DENISE/ SATURDAY NITE DANCE

     During my junior high time at Laurel and for a period of time, I got to know, through a  mutual church youth group, a girl named Denise. Since I was too young to drive my older sister, Doris, would drive me to nearby Gilman where Denise lived.

        One thing to do on a Saturday night in Gilman was attend an outdoor dance uptown in an enclosed fenced area with a stage at one end and a dance floor that was just the concrete floor of the area.

       Generally, the band played "old fashion big band type music" that wasn't really a youth's style in the early R&R period of the late 1950's. But, it was music and you made the best of it and danced the best you could along with all the adults. Once in a while the small band would play something to your liking, but, that was a rarity. 

         It seemed like their breaks between playing lasted forever despite that "they would be right back shortly!"  For a small town, it was entertainment and better than just wondering around aimlessly!