Anyone of my vintage
is well acquainted
with this iconic image
from the early days
of television.

The graphic of the Indian
and each of the various
patterns on the chart
served a specific purpose.

They allowed for
adjustments to cameras,
as well as studio and
home monitors.

The Indian-head
test pattern
often would appear after
the formal television station
sign-off, following
the playing of the
national anthem.

With the arrival of
color TV in the 1960’s,
an alternate test card
of color bars became
the one of choice.

As much as I enjoy
the Hi Def, high tech
of today’s television,
I still wax nostalgic for
my Native American
friend of long ago.

I can’t help but
wonder
how the chief would look
on a 55” screen.

There was a dance studio located
in a suburb
just a few miles away
from Kirkwood.

A rite of passage for preteens
involved learning
the basics of ballroom dancing,
while hopefully
picking up a few social graces
along the way.

Let’s face it,
there’s nothing quite like herding
a gaggle of giggling girls
and a bevy of
bashful, bumbling boys
onto the dance floor
to go toe to toe for an hour
week after week.

The roster of dance steps
included such archaic
all-time favorites as the
waltz, foxtrot, and cha-cha.

In short order, it became clear
there wasn’t a future
Fred Astaire or Ginger Rogers
amongst us.

While the dance moves
have long faded from memory,
a slight tinge of
embarrassment
from those days
lingers still.

One, two…cha-cha-cha
Three, four…find the door.