Deaf Pagan Crossroads

One of the things about moving back to my hometown is that it evokes a lot of childhood memories.

Driving to and from work, I often pass the schools I attended when I was a kid. As the only deaf child in an all-hearing family, I was kept at home and attended the local all-hearing schools. No deaf school for me; no ASL, no Deaf Culture, no Deaf classmates or mentors. I was the classic “solitary” – the deaf child growing up in a hearing environment.

But it wasn’t all bad… I still have some pleasant memories of attending Plaza Park Elementary School (which is now a middle school), and then going on to William Henry Harrison High School… home of the Warriors. I was the class of 1976, and one of my classmates – Brad Ellsworth – is now serving Indiana in the U.S. House of Representatives. Believe it or not, even as the only deaf student in the entire school, I served on Harrison’s Speech and Debate team, and actually made it to state finals.

When I passed my former high school the other day, as I often do when coming home from work, I noticed the sign in front of the school indicated that the prom was soon coming.

Ahhh… the memories.

Yes, I attended my prom – four of them, to be exact… all with the same person. Harrison had both a Junior Prom and a Senior Prom back in my day (I don’t know if they still do this or not). The Junior Prom was held in April, and the Senior Prom in May.

I remember my first prom… I was a junior, and my date was a sophomore. He was a nice guy named Kelley… I wouldn’t say that we were “boyfriend and girlfriend” in the total sense of the word – more like really good friends who did things together. I suspect that his feelings for me were probably somewhat stronger than mine for him – we didn’t sit around making out all night, and we never did the “dirty deed” together… if you get my drift. I cared about Kelley, but I wasn’t in love with him. He didn’t make my heart flutter or put stars in my eyes.

But when the prom came around, he was the one who expressed the desire to accompany me, and the one I chose to do so.

So I bought the dress… a bright cheerful red and white patchwork halter dress; fixed my hair and put on my makeup; and with his mother acting as chauffer, off we went to join my classmates in the most sacred of teenage rites.

The theme of my Junior Prom was “Pieces of April”, a popular song at the time as recorded by Three Dog Night. The music was provided by the band “Clear Lights” – a local band that was considered one of the best in the area. Kelley and I danced, we drank punch and munched on appetizers, we joked around with our friends.

And then they played the theme song.

We joined other couples on the dance floor. I laid my head on Kelley’s shoulder and rested my cheek against his chest. He kissed my forehead and held me close.

And for a few brief moments, we could pretend to be young lovers dancing under the moonlight.

I haven’t seen or talked to Kelley in years. He went with me to my Senior Prom also, and I was his date for both his Junior and Senior Proms. But I went away to college, and although we continued to write, we simply drifted apart. I was learning ASL and beginning my journey into Deafhood… we just didn’t seem to have much in common any longer.

But every year in April I am transported back to a magickal night when we danced to one of my favorite songs… a time when we were still so very young, full of the hope and promise of future possibilities.

I hold onto those visions, and I keep them in my own memory bouquet.

For I’ve still got pieces of April…

even when it’s a morning in May.

Pieces Of April

by

Three Dog Night

April gave us springtime

And the promise of new flowers

And the feeling that we both shared

And the love that we called ours

We had no time for sadness

That’s a road we each had crossed

We were living a time meant for us

And even when it would rain we would laugh it off

I’ve got pieces of April

I keep them in a memory bouquet

I’ve got pieces of April

But it’s a morning in May

We stood on the crest of summer

Beneath an oak that blossomed green

Feeling as I did in April

Not really knowing what it means

But it must be then that you stand beside me now

To make me feel this way

Just as I did in April, but it’s a morning in May

(instrumental)

I’ve got pieces of April

I keep them in a memory bouquet

I’ve got pieces of April

But it’s a morning in May

I’ve got pieces of April

I keep them in a memory bouquet

I’ve got pieces of April

But it’s a morning in May