Cherry Creek

I had the opportunity to take a friend to the airport early Sunday Morning and on the way home I decided to take a detour and take a leisurely drive across the Cherry Creek Dam road. I was amazed how the memories came flooding back to me as I saw the resevoir take shape. Even though it was frozen over and their were actually 3 spots where people were ice fishing on it; I found myself feeling the summer breeze of 1976 on my face as I rode my bike past the picnic area to where the old men were fishing. I still couldn't believe my mom actually let me and my brother Marty ride our bikes there with Danny and Linda Keebler.

How we loved to walk along the shoreline seeing the latest catch of the crusty fishermen. I could even smell the bait. The ride around the resevoir seemed to take forever then. We used to look for the perfect picnic spot, but usually just find ourselves so exsausted we would just pull over and enjoy whatever lunch we'd packed or treat we had bought at the 7-11 along the way. I marveled at how it now looked so small from where I was.

I found myself bounce back to reality and I looked down at my speedometer only to realize I was holding up traffic at a snails pace of 25mph.... Laughing at myself and the tears that filled my eyes as I thought of my dear friends.... Danny Linda and their brother David were all killed two summers later in a plane crash in California when they were visiting their Dad in California, but that day we knew of no such possibilities. life was simple, life was pure, and we had what I could consider a perfect day! How was it that I could even remember what I was wearing? It was a white polo with rose buds that had no sleeves, and denim cut offs and canvas tennis shoes.

There were many other days spent on the lake. Thats where I learned how to water ski with the Calverts. Its the only place in the world that someone commented on how fast I ran, and somehow everything I remember about that place almost seems magical. Tina Calvert was like a big sister to me, how I looked up to her and wished I could have her grace. There were days I dreamed of marrying her brother Bobby. I can hear our laughter as we turned the boat around to pick up the latest downed skier, I can't remember a single day on that resevoir that wasn't perfect. Time spent with family, with all 4 of my brothers, with friends surrounded with laughter, and sun touched cheeks.

As I drive across the dam road, I find myself on the verge of sobbing, what is this wave of emotion that catches me so off gaurd? How can something so wonderful feel so painful to remember? Then I realize those were my true days of innocence, I found myself in my mind walking along the edge resevoir below the edge of the dam. I remember we only attempted it once. We found the rocks to be so jagged and as we looked at how little progress we made in so little time we opted to turn back.

I realize now that there are many times in my life that if I would have had the choice I probably would have turned back again to this time, the time that I didn't know that friends could just dissapear one day and that you would never have a chance to say goodbye, and that my brother could die, even though he was engaged to be married to the love of his life. I didn't know that life, just like the path alone the dams edge of the resevoir was going to be filled with obstacles that would slow my progress and some times be a lot more difficult than I ever imagined. Just then I reached the end of road. I noticed there was still the same strange sail like sculpture at the entrance to the park. It made me laugh as I found myself still asking what was it supposed to be? There's a gate now charging admisison, I don't remember it being there back then.

All of the sudden I begin to realize soon it will be spring, and I will be able to start a new season of bike riding, fishing and picnicing with a family of my own, who knows, maybe they even have boats to rent! The thoughts of sharing this magical place of my childhood with some of the most amazing people on this earth that back then I couldn't even begin to comprehend or imagine would be apart of my life. Brings a smile to my face. I begin to comprehend the possibilities and realize my time at Cherry Creek resevoir is definately not over, maybe the best memories there are yet to come!