MONDAY MUSINGS: THE BOY NEXT DOOR

MONDAY MUSINGS: One never knows what's going to happen to the kids who grew up next door but Carolyn Staley had a special new neighbor in high school who needed a piano accompanist for his  saxophone solo. 

In a small highschool in Hot Springs she had learned the new boy at school was going to be her neighbor. They shared a love for student government and clubs and also paying for gas riding together to school. Her share was $2/week.

Carolyn with her moderator for the evening Janice Kearney,  shared quips from her book The Boy Next Door, differentiating the two families: Staley with a Baptist preacher for a Dad and a stay-at-home Mom (very common at that time) while the Clintons household was not Baptist with a deceased father and a Mom who worked outside the home as a nurse. (He had lived with his grandparents while his Mom went to nursing school.) The Moms also dressed very differently, as Staley's Mom wore modest clothing unlike the tube top wearing Virginia Clinton. Scandalous. (LOL)

The highschoolers also took part in Girls and Boys State, a summer camp for outstanding students to learn about government, and both ran for office at their respective sessions. Bill as Governor of Boys State was chosen to go on to Boys Nation, where he met his hero JFK. Nothing could stop Bill as he could be whatever he wanted to be...

The 60's their college days were a tumultuous time and the draft shook many souls who had to serve in a war with a great patriotic conflict. Nobody knew why they were in 'Nam... 

Move forward past college days and Staley had moved with her husband to Chicago when she received a call from her old neighbor Bill asking her if she'd like to be neighbors again, and sure enough, the Staleys moved into Quapaw Quarter just down the street from the Governor's Mansion as she was named to head various Art initiatives. Dinners were shared between the two couples. And in '92 after the Preidential election declared Bill the next President, the Clintons ate breakfast the day after on the Staley's porch .

Bill never forgot his friends and to keep himself surrounded by dedicated folks. Once again Carolyn received a call to come to D.C. to become the head of Continuing Ed for adults to return to school to graduate.

There were a lot of stories. Their public school education taught them that children are children and their education needed to be equal. In '82 there was public kindergarten in Arkansas, whereas in the rest of the country public kindergarten didn't become mandatory until 2011. Whoa.

The last story was another testament to this special friendship when Bill and Hillary had a daughter, Chelsea. Carolyn decided to bring a sweet bud vase with a small pink rose bud and 2 red roses to represent the parents. She walks into Governor's Mansion's kitchen and it's full of long-stem roses. Oh dear, the small bud vase just wouldn't do. So what did Carolyn Staley do? She went home and composed a song.

Tomorrow for Tuesday Tunes, you'll be privy to that lovely, sincere gift. 

Stay tuned...