I'm sitting here smiling at that comment. Remember the days when we ate breakfast the Panthers provided, then went to a parochial school and were "good kids" during the day but would steal some mini-pizzas from Walter Wong after school.

You're right that most people look at us and think we're not telling the truth or making up "story". Little do they know...

Shootin' the mahu's with BB guns and Dave shooting bottle rockets across the street at the house...Man, those were the days.

In a message dated 2/24/2009 10:37:42 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, Gmelasg writes:

Hey,

Maybe this is more of maybe the younger guys but : Do you remember the Progress delivery days where the dogs would be waiting to chase us? How about when Eddie and them used to pound on the conga's and get Dad all pissed. By the way, where did they jam the conga's, was it across the street at Mrs B's? And the huge fight when some one (Greg Thurman?) tossed a huge bottle at Steven Price. Or, the molotov cocktails and at the mahu boys up the street?Maybe the pack mentality was also a good formative tool. Find your place in the group.

Part of the culture here is the talk story time. This is where get the 'put you in the peg', size you up thing. I swear, just listening to myself talkstory, I would think I was full of it. I mean who would believe the molotov cocktails, Eddie and Ricky, Panthers, Hippies and heroin. Oh yeah, we were also Altar Boys and Boy Scouts....Must sound rather suspicious to some folks that did not have the opportunities we had.

Slice of life...Seeing the map must bring the nostalgia strong...

G

In a message dated 2/24/2009 4:45:36 A.M. Hawaiian Standard Time, Oberdahill writes:

I hear you. Many different experiences but vivid personal memories. For a paper I wrote for a class, I used the map to put things in perspective. Our upbringing was much more colorful than most and we were fortunate to have learned ways to co-exist with a plethora of people from all segments of the globe. That small one-way street was a true melting pot and sample of the world. Nobody really understands what it was like because they haven't had the "experience".

Do you recall the Japanese lady's name? That's interesting and I'd like to know if we crossed paths at some point.

J

In a message dated 2/24/2009 3:11:57 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, Gmelasg writes:

Hey All,

Wow, I am finally able to see the map. Reading the names of the Streets was really a blast from the past. I had totally forgotten many of the names. If fact, maybe I never knew the names to begin with. Even so, as your eyes scroll, you can see the faces of the folks and maybe even the names of families. I guess we all had different experiences but vivid memories.

Just like the colorful names but families. Horton's, Libadia's, Maurillles just to name a few. But mostly, stupid memories of childhood aka tater tots and the junior museum. How many times have our feet pounded the pavement to the N Judah line? How is it that the Street could be such a haven of security? Once you left Downey, it was almost like leaving the state.

Lots of years past, so many that it doesn't seem real. It really is quite nostalgic seeing the 'neighborhood' as a whole. Funny that Downey Street, just a sliver in the middle, could have such a cross section of races and personalities.

This is just more reason the have people check the site. Here is something to share. I met this Japanese American lady taking salsa lessons and she asked where I was from. I mentioned San Francisco and she said her sister had lived in SF. Mostly the folks think suburbs and say SF but, her sister lived near Fredrick and Downey. Talk about a whoa moment. We did not talk much more but I will have to have her check out the map. Too wild, eh? Of course, we are talking the 80's so it is just a place, not the same place and time. Timing yeah'?

Mo' talkstory

G