I don’t know about you folks but as for me I will be just doing what the day calls for and it seems that out of nowhere a thought will pop up that was miles away. Well, yesterday I had one of those moments. The thought began in 1959. Yes, something sixty years ago came to the front of my brain and I don’t really know why but you know what? I think I’m glad that it did.
In the fall of 1959 I was ten years old and when the sun went down the television went on. In the fall of the year is the beginning of new television schedule and new programs. This was very exciting for all of us I think but as for me I was the most excited. We had three channels to watch and a whole new season to see. My sister Peg had subscribed to TV Guide and I had scanned it and decided what we should watch. (That didn’t always happen as there were four more votes in the house.)
I was moving along smoothly picking out Cheyenne and Red Skelton along with Ozzie and Harriet but when I got to Friday evening and looked at the ten thirty spot there was a new show on. The title puzzled me and what was printed about it did just about the same. It said it was science fiction show with an anthology with it. A what? I said to myself. I looked it up in the good ole Webster’s Dictionary and it said a collection of selected writings and from the same author. Now all that did was puzzle and confuse me even more. But I decided I would give it a look and see if I could figure it out and hoped I would like it. (The lineup for late Friday evening was of slim pickings that fall.)
Well that week went off great as there were a lot of good and funny new shows and the old ones were even better than the year before. Now Friday evening came along and fortunately for me my sister Peg was home that night. I need to stop here and explain Peg was fresh out of college and was a teacher at the school in Felicity teaching second graders. She still was single and she and I watched a lot of television together. Since Peg was twelve years older than me I felt like she was my second mom and she seemed to enjoy spoiling me. I of course didn’t want to hurt her feelings so I let her go on spoiling me. (It is what family does aint it?)
The evening had been good so far but I was still Leary about something called The Twilight Zone. So Peg and I got a TV tray set up with a pan of popcorn and a bowl of potato chips. We had waited to have our glass of Pepsi until then. You see mom had a rule that you got one glass of pop in the evening. So between Peg and me we got one half of a twelve ounce bottle to split. Anyway we had got ourselves all set up on the couch to have some fun as we watched.
For those of you who have seen The Twilight Zone you know that just the introduction to the show was most disturbing. The music alone can unnerve a person let alone the images that swilled around on the screen. Then when that had ended a very serious looking man with a very serious voice began talking to us. I learned later on that somewhere in what he was saying was a clue to what we were about to watch. (Also this was the anthology I had spoken of.) Between the introduction and his little talk I was wide eyed and sitting up straight. Then the show began. It started mildly but it wasn’t too long before an alien appeared and it seemed like out of nowhere and then it went into a commercial.
What the heck? I said to myself. Peg scooted closer to me and ask me just what do you think of it so far? I of course told her I really didn’t like it so far. She reassured me that the show was designed to deliver the unexpected to the viewers. I agreed that it sure had so far. She just smiled and said lets watch some more of it and I said ok. So the part that went to the next commercial wasn’t bad at all. Again sis ask me what I thought and I told her it was not so bad. So we agreed to watch until the end. What came on next was the return of that alien at the very end and it was really a human in a costume as he was on a planet of aliens. Now I wasn’t scared by this. I was stunned at this turn of events. I guess that since I had never thought of anything like that I wasn’t ready for it.
After the show was over and the news was on Peg and I talked about this show and the way the plot went down. I guess she had read some previews on it in advance and kind of knew what to expect. Peg finally said I will tell you what. I will watch it with you again. Is that ok with you and of course I said of course. So from then on Peg and I had the television to ourselves every Friday night and we watched every episode of The Twilight Zone and I got to understanding his clues in the beginning and even the freakiest of his stuff didn’t seem to bother me anymore. I also learned that my sister had become hooked on the program even more that me I think this ritual went on for two seasons until Peg took a teaching job near Dayton but she would return home a lot of weekends and see the family. When she did I would make sure we had snacks and Pepsi or Iced tea to sip. Sometimes Peg would bring home something new to snack on. It was amazing what was out there if you got far enough away from Fruit Ridge Road.
The show has always been a favorite of mine but I feel that more than that I got to spend and lot of that one on one time with my sister that can be had to obtain. Especially when there is twelve years between you. I learned just how lucky I was to have her as my sister. I guess the weird part is I had to go to THE TWILIGHT ZONE to find it out.
Rick Houser grew up on a farm near Moscow in Clermont County and loves to share stories about his youth and other topics. If you are interested in reading more of his stories they can be found in his books ‘There are Places to Remember” and’ Memories ARE from the Heart.” He may be reached at [email protected] or mail to P.O. Box 213 Bethel, Ohio 45106.