Thirty Years Ago Today

I was sleeping soundly in my bed, dreaming the dreams of any ten year old of the Bicentennial era.  Usually involving a Sasquatch trying to fight me and my new bionic limbs.  Either that or something to do with Raquel Welch in that Three Musketeers movie.

Pop woke me from my slumber saying something about "We’re going to the hospital."  Grudgingly, I got up and gathered my pillow and blanket.  He then escorted me over to the neighbors.  They put me in the room with their son, who was my best pal at the time.  I went back to sleep to pick up where Raquel, Bigfoot and I left off.

The next day after school, Pop picked me up and we went to the hospital.  I was apprehensive as to what was to occur next.  Was everyone ok?  My mind raced with questions.  We entered the ward, and there wrapped in a blanket was my new brother.  He was all pink and squinty with a big shock of black hair.  I turned to Pop and said, "He looks just like you."  Which was probably either a fortunate coincidence or the beginning of my understanding of genetics.  We then went to see Mom.  To be honest, she has looked better than she did that day.  I didn’t know it at the time, but the labor was not without complications and we are lucky that she survived the experience.  She looked happy, yet utterly exhausted and pale.   After a few days rest, she and our new housemate were ready to come home.  In retrospect it is a good thing that video technology was not widely available at the time.  There are some things that I would prefer not to have a visual image of burning my eyeballs.

So, not only can Huntington Beach, California lay claim to being Surf City USA, it is also the birthplace of Stuart John Williams.   Happy Birthday Stu.

Stuart Williams, Licensed Veterinary Technician in his natural habitat, sleeping like a baby.