What's So Funny?
Russell Gayer, author speaker
Crabby Lane – Revisited
In many ways, 1969 was a memorable year. Fifty years ago, man first set foot on the moon, Woodstock was held in upstate New York, and the Beatles crossed Abbey Road.
Somewhere there is a fifty-year-old who took his first step, got potty trained, or whose uncle smoked his first joint—and took a trip without ever leaving the farm.
Not all these events are worthy of reenactment (except for the good bowel movement), but are still pivotal moments in our lives. What memory would you like to share from 1969?
If you’re new to Friday Flash Fiction, the Purple Pixie who posts our photo prompt each week is Aelfwine Twiggy Wisoff-Fields. If you’d like to participate in this exercise in madness, head over to her blog for step-by-step instructions. To view the FFF Hollywood Squares Authors Block click here.
On Wednesday, tens of people waited in a steady drizzle for their turn to be photographed in the crosswalk at the intersection of Crabby Road and Snipe Lane in Belton, Missouri.
Legend has it that on this site the mythical mime, Le Petite Velouse, crossed the street carrying a stolen invisible box.
“It’s amazing to walk in her footsteps, eh?” said one pilgrim from Montreal, Canada. “The feeling you get leaning back, pretending to carry an invisible object is awesome!”
“There’s no proof she even crossed here,” said Detective Colton Lowry, who investigated the crime. “Knowing her, she likely jaywalked.”
34 Comments on “Crabby Lane – Revisited”
I'd love to hear from you
Purchase ‘One Idiot Short of a Village’
Purchase ‘The Perils of Heavy Thinking’
What's So Funny? 
Dear Dis-Jointed Crabby Appleton,
Fifty years ago this month, a sixteen-year-old girl walked hand in hand with an old man of twenty-two through the streets of the Country Club Plaza to enjoy the annual KC Plaza Art Fair. After a sumptuous dinner somewhere the two enjoyed the antics of Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson (Lord have mercy. That who that was?) in Easy Rider. Who would’ve believed that 50 years later this young couple would still be together in the pouring rain just east of the famous fair in the lesser known UNPlaza art fair?
At present le Petite Velouse is at large and her invisible box is nowhere to be found. Detective Lowry has his work cut out for him.
Shalom from your friendly Friday Fictioneers facilitator,
Aelfwine Twiggy W(T)F
LikeLiked by 2 people
Dear Aelfine Twiggy W(T)F,
I remember watching Easy Rider at the 71 Drive In. It was a great place to see a show, and the best action was not always on the big screen.
le Petite Velouse with eventually be caught, the question is, “what to do with her then?” It would be cruel and (definitely) unusual punishment for the other prisoners if they locked her up. I can just see her trying to break rocks with her invisible hammer. 🙂
Dis-jointed Crabby Appleton.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The myth will prove stronger than the truth
LikeLiked by 1 person
It always does. Thanks for your comment, Neil.
LikeLike
La Petite Velouse? I have no idea what you are talking about but i absolutely love it! People going mad for a mime carrying a clear box across the street, thats real insanity.
Really good piece!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, but it appears the world has gone insane so nothing surprises me anymore.
LikeLike
I wondered what the mime was up to lately! Eagerly awaiting the next episode!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m amazed at her fan base. She’s the villain of Criminal Mimes and Detective Lowry is the hero. Yet, she seems to get all of the attention.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😀
LikeLike
I’m too young for the sixties, although it does always strike me that some decades seem to have more resonance in history, and the sixties is definitely when a lot was going on. Good to hear from the ever-vigilant Lowry again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for you vote of confidence in Lowry. I was just whining about how everyone is enchanted with the mime–and Lowry gets no love.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Is La Petite Velouse related to La Petite Violette? From the rumors I heard, there was a very strong headwind as she attempted to cross Crabby Road with said stolen invisible box…
LikeLiked by 1 person
She’s been known to go by names inferring that shade of color. It wouldn’t take much wind to blow her around. Remember the Flying Nun TV show? All she needs is one of those hats instead of a purple beret.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The flying mime? Maybe it was her. I mean, Field vs Wisoff-Fields – coincidence?
