First Girlfriend Memories

Subscriber-only episode

Ever wondered how childhood relationships could provide a beacon of light during the toughest times? Picture 1982, in the bustling Westlake District of Los Angeles, where a nine-year-old boy named Joe finds solace in his first girlfriend, Norma, amidst his parents' tumultuous divorce. From their initial encounter on a school bus to shared moments at Burbank Elementary School, Joe recounts how Norma became an anchor of stability and joy in his young life. The simplicity and purity of their bond, unmarred by modern societal pressures, offer a refreshing and nostalgic perspective on young love.

Embark on a heartwarming journey as Joe vividly recalls precious memories, like a delightful birthday celebration and an enchanting trip to Disneyland that culminated in a first kiss. Each chapter of this episode is filled with tender stories, from a game of tetherball that solidified their bond to the magic of childhood wonder at Disneyland. These moments capture the essence of young love and the powerful impact it can have during formative years, especially when surrounded by the chaos of a family breakup.

As life inevitably brought changes and challenges, including family dynamics and school incidents, the connection with Norma remained a cherished memory for Joe. Even as they grew apart, the bittersweet recollection of his first love endured. This episode is a heartfelt tribute to Norma, woven with hope and nostalgia, encapsulating the enduring impact of first love. Join Joe as he reminisces about these precious moments, sharing the lasting imprint they left on his heart and inviting listeners to reflect on their own childhood memories.

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Transcript

Joe: 0:45

what's up.

Joe: 0:45

What's up. What's up, everybody, what's up? This is Thee Talkers Podcast, Unscripted. My name is Joe. How's everybody doing out there?

Joe: 0:57

It's 61 degrees, everybody 61 degrees, believe it or not, you know you expect the end of May will be a hot day, right, and June is around the corner. It's usually the June gloom. They call it June gloom, so we'll see. On June would it be gloomy or would it be sunny and hot? Oh no, I don't like when it's hot, man. I don't like fucking summer, man. Let me tell you one thing oh wow, we just got to get prepared for it, everybody, it's going to be a hot summer. And drink plenty of water. Stay hydrated. Avoid sugary sodas, energy drinks, all that stuff. Drink a beer. But um, what I'm going to talk about today is very interesting. I've been wanting to let it out on my chest just to express what I feel.

Joe: 2:06

Your first girlfriend or your first boyfriend, whoever it may be right, I had a first girlfriend when I was like nine years old. This is what I wanted to talk about. I don't know Many out of you out there have that situation when you had a first girlfriend and, for a female perspective, a first boyfriend. It doesn't matter. I'm speaking in my situation and maybe you've been through it too. Um, you're going through it and, um, the funny part is, you know you were going through this. Um, lgbtq, you know they're trying to groom kids. You know things like that.

Joe: 2:51

And this I'm, this is me, and I was like nine years old. We didn't have all that, you know, we just like, um, we grew up uh, naturally, we just grew up to learn. You know, like whatever, whatever goes through our mind, whatever we pick up to learn, you know things like that, we don't get it show. At the time, in 1982, we had nothing shoved down our throats, you know. You know, force us to to be this. If you're gonna be this, if you like, you want to be this, you know, just do it. You know this. If you like, you want to be this, you know, just do it. You know it wasn't like that back in the days.

Joe: 3:23

I'm probably talking about everybody from back in 1950s, way back below then, but I'm talking about my situation in 1982, when I had a first girlfriend. I mean, every time I think about this girl, I mean it's since 42 years. This is 42 years. I haven't seen her. Um, I want to talk about it. I want to mention it and I'm just hope right now, just hope she's okay, she's. I just pray to god she's all right. I hope she has a good life and I hope she's not one of those girls that you know doing bad, bad stuff and stuff like that. You know, I just hope she's doing well, I hope she has a good family, I hope she's wealthy, healthy and all that stuff and um, I mean, it happens, you know, and um, the story is, I want to talk about the story of me and her.

Joe: 4:16

Her name is Norma and I went by Joseph in that time, in that era. Excuse me, I want to talk about the story I've been mentioning it to my family about her. My sister knew her. I don't think my brother, the Gooch, knew her real well because he was about five years old at the time and I was nine, she was nine, nine, my sister was eight at the time.

