Debbie

Debbie’s funeral is scheduled for Thursday afternoon at 2pm in my hometown. No visitation is scheduled. I won’t be going there, simply because of work commitments…and the fact that I just got home from spending a number of days there.

She was my dad’s eldest brother’s baby girl. Those of you out there with baby girls know that they are special – regardless of the predicaments they find themselves in in later life. This is true if they become drug addicts, prostitutes, or in Debbie’s case, an alcoholic.

My fondest memory of Debbie is when we were all kids. I was about 5 or 6…..she was about 5 years older than me. So, she was about 10 at the time and lived on a street called Overlook Drive. One of my dad’s other brothers also lived on the same street….and on this particular day, we had gone to visit them. As I was playing on their front porch, I remember Debbie walking on the sidewalk across the street. She was headed to her house with a couple of her girl friends.

They were laughing and talking.

I can still see them in my mind’s eye.

Debbie saw me and came across the street to say hello. It was then I noticed the big wad of bubble gum she had in her mouth. Between words or giggles, she’d blow a bubble. I was fascinated. I hadn’t seen gum like that before.

She demonstrated her bubble blowing talent…..blowing the biggest bubbles I had ever seen…..only to have them explode on her face…..and she would begin to fall out in laughter as she would peel the gum from her face….stuff it back into her mouth and do it all over again.

When she saw my interest….she gave me a piece of BAZOOKA gum…..and tried to teach me how to blow bubbles.

Ah….I tried….and I tried….but for the life of me, I just couldn’t do it that day.

She told me to keep practicing and she hugged me goodbye and bouned down the steps….and started skipping down the street on one leg…..following a hopscotch pattern that someone had left on the sidewalk.

And she was gone!

Over the years we both grew up…..she was married and divorced twice….tons of personal problems……no kids. And, sadly, she fell into alcoholism. Severe alcoholism. This is a problem that many in my family have had to face. Thankfully, I”ve not had to face it.

She kept to herself…..I didn’t see her very many more times……but I thought about her ….a lot. I prayed for her. I wish I could/would have done more.

Not long ago, I ran across some very old film footage that I had transferred to video.. There she was….young….full of life….smiling….and …there it was….that laughing face. I’m glad I have that to look at.

Sadly, she’s gone.