The Dudes!

The first boy I loved who wasn't related to me!

I love boys! Since I was a wee babe apparently. My mom tells stories of how I would always respond better to the mens voices and I always would climb up on their laps and smile and laugh with them. Is it any small wonder that I have 5 boys of my own? Don't get me wrong girls were great but with the boys I didn't have to worry about their crazy emotions in fact some claimed to not have any feelings at all! At good ole Viewmont High I had a few close girlfriends but I had a group of boys whom I adored. Probably too much. I think during the years I had a crush on every single one of them at one point or another. They have gone through some changes through the years. The name by which they were known has changed. They used to be the Stolen Hubs and then they became the Dudes. Some members of the group have come and gone but the core seems to remain the same.Did I mention that I loved them! I really did! Between them all they probably made the ideal man (granted it took all 5-7 of them to make the ideal but he was there) Most of them were funny, some were sensitive, all were smart, some could sing, some played baseball, some soccer, some football, some hockey, some played instruments, some could draw, some could dance, some could ski, some were sensitive, some were politically minded, some had fashion sense and they all made funny-only-for-a-few movies. Wow what a man! The Ideal Man

They were almost always fun to be with. I was the camera woman for filming some of their films, mainly because I had a camera! Many an hour was spent watching them plan a scene that took about 10 seconds of the final film! Later I became a source of free pizza. I remember encouraging them to "Be honest and open". Every once in a while they would open up but mainly they just teased me.

I used to mock them also for many reasons such as the time they let me come to their air band concert. Vastly amusing. I would give a lot to have that on film! I also would tease them about their idle threats. For years they used to threaten that someday they would beat me up, tie me up, drive me out to the desert and leave me for dead. Finally after years and years of this particular threat they made good on it. Granted there was no real beating and I had to hold the rope so they could tie me up and they didn't leave me for long in the desert because there was another car approaching but they did make good on their threat. You mocked my pain! Never do it again!
I blame them for my feelings of not ever wanting to graduate from high school. I just knew we would go our separate ways and lose contact. For the first few years I kept in touch with them through letters while they were serving missions for our church. Then they came home and we hung out for a while (free pizza) and then they started to get married and for quite a while I didn't see much of them. Then about 10 years ago they invited Dave and I to join a dinner group they started where every other month they would get together at someones house for dinner and games. It has become (sad to say) a highlight of my social life.

I love each of them even more now and I also love all their wives (they all married far above themselves). It is amazing how these boys have grown into fine fathers and husbands. They hold down jobs (none of which are in the movie making industry) and they are just good guys!

It gives me hope to think that my silly, crazy, thoughtless, teasing sometimes insensitive, and always full of fun sons will someday grow up to be like a Dude-like man.