Joe: 4:48

Um, this was in 1982 and the funny, the funny thing, is that when we, my parents, were going through a divorce, okay, they were separated. My mom separated my dad. So I'll make that story short and move along to the story. So my mom had met a guy and um. So my mom started moving with the guy. So we started living in the apartments in um in la area. It's in the west lake district around there it it's called Hotel California and it's still there, but it's not the same as before, because back then California Hotel was bricked, it was like a brick-layer building and now it's like all white. Now it's not like brick bricklayer no more. And so I forgot the name of the style of the painting and all that stuff. My brother, the Gooch, knows, and Remo knows, because they're the carpenters.

Joe: 5:49

But yeah, so we used to live in that area. I think it's on 6th street and Union and across the street is Alvarado, I think, and that was the section we used to stay in. You know, at the time there was no jack-in-the-box. There's a jack-in-the-box right there, but at the time, in 82, it was just a plain parking lot. You could park your cars. Our mom would park her car there, my stepdad would park her car there, my stepdad will park his car there. So we were ready for our first day of school. Okay, this was our new day, our first day of school.

Joe: 6:29

Our mother was really picky on schools. She didn't want us in any schools that were located in the alley area. I don't know for what reason, but she didn't want us near those kind of schools. But so she sent us to Burbank Elementary School. So we had to go on a school bus. At the time, our parents, my mom, they didn't have no car, so she sent us to Burbank elementary school and we had to go on the bus and she was, she was taking us, but we, we went walking and then I see this girl looking at me.

Joe: 7:09

I don't know who it was, I, I mean at the time, I don't know what, what's going on, and I just all I saw is this girl looking at me. You know, know, like just keep staring at me, smiling at me, and stuff like that. And I will tell my mom, my mom, that girl's looking at me and I'm funny and she probably likes you, she, she, she told me and go, I go. What she probably likes you? You know when a little kid says but I don't remember what I said though, but I just remember that part. And then the funny part, the thing I find is so interesting is that it was a lot of kids going to that school, burbank Elementary School, with a full school bus, a long school bus, you know, and we're waiting in line to get ready to go to school and the funny part is that my sister went with me. Okay, I was thinking we're gonna meet my sister, we're gonna sit together, but, um, we didn't. My sister ended up sitting with norma and and I ended up sitting on the right side of the window and my sister was sitting on the left side and norma was sitting on the right side of the window and I find that kind of weird, that funny like it was meant to be and someone was sitting, some boy was sitting next to me and I don't know who he was.

Joe: 8:25

I never talked, I was just quiet, minding my own business. You know, just maybe traumatized because my mom and dad separated and all that stuff. I was just looking at the window, daydreaming, as usual. I was just daydreaming, looking at the scenery while the bus is moving, we're heading to our new school and I just see this girl peeping to the side of the window, you know where the seat's at, it's like a little gap. She was just staring at me through the window. I was just like looking, I go, what's going on? I thought she was just looking, you know, to make sure she's looking to her mom, waving bye to her mom, or looking while the school bus was moving. So I didn't think nothing much of it. She was looking at me, in other words. So she kept looking at me and I keep looking at her. I just remember her brown hazel eyes, her dark brown hair, her light complected, light skin and I mean I think nothing much of it. So then I turned away back to the window on the scenery.

Joe: 9:31

So, um, my sister called me joseph. I saw joe just called me Joseph when I was a kid and my sister was already talking to her. Already my sister was already getting acquainted over her already. She was just making friends. My sister makes a lot of friends, she's an Aries. So she was talking to Norma. And then my sister called me and she says Joseph, I go, what Norma says, to look at her. I go, look at her. Who's Norma, the girl right here, my friend right here? I go, oh, why I go? I don't know. She wants you to look at her. I go, okay. So I go. I look at her through the window. So I was looking at her through the window and I stopped for like One minute.

Joe: 10:23

I stopped looking at her one minute and I guess it got her mad. Norma got mad and she talked to my sister. She told my sister that you better tell your brother to look at me, or either that I won't like him anymore. But my sister calls me and my sister told me Joseph, normal sister, keep looking at her, or she's not going to like you anymore. I go what? And I go. So okay, I go, okay. Okay, I kept looking at her through the window on the side of that gap where the seat is on the right side. So I kept on looking at her through the window on the side of that gap where the seat is on the right side. So I kept on looking at her. So we spent a little about say like 10 minutes looking and then we gave up because it was too long. We're not going to stay looking at each other through the whole fucking ride to go to school. But yeah, then we both gave up. So we turned a minor in business looking at the scenery.

