Walk into any Starbuck’s
right after school lets out and you’ll see what I mean. A true “gaggle” of
young women spill into the place and hijack a group of tables with their
backpacks and laptops. Standing in line to order their lattes, caramel
macciatos, and chai teas, they loudly review the events of the day between high-
pitched giggles and “OMG” screams.
Their clothes might be
different, but that could have been my group of friends after school, taking
over the neighborhood Howard Johnson’s; HoJo’s to those in the know.
I know I sound like your
Grandpa when I say this, but when I was growing up, if we
lived within two miles of the school, we walked. Sometimes our moms would pick us
up for a dentist appointment, or we might be lucky enough to know a
high-schooler who drove, but otherwise, it was on foot.
It might have been tiring,
but that walk home was sometimes the best part of our day; made even better by
our after school “snack” sessions at the home of 28 flavors.
Just like the Starbuck’s
teens, we’d pile into HoJo’s and nine or ten of us would take over the round
booth meant for 5 people. Crowded into the circle, we’d order sodas, French
fries, sundaes, fried clams, hot dogs, and bowls of ice cream; our conversation
at least five decibels above the other diners’ talk.
The hostess at the restaurant
was a Spanish woman named Hazel with a thick accent and a tough demeanor. I
know she cringed every time she saw us all walk in, but she greeted us, seated
us, and shot a strong glare our way every time we got out of hand.
Nothing terrible; but between
laughing and climbing over the seats to look at a note someone had written
(long before texting) or reaching across the table to take a bite of someone’s
food, we made a lot of noise and a big mess.
Whether it was my best friend
Nadine’s burgundy cherry ice cream soda, or my clams and tartar sauce, we
always left the table looking like a battleground.
Though Hazel would have loved
to kick us out and ban us from the place permanently, she also would see us
there with our families on the weekends, so she yelled at us, but no major
punishments.
And I remember seeing the
“older” girls there and thinking they were so lucky because they were all
starting to get their licenses and they could actually drive there. With their
teased and perfectly flipped hair and gold initial circle pins, we could only
hope we’d be that cool one day.
Each new generation
always seems to have their place. From HoJos to McDs, from Panera to Starbucks,
one thing you can bet on is an after school invasion of loud voices and big
appetities. I mean even the kids on Happy
Days had Arnold’s.
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