Memories From My Youth II

The other day I heard again Roger Miller's old recording "King Of The Road", wherein two hours of pushin' broom bought the guy a place to sleep. About the same time I heard mention of some event from 1945. My mind blended the two scraps of information and came up with a memory.

In April, 1945, I was 16 years old. Proving that a 16-year-old boy is near the top of the list of the most stupid of creatures, I loaded onto a Greyhound bus in Kansas City and headed for San Diego, CA.

My billfold was about as empty as my head. A friend, newly out of U.S. Navy boot camp and now stationed in San Diego had written me about the wonders of San Diego and the incredible employment opportunities there.

Arriving in San Diego, the first thing I learned was that in 1945 California, a 16-year-old youth had to attend high school. Forget about getting a job! In a few days I was almost out of cash and totally out of a place to live. Turns out my friend had an uncle in Azusa, CA who would pretend to be my guardian and help me get a job - if I came to Azusa.

I could take a bus the next morning... but where would I sleep tonight? I wandered into a YMCA and sat through some sort of religious service in an auditorium equipped with church-like benches. Today I have no recollection of what I watched there, my mind was hung up on the idea of going back onto the street when it ended.

When the service was over, everyone else filed out the door. I walked up to someone who appeared to be in charge and asked if I could lie down on the bench and spend the night. The person thought for a moment and decided I could earn the privilege. He produced a push broom and said if I cleaned up the place I could sleep on a bench.

I don't remember how long the sweeping took, only that I did the best job I could then stretched out on a bench. When I awoke the next morning, there was a guy sleeping on every bench in the auditorium. I headed for the bus depot.

Roger Miller's "King Of The Road" had fared better... he at least got an eight by twelve four-bit room!