Joe: 11:19

So yeah, that part I remember, because I remember her brown hazel eyes and I just couldn't believe it. I mean, at that moment I just couldn't believe it because it was a lot of bunch of kids and we sat like almost together. You know, I was behind Norma and my sister, by the seats, and my sister got acquainted with her real quick. It happened real quick. They were already friends and we didn't scatter. That's the funny part. And you know, I don't know, it was probably meant to be. Maybe God made me have a girlfriend that day to, you know, to clear my mind, clear my head on a divorce or a separation with my mom and dad. You know, that's what I think. I don't know, god works in mysterious ways. But then, after that, we started getting to know each other.

Joe: 12:21

And then Reese just started on our first day of school. So I told her my name, my name is Joseph, and my sister told her too, while we're doing eye contact, and I guess she told my sister that she likes me and my sister told me that. And after the recess we already went to school. The bus, we all got off the bus, went to school, went to class. I don't remember from there, but all I remember that the recess was on and I was just me and my sister were walking to the, the playground well, we're going to go to the tetherball too and there was Norma right there with the tetherball.

Joe: 13:07

She was by herself well, not by herself. Her sister was somewhere like the next tetherball thing, and it was these two boys, these thing. And um, there was these two boys. These two boys were calling out normal, hey, normal things like that. And, uh, let's play terrible. And normal was on a terrible playing by herself. But then she goes no, I'm gonna play with joseph. Joseph wants to play with me to go play terrible. Come on, joseph. Um, let's play terrible. And they go me, but I don't know terrible. She goes. Now, come here, jose know how to play tetherball. She goes Now, come here, joseph wants to play tetherball with me. Only Joseph and I Are going to play tetherball.

Joe: 13:42

And those two boys Got really mad. And, and, right there, those boys were getting mad At me, getting mad at me already. So I already know One of the guys. His name was Jaime, so he was just Getting. His name was Jaime, so he was getting mad already because I guess he liked the Norma too. So then me and Norma were playing terrible at the time. So we were talking to each other, get to know each other. I don't remember what I said in that moment, but all I know that we were talking and getting to know each other and we were playing terrible and getting to know each other and we're playing tetherball, and that's another scenery right there from my mind and my brain, that what I remember between me and her when we used to play tetherball in that first day of school Well, my first day of school, because I think she'd been in that school already.

Joe: 14:35

So she's been attending to that school for a while now. So she said she loved that school than anything else because the other school she didn't, she, she would get to know each other. Um, we'll go to um, to the school bus. Um, we'll start walking, me and her, my sister and her sister, um, our mother trust us to walk by ourselves to go to school, to the school bus bus. So we would talk and, and, uh, when we would meet the school bus is um Union Elementary School. It's just right there in Union Street in LA.

Joe: 15:06

Um, she would um talk about that school. She says she would hate, she hates that school a lot with a passion at the time. Um, so that's what we meant to go to our school bus and it's in front of Union Elementary School. So she would tell me that I used to go to the school but I didn't like it. Because I don't know what reason why she didn't like it. She told me, but I don't remember what exact. It's been a long time and she told me the reason, but I forgot she didn't like that school. So whenever she hears me go to that school, she will never talk to me again.

Joe: 15:43

So and then, um, I had a birthday coming up, all right, oh, no wait, I'm going too fast, I'm going too fast. Okay. So we she started. She started visiting us, or me, california Hotel. So she came and visited me and all that stuff. And we'll go play games, we'll have fun and all that stuff.

Joe: 16:10

So we're on, like she came to the apartment, my mom said it was okay. And then we told my mom mom, can we go outside and go play in the parking lot outside? But now there's a jack-in-the-box. Back then it was just a parking lot, a plain parking lot where everybody could park their cars. So we asked mom if we could go out there and play in the parking lot. She go, yeah, but you guys better be back before 5 o'clock or something like that. It was like 3 o'clock at the time, I don't remember. But she says you better be back on time because we're going to start eating pretty soon and Norma just lives around that block, so she lives just down the corner. It was easy for her to go home and we would play.

