DRAGNET

This was something that happened when I was about two years old.

My two older brothers and I were sitting in front of our Philco TV. My two brothers were seated on the overstuffed green chesterfield. I sat on the polished wood floor in my blue flannel pajamas with the attached feet.

Suddenly the "Dragnet" badge flashed on and the familiar opening theme for the hit detective show blared on: "DUUUMM DE DUMP DUMP." "DUUUMM DE DUMP DUMP, DUUUUH."

"The following program is based on real events. The names have been changed to protect the innocent."

I sat in eager anticipation of the exciting cop drama that I knew was coming next.

The theme continued blaring as the opening scenes of the show flashed by in building suspense. "BUM BE BUUMM! BUM BE BIMP BE BUUMM!! The horns and orchestral backup blasted on.

I thought "Maybe tonight I can see the show. Maybe tonight!". My parents were away and my oldest brother was in charge. He spotted me and shouted out. "Gordie! Get to bed! Its past your bed time!"

"I want to watch the show!"

"No! You're too young for this! Go to bed!"

"I'm not too young! I used to watch it all the time!" I pleaded. I'm not sure where that statement came from. My parents had always made me go to bed when Dragnet came on. But something was not right. I could remember that I used to sit and watch the whole show. It was one of my favorites.

My brother poked and dragged and pushed me out of the room towards the stairs leading upstairs to our bedroom. "You're lying. Noone let you watch this show. You're too young for it! Mom and dad said so!" he shouted at me.

"But I remember.  I used to watch it" I pleaded. "I used to watch it all the time."

"You're lying. You're lying."

I continued to protest but my brother continued to insist that I go to bed, and so I finally turned and dejectedly shuffled up the stairs to bed where I lay down sobbing that I could not watch my favorite show. As I lay there, I thought about watching the show and remembered that I was not a boy when I watched it. I had been a man. How could this be? When did this happen? How unfair life seemed to me at that moment, when I realized that now I was a boy again and it would be many years before I would be able to watch my favorite shows again.

How sad and alone I felt as I thought about my older brothers watching my favorite show downstairs. It was just not fair. My brother David was only two years older than me. Why should he get to watch Dragnet?

Family Christmas

This photograph was probably taken 1957 or maybe 1958. I have outgrown my old pyjamas and I’m wearing flannels with cowboy print. Our Philco TV is in the background.