Ah the fifties… by Robert Hawkins

Rock and Roll was hitting North America, Buddy Holly and the Crickets were revolutionizing the music scene and Elvis Presley was about to capture our imagination.

It was the summer of 1957 when Cousin Tommy came up from Detroit to visit. We were living at 323 Tiffin Road Apt. 2 in St. Lambert Quebec at the time. Tommy was the oldest son of Tom Collinson and dad’s Sister Alice, Tommy and dad were closer in age than I was to Tommy and were the best of friends.

I remember the two of them sitting at the kitchen table drinking beer and having a bull session swapping tales of their youth and reminiscing about “the old days”.

It was a beautiful clear summer evening and Tommy, working at GM in Pontiac, had arrived in his newly minted, brilliant white, 1958 Oldsmobile 88. Being a typical 13 year old I asked if I could look at his car. Tommy looked at dad and said “Can he drive”? Much to my surprise dad said “Yes”. Tommy handed me the keys and said “here, take it for a spin”.

Now, 61 years later I still remember the excitement of that 13 year old boy as he sat behind the wheel, started the engine, turned on the lights and the dash lit up like he had never seen before. Perhaps it was because of my inexperience but who cares…. It was really special to me.

Tiffin Road wasn’t paved yet, I had heard all kinds of great things about power steering. As I started up Tiffin toward Desaulnier Blvd. I let go of the steering wheel with both hands and watched as the wheel alternated from left to right and back as the car negotiated the rough road maintaining a straight line.

Remember this is my very first real experience behind the wheel, never mind that I am alone for that experience.

I turned right along Desaulnier heading West then turned up Notre Dame to Logan then headed home along Logan Avenue. Around Putnam I encountered a slow poke and decide to pass as luck would have it the reason the driver was being “extremely prudent” was because the car in front of him was St. Lambert’s finest.

I made it to Tiffin, turned right, stopped in front of our flat and bailed. Never did tell Tommy and dad that story.