Joe: 17:02

So we're off, leaving to the door and we're going to play superheroes. So I said let's go play superheroes and all that stuff. So I told her I'm Superman. I told her I'm Superman and she goes oh, I'm Wonder Woman. And I think my sister said she was a bad girl at the time. So I'm Norma and I was flying like Superman and she was running like Wonder Woman. My sister was just walking, norma as a bad girl and my brother was Spider-Man at the time, but I think my brother stood with my mom because it was kind of dangerous out there for you know, crossing the street and all that stuff.

Joe: 17:45

Yeah, so once we went to the door, norma grabs me and she gives me my first kiss. She gives me my first kiss. Believe it? I couldn't believe it. At nine years old I got my first kiss by Norma. I was like shocked. She just grabbed me and we opened the door. My sister saw and my sister was like what the we're all shocked. I was shocked too. So she just gave me my first kiss on my lips and I go, oh, wow, but I was surprised.

Joe: 18:15

And then when we're out there, the parking lot already, so we're playing superheroes and we're playing you know, she was Wonder Woman so she grabs me down again. Our mom was looking out of the window making sure we're okay, and so we hid down to the cars with the back of the bumper. So Norma and I were kissing again, and uh, by the lips, and they go, oh my gosh, and, and I was like nine years old, I just, I just can't believe it. I was like nine years old, she's my first girlfriend and I started falling in love already, like I was in love with her um, we're like already, boyfriend and girlfriends already, so I guess we're like together. And then, um, and girlfriends already, so I guess we're like together. And then, um, okay, after that moment we went back home.

Joe: 19:03

Norma went back home, she went walking to with her sister to her house, to her apartment on down the down the block, and we had to cross the light by ourselves. We would have to be careful. And um, so from there on, that's what happened to that day. And uh, the next one was um, we, um, it was my birthday. It was my birthday and um, she knew my birthday was coming up. So she knew I told her I like disneyland, a lot of mickey mouse, because she knew I draw a lot of mickey mouse and all that stuff and Popeye and all that stuff. She'll see my art. And so we went to.

Joe: 19:43

She told me I had a phone call. We had a phone call and my mom answered it with no shit and it was Norma's mom. And Norma's mom told my mom that we want to take your son to. Norma wants to take Joseph to Disneyland. So my mom told me you know what? Norma wants you to go to Disneyland with her. So I'll go. I got happy. Oh really, when I go Saturday and I go, oh, I can't wait, and and and so we went to her apartment, norma's apartment, and I just remember the smell, the whole apartment, and I remember the day I went into her apartment the mom was there and the sister was there and my birthday was like into middle of the week it was not in the weekend into middle of the week, it was not in the weekend. My birthday was on Wednesday, june 16th, on Wednesday.

Joe: 20:53

So we went on a Saturday, on the 12th, and we were in the apartment and Norma gave me a birthday gift and she gave me a Disneyland keychain and I still have it, believe it or not. I still have it. I still have it on me. I save it just for memories of thinking about her. And she even gave me Mickey Mouse markers and a picture of her. So she gave me a picture of her, which I lost it. I can't believe I lost her picture when I used to. You know, when I went by my dad, my dad picked us up because my dad had to see us to visitation rates. So I'll talk to you about that later, about the picture part. But then we went to Disneyland. I remember the part that we're going already.

Joe: 21:40

Songs were coming out, like Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder singing that song, ebony Ivory. I remember when we were leaving. Every time I hear that song, every time I hear that song, I think about her. We're heading to Disneyland and that song came out and Norma's mom's boyfriend was driving and I had fun that day. I remember photographic memories about half of the Disneyland park. We took pictures. She gave me those pictures of her. I lost those pictures back in 83. I couldn't find them. Let's see what else.

Joe: 22:27

I remember we were going to Space Mountain. She wanted me to go to Space Mountain. You want to go to Space Mountain, joseph, it's going to be fun. I said, yeah, I go, let's go, let's go to Space. I didn't know what's, what was Space Mountain? Because I at the time, I mean I went to Disneyland but I never went to those heavy rides. You know, space Mountain I only went to like Dumbo and all them at the time. But on this time, when I went with Norma, with the mom and the sister and the boyfriend, she goes, yeah, I'll go to Space Mountain. I go, yeah, it's really fun, you'll like it. I've been in this ride a long time and so many times and all that stuff. Oh, okay, I'll go with you.

