd LEAVE the door wide open gun it( the toilet) and run. Brave with all things except one.

But if you dared me..... I was bad. I could have been killed but, I loved the thrill. There were countless "I dare you to climb here or there." Or "I dare you to do this or that."

"You think you bad," was often my word of the day. It was occasionally used against me. I came prepared with,"I DON'T  THINK  I'M BAD I KNOW I'M BAD. And of course "you make  me  sick"  was another.  Boy, I did it all, I had a ball.

When opportunity  struck. I threw processed sandwich meat out of the window  to the super' s hungry dogs in the basement  (We lived on the 4th floor) facing the backyard. I used half a pack feeding the dogs just to hear them challenge one another.

I ate butter by it self, half a stick on the regular. Raw franks were  a delicacy to me. My taste buds and I were in lingual agreement. I had a hunger MY family knew nothing about. After my brother, sisters and I became tired of eating cold sandwiches we discovered grill cheese with salami. PRICELESS!!

I was having fun, being all I could be.

I felt the wind at my heels when my new PRO-KEDS helped me fly. I came alive talking all that jive (in the 1973) surrounded by my friends. We talked and cursed a mile a minute. I owned every F-WORD from the corner store to Gibraltar. One simple problem,  my friends wanted STEPSIES on my NEW SNEAKERS. IT was the  rite of passage for all new sneaker wearers. They were satisfied with my new sneakers looking a little more raggedy like theirs. Oh well. I'll scrub them up and make them new again.

Any situation,  It's my word, I was in it. We were careful not to be caught  in any mischievous situation. By accusing grown-Ups. Didn't  want any unsolicited advice. None of "You better not"  and definitely didn't want to hear, " I'm telling your  mother."

When BOREDOM set in --NOW who wants to play? RED LIGHT,

GREEN LIGHT, FOLLOW THE LEADER, RUN CATCH AND KISS.

NOW,  I was mostly an honest kid. Until I concluded that honesty was not a  fashion. I was running all grunge and frumpy, a little bleeding, band aides, scars and raggedy baseball cards. Even when I was wrong, I was right. Constantly ready for the fight. You KNOW I took pleasure when watching grown ups squirm when they saw me coming. I was sure they didn't care for me at all.

DAMN FOX STREET WAS SWEET. I had a BALL (lots of fun)

ABRACADABRA,  HOCUS-POCUS,  OPEN SESAME

I'M  out the DOOR. RUNNING WITH MY  NEW PRO-KEDS.

I WENT TURBO. I WENT HARD.