LikeLike
I used to live close to the Abbey Road crossing, and other drivers and I were constantly frustrated by people holding us up whilst having their pictures taken!
Here’s my story.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hopefully, the drivers in Belton, MO will find an easy detour around this ridiculous fiasco.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aw, it is better to believe in the fantasy than the truth.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, always more pleasant.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Loved reading this, though I’ve no idea what it’s all about! 🙂
In 1969 I remember being upset that my big sister was allowed to go to see The Rolling Stones in Hyde Park, but I was deemed too young. (With hindsight, I was too young. I was desperate to be a hippy, but I wasn’t even a teenager!)
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
LikeLiked by 1 person
I thrilled you like it without knowing what it’s about. It’s a little sidebar related to my WIP, Criminal Mimes.
It would have been great to see the Stones in their heyday. So many great artist back then. The fact that their music is still popular and used in TV commercials says much about the quality of the bands of that era.
LikeLike
i think the best way to attract tourist traffic is to come up with a myth. it works most of the time. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, our President comes up with new myths everyday–and amazingly–there are people who believe him.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lemme see… I was all of 5 in 1969 but I’m sure if I’da been a good ten years older, I’da been cool 😉
As for that mime – I think it’s all hearsay that she would dare to jaywalk!
Fun stuff, sir.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I bet you were ornery first, then cool later.
That mime is a rabble rouser if there ever was one. Anyone who would steal Do-Not-Remove tags is not going to pay attention to crosswalks or street signs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ya think? You may be right. My aunt moved away to British Colulmbia and came back for a visit when I was 16 – she looks at me and says: Dale! What happened to you? You are so nice!
I was like… wha??? Damn… I musta been more than ornery…
She is.
LikeLike
It would be terrible to have tons of jaywalking pilgrims! The 60s were before my time. However the 20th century was a socio-economic turning point socially that created our modern globalised world. What a time to have been alive to witness!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think that’s why someone perpetrated the myth about her using the crosswalk. Those pilgrims are about as bright as lemmings.
I was only 13 in the summer of ’69–too young to run with the herd. But I was quick to catch up by the early 70s.
LikeLike
I was 9 in 1969. I remember watching the moon landing…but more than that it was fourth grade and the first time I heard the word “hickey”. It was still several more years before I learned what it was…but this is one of my favorite stories of my childhood.
Although, in retrospect, the moon landing was pretty cool also.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have wondered why they call them hickeys. That is a term also associated with the pool (billiards) game of golf.
I was 13 in the summer of ’69. I do remember watching the moon landing, but was not yet fully engaged in rock & roll.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Musings on Life & Experience and commented:
Again here are two stories for the great price of FREE. If you enjoyed these, just wander up and to the right to click on one or both of the book covers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A belated, “Thank You very much!”
Our internet is down, and I’m also devoting more time to writing the Mime story. I pitched it to an agent and they asked to see the first 10 pages. I need to finish it in case they want to see the entire manuscript.
LikeLike
Are you kidding, Russell. You really expect me to remember that far back. Actually, I believe that was the year I bought a lovely trailer in a lovely park where my aunt and uncle lived. It was closer to where I worked and all of about five miles from my parent’s home. My dad almost cried. His baby was leaving the nest. I was 28 years old. He used to come and cut my grass. 😀 — Suzanne
LikeLiked by 1 person
28? How long did your dad want you to stay? Our daughter moved out when she was 19. Her mother took it hard, but Greta was always an independent child and she did all right.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think my dad was kind of thinking forever and ever, or until I married. I was the baby. My daughter later took over that position in the family. She has hung onto it with a vengeance. All the best with your latest book. 😀 — Suzanne
LikeLike