Joe: 23:07

When I saw it going to the window, when I saw the window, when everybody's having fun in that roller coaster ride because you could see it I got scared. I was really crying. I was crying a lot. I go, oh my gosh, I was really crying and she was like what happened, joseph, what's going on? You scared of the ride? I go, yeah, I don't want to go in. I was just crying.

Joe: 23:30

So the mom had to babysit me, while Norma and the sister and her mom's boyfriend were babysitting me, because I was scared of going to that space mountain when I was nine years old. And then they came out and then you okay, you okay, I go, yeah, and they go. I was just scared. And you know, norma was brave, you know, I guess she liked it that way, so much she was, I mean, like she'd been on it so many times, it didn't bother her. So she came out, all right and okay. So it was like I mean, why did I cry? I should have just went in. And I was like regretting it, like, oh man, I should just went on to the ride and and I just made myself look, um, like a cry baby. But I didn't think about that. You know, I think about it now. I should have just went on it. But um, yeah, that's still another story.

Joe: 24:23

And there was another story too, um, another ride at disneyland. I think they already took it out. It was an old classic ride. It was real interesting and we kissed on this ride too. Um, it was this little tube. I was like we're waiting online and there's this tube and people are going inside the little tube and then they shrink like little people and then it takes you off somewhere like in space or some shit like that.

Joe: 24:47

Me and Norma went in that one in the sister because I think it was a three-person ride, a three-seater Should I say a three-seater? And so after the end we saw this eye came out and you know what I got to look at the name of that ride. I forgot to look that up in YouTube. It was an old classic ride and then we were kissing on that ride and we're just, you know, I don't remember if it was tongue or not, you know, but all I know we were kissing in the lips on that ride and I got to find the name of that ride. So that way I can mention it again that ride we kissed on, it was that name of that ride. So, yeah, we kissed on that ride. It was a good time. I had a real fun time that day.

Joe: 25:41

And the only thing that bothers me is I lost those pictures of pictures of we went to Disneyland. I remember taking pictures of seven drawers, but not all seven. There were probably like three or four of them as far as I can remember and we took a picture of I guess we were leaving home already. Our last picture was I was sitting, I was in the lap on, I think I was sitting next to the fox. I forgot the fox and I remember I was sitting on his lap, I think I was sitting on his lap, I don't remember and Norma was on the other side too. And I look inside the fox's eyes and I could see the man's face in there and that's as. And I could see the man's face in there and that's that's far I could remember. And you know, the funny part is the mom took us a picture together, you know, with that fox. I forgot the name of the fox, he's from Disney and, yeah, it was in front of the main main street, the main street entrance, that little bench right there where you take the train. Yeah, it was like right there. So every time I go to disneyland I always go right there because, um, I remember that moment, um, we took a picture there, um, and that's it from the disneyland part. Um, I mean, there's, there's so many, um, maybe it was more, but I just forgot and it was.

Joe: 27:05

I had fun, I had a great day, a great time with her in Disneyland. I know there was more to it, but I just remembered half of it. You know, we just went home. We just went home and went by our day and I had a great time. My mom told me did you have a good time? I go, yeah.

Joe: 27:35

Then my normal mom was telling me oh, I was crying because of the ride. I go. Oh, you were crying. I go. Yeah, I was scared, I'm scared of Space Mountain, but now I go on it. It's really nothing, nothing much. It's like it's nothing to it. It was a it's a good ride. Now I'd like to go into a fight times already.

Joe: 27:51

But, um, yeah, well, I had a good time with norma at disneyland and with her sister and the mom and the mom's boyfriend. Um, it was an interesting year at the time. But, um, then after that I'm gonna go to the next scenario. Um, yeah, and then, um, it was, finally, it was my birthday. It was like june 16 already. It was on wednesday, I guess.

Joe: 28:17

Um, my mom didn't go, let my mom didn't let me go to school that day. So we went to our grandmother's house and Norma went with us. So I remember that day when Norma came with us to visit my grandmother and my grandmother gave me some money for my birthday and my grandmother met Norma and I know they got pictures. I just don't remember and I know they got pictures, I just don't remember the thing that got me to. After that moment, my grandmother was getting to know Norma. That was the good part. And then when we were leaving, I was saying bye grandma, and my sister said bye grandma, and Norma says too bye grandma, and she, my grandmother, says oh okay, lean down. Things like that, that's all. That's all far I remember for that point too. Those are the the parts I remember. That's funny because I only know the good parts on the rest of my life. But, um, that's the part I remember.

