Skippy & Shirley 
~ by James Banzer

   Here's a story of a double heartbreak suffered by a
boy. My world came crashing in twice, because of a
puppy named Skippy, and a girl named Shirley.

   When I was a kid, there were some good family friends
who lived about a block-and-a-half away from us. They
were really nice people, and they had a female Cocker
Spaniel which they bred. They searched for good homes
for members of the resulting litter, and gave us one
of them. This was the only doggie I ever had as a
child, and I loved him.

   I would guess that we had the dog about eight months.
I named the little dog Skippy, after the popular
peanut butter of the day. Dad built a doggy door so
that Skippy could romp and play outside during the
day, and come into its little basement shelter as
needed, such as when the weather became cold or rainy.

   Unfortunately, my parents had not obtained shots for
the dog, nor did the people who bred the momma dog.
The dog developed distemper. While I was in school one
day, my mom took Skippy to the vet, who told her the
dog would have to be "put to sleep." To this day, I
hate that phrase, because it is just a euphemism for
killing.

   My heart was broken when that dog died. I hated my mom
for allowing the vet to destroy Skippy. I hated the
vet. I was left with a void in my life.

   The people who gave us the dog had seven children. All
were girls. My parents were always saying that the
woman had another baby, and guess what, it's another
girl! Last I heard all those years ago, they had
finally stopped having children. Mom and dad guessed
they gave up on the idea of ever having a boy.

   The oldest of the girls was named Shirley. She was
about my age. She didn't know it, but I really liked
her. She was a teenage crush. Yes, boys have crushes
just like girls. They just don't talk about their
crushes as much.

   Once the church we attended was having some kind of
special party for young people. I thought and thought,
and rolled it over in my mind, and finally mustered up
the courage to ask Shirley if she would go to the
party with me. She turned me down, and laughed in
front of her girlfriends about me asking her. I was
left devastated.

   I found out for the first time how attraction toward
the opposite sex can end up with a heart being broken.
Shirley never knew how she had left me full of hurt. I
never talked to her about it. I am guessing I was
about thirteen at the time. Believe it or not, the way
Shirley turned me down can make me teary-eyed even
now.

   Well, life went on. I still have times when I wonder
whatever became of Shirley. Yes, boys can and do feel
romantic, and they do suffer the hurt over rejection.

   Her household produced a dog named Skippy and a girl
named Shirley. It was double puppy love and double
loss that will never be forgotten.

060104

Archives

James Banzer has enjoyed a long career in broadcast
news and is now writing on his observations about the
world around us. He is currently residing in
Louisville, Kentucky. You may send an e-mail to him at
jamesbanzer@yahoo.com.