CHANGING MY TUNE

We were on the Turner Turnpike and it had been pretty quiet between us and I had thought about some things.  I regreted telling Blythe about Bob Key and his craft. I also regreted making this trip back to where I was born.  I spoke:  "Blythe, to be honest, I don't know why we came back here; I also regret telling you about Bob Key.  It is the kind of thing that makes one doubt my mental state."  She said:  "Bob, it does not matter....you are you and I love you.  As for coming back, I am glad you are doing this, I want you to take me around and share your memories."   We checked in at the Mayo Hotel which was still going, though signs of its deteriorating.  The Mayo had a nice lounge which was legal now since liquor by the drink was made legal in 1959.  We got a room on the top floor looking West.  The Crystal Ballroom was one floor above, but had closed due to lack of patronage.  At one time, it was an elegant dance floor with crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.  Downtown was fading due to the many large shopping centers and entertainment centers in the suberbs.  Many closed businesses that had a rich heritage.  Downtown theatres were closed and a few torn down.  We watched the news and found out that the Cimmaron Ballroom was to be demolished the next day.  It was the home of Leon McAuliff and the Texas Playboys for years.  It also served as a USO club during the war.  Many great Country and Western Stars performed there in its hey day.   I told Blythe I would like to walk a few blocks and see the old building before it would be no more.  On the outside, the building was a master piece in art deco...that art form came to its zenith in the 1920's and this building was a keeper. Alas, the planners thought the space would make a good parking lot.  I noticed a front door was standing ajar and I wanted to go in.  We went in and were greeted with a cold and dank odor....we could hear water dripping from somewere.  We felt our way into the auditorium and our eyes adjusted to the darkness.  A few broken window up above let in a little light. It was a shambles.  I told Blythe I wanted to sing the last  song in the old, historic Cimmaron Ballroom.  I felt my way to the stage and belted out Ghost Riders in the Sky.  Blythe clapped !  I thought of a phrase from James Joyce:  :One by one they all became shades.  We walked on further to the Nat'l Bank of Tulsa which was the tallest in Tulsa for many years.  My father used to work on one of the floors.  During the collapse of 1929, a few leaped to their deaths from that building.  In 1949, television came to Tulsa and the KOTV transmission tower was placed on top of the NBT.  During its installation, the workman dropped a wrench and it fell all 22 stories and hit the sidewalk and then bounced across the street and hit a woman in the head and killed her. One day, my Father was at work and happened to look out of the window and saw a line of cars stopped at a red light.  A lady exited one of the cars, ran to the car in front of her and shot the driver in the head....Killed him.  Probably bad blood between them.  We walked a few more places like the abandoned Orpheum Theatre which was a great and beautiful theatre in its day.  Twinkles of light like stars in the ceiling, marble statues, and a man played a pipe organ during intermission.  I saw the movie Shane with Alan Ladd there in the Summer of 1953.  I said "Blythe, I saw that movie with the girl visiting next door.  She was cute and very precocious....she stripped naked in Aunt Nora's attic and talked me into doing the same.  She was fascinated with ....me.....and the changes......"  Oh, my, Blythe wanted to hear all about it and what else we did.  I told her I would tell her later...(maybe she will forget)..to be continued....