Joe: 29:16

And then, um, here's the tragic news. Okay, then the year, the months went by, okay, so I don't know what came over me that day. Okay, we had recess time. Um, I was with some friends of mine. We had, um, there was these pebbles around the floor at school. So I was getting pebbles. We're just throwing them in the playground and we're throwing at each other all these pebbles on the floor.

Joe: 29:47

So one of the teachers caught me throwing a pebble at the playground and she got me from under my muscles I don't know if you know my right muscle right here underneath, beneath my muscle calf or something, I don't know how you call it. Well, the teacher, she grabbed me so hard and she was pinching me and her nails went, pierced my skin and you could see blood coming out. And I go oh my gosh. And I told my mom after school. Oh, they called my mom because I was throwing rocks or pebbles at the playground. So my mom waited for me after school. So after school I showed my mom look what the teacher did. My mom got pissed, my mom got mad and my mom said well, you know what? I don't like that teacher. I don't know why she did that to you and you're going to move to another school. And I go what school? You're going to go? To Union Elementary School. I go oh, no shit, norma's not going to want me to go to that school. I don't want you to be in this school anymore. The teacher's really bad. So my mom made a complaint on the teacher. So, okay.

Joe: 31:22

So after that and when that happened, I remember when I was doing, when the teacher grabbed me under my muscles, I could see Norma looking at me like you know, she was like happy that she seen me. You know, like maybe like I was a rebel or something like that, but it was just like looking at me like I'm being like a clown or something Like I make her feel happy or something like that. I remember that look. She had that look and that's from there. I went home. My mom said I was going to transfer to another school and normal calls, calls on the phone. Said I was going to transfer to another school and normal calls, calls on the phone. And I was talking to her. I go, you know what, my mom's transferring me to another school. And she go, what school are you transferring? I go, I'm going to Union Elementary School. Oh, I remember that.

Joe: 32:00

She said you better not go to that school, joseph. I hate that school so much. I told you that already. Said you better not go to that school, joseph, I hate that school so much. I told you that already. I told you not to go to that school. If you go to that school I'm never going to talk to you anymore. But I have to go. That teacher doesn't like me. She made me cut my muscles Not my muscles, I forget what you call it. But my arm? She cut my arm. It's already bleeding and stuff like that, but I don't care, I'm not going to talk to you anymore if you go to that school. I hate that school, I go. Well, I have to go. So, right there, she got mad at me, she hung up on me and I mean, that's all I remember from that point of view.

Joe: 32:44

And that's when my brother Remo, was already born already. So my mother had had um, received my brother in birth, remo. That's when Remo was born on the 23rd, and I think the next couple of days, I think a couple of days after that, the 23rd it was on the 23rd my brother Remo was born. It was on a Saturday, okay, well, maybe like in a week. A week later after that, norma came and visit and my mom told me Norma's going to come and visit and see the baby. And I go, oh, I don't want her to come over here, she's mad at me. Well, she's going to come over here and I don't want you to be acting up. Um, she's gonna come and see her, see the baby, and you better behave yourself. Well, no, I don't want her to come in here. I don't want it. I don't want it for a while, I don't want to see her. So that's when I was acting up.

Joe: 33:50

Then I wrote a paper because we had bump-its. I don't know what I was like, thinking, but um, I wrote girls are not allowed, girls are not allowed. And I put it in the bump it. I don't know what I put, that. What was I thinking?

Joe: 34:05

Then she arrives, so I see her and I ignore her. She's all dressed in a white dress, like a little girl dress, nothing fancy. Um. So I I remember that look, and her hair was all down on all the stuff. But um, then I remember she was holding my brother. My mom gave um norma, my baby brother, and norma was holding him, holding him. Oh, I just keep looking at norma. I was like like mad, like she's. She was there, I don't know why, but because I guess she was mad at me, so I'll be mad at her. All I saw was her carrying my little brother, um remo, and after that he's going to start coloring.

Joe: 34:53

My brother the Gooch and my sis was there and I were coloring. I had a Superman coloring book and my brother had the Spider-Man coloring book and I think my sister had the Sesame Street coloring book. So I was coloring, I really colored well but not that good. And then Norma was right there watching us coloring. So she saw us coloring, okay. So she was coloring and she, um, was looking at um, the gooch's coloring, and, um, and I was coloring myself. And then she comes out oh gooch, I like the way you color it. Look, it looks, it looks real, real nice.

Joe: 35:39

When I was coloring, I think I got kind of jealous. I told Norma what about my coloring? Do you like my coloring? No, I like the Gooch's coloring better. I think it's better than yours.

Joe: 35:50

From right there she was ignoring me. She's been ignoring me for the whole day. She was like ignoring me and she's been ignoring me for the whole day. And then she came and told me about that, that my coloring is not good, and she liked the Gucci's coloring instead and she liked my sister's coloring book. And I felt bad and I just went to the inside of the house and you know I did kind of feel bad and she was. She put me down on that part and then after that she was gone and then, having seen her from that since that year, my brother was born. She didn't get no contact. She really got mad, she really took it to the heart for me transferring to Union Elementary School. She told me that way, beginning that if I would ever go to that school she would ignore me forever. And I guess that's what had happened. But the years I mean the months went by and then 1983 came along.

Joe: 36:56

We moved to another location in Leeward in the Westlake area, the Westlake district. Westlake district, that's where we moved at. My mother and my stepdad had a job to be managers in the apartments. So my mother and my stepdad took care of that, being managers, so that's why we moved. So. And the apartments? So my mother and my stepdad took care of that, being managers, so that's why we moved. So after that, I haven't seen normal since, okay.

Joe: 37:30

But then after a while we started walking to like MacArthur Park. We used to go to the park right there. We used to go to the stores, we used to go to whatever was there. We'd go to McDonald's. So we went to go to the park right there. We used to go to the stores, we used to go to whatever was there. We'll go, we'll go to mcdonald's. So we went to mcdonald's. I did when we were walking. We just saw normal. I just saw normal, right there.

Joe: 37:46

Um, she looked at me, she saw me, she recognized me and then, um, I guess, when I was in um, inside mcdonald's, um, she was right there looking to the window. She was outside looking in McDonald's looking at me, and my mom tells me why don't you go over there and go talk to her? And I go, no, I don't want to go talk to her and I regret it. I should have. But yeah, so that was the last moment I saw her.

Joe: 38:16

Then it was that last day when I was at McDonald's. That was the last time I saw her right there in that area, because she lives in that block, macarthur Park and 7th Street, right there. She lives just right there. And yeah, so you know what I think we used to live in. It was on 6th Street, on California Hotel, was that not 7th Street? She lived on 7th Street. I lived on on 6th, on Union, and across was Alvarado. She's the one that lived on 7th Street. I got the. I think I got the streets kind of backwards. So, yeah, we lived on the 6th Street. That's where California Hotel is at, on 6th Street, and yeah, since then I haven't seen her, since it's been 42 years without seeing her and that was the last time I saw Norma and she was my first girlfriend and she was my first kiss and I will never forget that.

Joe: 39:26

I will never forget about her. She will always be in my mind. I just pray to God that I hope she has a good life, I hope she's being treated right, I hope she has a wonderful family and I hope she's doing okay and I hope she's not doing bad. I just hope to God. I mean I pray for her. I've always prayed to God for her. She's doing okay. I just want to wish I could just thank her, thank her for giving me the compassion for me and taking me to Disneyland and all that stuff, and I mean that's all I can say. That's my story about Norma. I mean, even though I made it kind of short, I mean those were parts I remember and some of it I just don't remember. You know, I mean we probably have more moments, but I just don't remember, you know. But I just hope she's doing okay and that's all I can say.

Joe: 40:29

I mean I kind of like, just imagine if we meet up again. I mean it. Just imagine if we meet up again. I mean, it won't be the same because she has her own, different life. You know, she has her life and I have my life.

Joe: 40:41

But I mean, what would it be like if I would not have gone to Union Elementary School, if I would not have transferred to that school to go to Union? You know, what would it be like if I would have have been there with Burbank, with her? I mean, would we be high school sweethearts, would she be my whole girlfriend through the whole time? Or what would it be like? I always ask myself that question. If I went and I had transferred to Union Elementary School, how would it be? How would it have been like? What would it be? Would I be with her? I mean, it always boggles my mind Every time. I I'll always answer that question. You know, I guess I will never know. I guess I will never know. Maybe we would have been together, she would have been my, my girlfriend for forever, or whatever. But um, I would just wonder I was. I guess I will never know. I guess I will never know. But um, that's my story about normal. I wish I could have done this more better.

Joe: 41:52

I just gotta have the right words. How to say it, just to put in the right meaning. This is my, my journal. It's like my journal what I'm talking about, about norma, you know. And in this was 1982.

Joe: 42:04

I was nine years old. I can't believe. I was nine years old and and ever since then, ever since then I haven't seen norm. I've been having bad luck with girls. Is it a curse? Or maybe I'm just having bad luck? I don't know. Ever since then I've been having trouble, but I don't think so. I mean, I don't think it's that, but it's just what it is, I mean. But I just can't remember some of it. But the only thing I just can't believe is that the beginning of it, the beginning when we we're in a school bus, how everything just lined up, perfect, that's the thing I, I was just, you know, I always think about you know, but, norma, if you're out there, this is me, joseph, and I just hope you're okay and I hope you have a good life, I hope you're wealthy and healthy and I hope you're doing good. All I can say is that someday, if I see you, maybe I'll tear up, maybe, but I know it won't be the same like it won't be the same as like 42 years ago. But I just got to say that I will never forget about you. I always have you on my mind and I lost a picture.

Joe: 43:35

I just couldn't believe I lost a picture. It was a time that my dad had visiting rights on every Saturday and I had it on my wallet. I had a picture on my wallet and I showed it to my dad that this is my girlfriend and I guess I was in my dad's back seat because my dad had a station wagon and my sister and my cousins were in the I'm in the front of the seat and my aunt. So I was in the station wagon in the back because I was short. So I think once I showed my dad the picture, I think it slipped out of there in his car or something like that. Or maybe it slipped out of there in his car or something like that, or maybe it came out of my wallet. Once I put it in, I put my wallet in. I had like a character wallet I forgot, I think it was a Mickey Mouse or Popeye wallet, but I put my picture in my wallet and I put it in and I guess it must have came out while I was putting my wallet in my pocket and ever since, I lost her picture.

Joe: 44:38

You know, and I remember I was that day when my dad still had that car. I was combing that car, the staging wagon, to look for that picture, but, um, I had no luck. I think I must have dropped it in, um, in the street somewhere, and I don't know. I just all I remember is her brown hazel eyes, her dark hair, her dark brown hair, and she was like complected, nice light skin, and that's all I could remember. Her hazel eyes, that's all I remember. And she was beautiful too. Um, she was real petite and beautiful. Um, coming from a nine-year-old back in my day, I was my first girlfriend.

Joe: 45:21

I just want to tell her that I already said it, you know, hope you have a good life. Uh, this is joseph and I hope someday we'll meet and I hope someday you'll hear my podcast and see how it goes. And I think this is it for today. Guys, that's my story of Norma. I'm glad to talk about it and see how it goes. And, norma, if you're out there, I'm saying hi and I hope you're doing okay and I always pray about you and hope you have a good family out there. And, as for me, I'm doing okay, I'm just waiting.

Joe: 46:09

This is Thee Talkers Podcast. I just want to say that you could subscribe to our podcast Now. It's at $3 a month. You could cancel anytime. You could go to the link thetalkers. buzzsprout. com theetalkers. buzzsprout. com. Also, you could email us and send us a message. If you like our podcast, you could say anything you guys want, feel free. Uh, it's theetalkers4us@ gmail. com. Again, theetalkers4us@ gmail. com all lower cases. And all I can say is you can cancel anytime for a podcast. So, subscribe everybody $3 a month, you can cancel anytime, go to theetalkers. buzzprout. com. And you could also leave us a message on the Buzzsprout website. My name is Joe. This is Thee Talkers Podcast, Unscripted, and I'm speaking on behalf of my three co-hosts, benny Remo and the Gooch. I want everybody to stay safe, be careful, go along Los Angeles and take care of yourselves out there and be vigilant on your surroundings, everybody, and don't drink and drive everybody. See you, bye, yeah.