The Last Picture Show

[luckylindy]

 At least in the small towns in NE Texas.  This title relates to the book and movie from the early 70's set in small town Texas.  Like other old farts,  I sometimes like to reminisce about the 60's and 70's.  Life was good growing up in a small town.  We had a movie theater, pool hall, skating rink, and bowling alley.  All are long gone now.  The only building that still looks like it did back in the day is the old movie theater.  Now Joy's Florist.


So, New Boston is the "biggest" of the small towns on this tour and it's movie house was the first to close(in about 1975).  The bowling alley was the longest lasting in NB(closed in the mid 90's).
DeKalb is just 12 miles away from NB.  The State Theater hasn't shown movies since the early 80's, but is still used as a music and stage show venue.  DK survived a terrible tornado in 1999 that destroyed the high school(I was in the building, that's another story though) and some of downtown, but the theater escaped the destruction.



Daingerfield is the last stop on this tour.  The above pics were taken earlier, but did the DF ride today.  Good day to ride as it was fairly warm(60's) before a cold front hits us.  DF still has an operational movie house.  For $1.50, you can get that old movie theater feel while watching a 2010 release.  




Alright, I feel better now after a ride and telling about the "old" days.  As a former teacher/coach, I sometimes think the typical teenager now is too wrapped up in their smartphone/internet/computer, but I've come across a few who think my generation had it better with all the things we had for entertainment.  Maybe there is hope for them after all.
While I'm thinking about the past, I also long for good old standard motorcycles like the NH, but they are about as rare as the small town movie house.  Just glad I can still ride and get away from the computer, TV, etc every now and then.  Ride on.


      

[fishmeister]

Thanks for sharing Lindy.  

Must be peacefull riding around with little traffic and nostalgic reminders of ones past.

Maybe you are Lucky growing up in that era.....

Now scoot back home get in the rocker on the front porch and have a cup of tea while reading that newspaper.  

Maybe even get the transistor radio out and listen to the game.

[pw363]

nice report. thanks for sharing the history lesson too. funny when I was in school I hated history but now I love it. might have been the teacher. love the small towns too.

[fishball]

Thanks for the tour Lindy!

[Bumblebee]

nice report. thanks for sharing the history lesson too. funny when I was in school I hated history but now I love it. might have been the teacher. love the small towns too.

I just completed a second theatrical history course. It was taught as cultural psychology as much as actual history. It was extremely interesting to the point that I'm pursuing some of the references now that I'm out of class and have time to do proper research.
IMHO real history is about the interaction and connections of real people and places more than it's about cold facts, dates and political infighting with disconnected details which is how it's typically taught. My professor agrees wholeheartedly.


Lindy, have you ever been to Commerce NE of Greenville? I was there early this summer and stealth camped at ETSU. I made a little detour the next morning to visit an old friend:

[Burgi]

Interesting Lindy, thanks.

[hppants]

Nice report LL - been a while since I've seen an old theatre.  Agree with ya about the kids - the gadgets have got them too much in the box.

Looks like Ray had time to join you.  Where's 'Bama?  Don't tell me ya'll lost him?  Tell those boys I said hello.  Next Spring hopefully we'll do something together.

[thalloran]

Lindy and pants. i totally agree with u about teens these days, im 24 and i seen it people my age. video games mostly. makes me sick, one of the reasons why obeisity is such a probelm. i have a PS 2 that i have played mabey 5 times, i use it as my dvd player. i remember growing up and never being inside, my mom would have to make me come in to eat cause i would just keep playing/ exploring ect. and not want to come in, even to eat.  I think it is horrible, people are missing out on so much, the more u see, travel, meet new people, step out of the box the more well rounded you will be and in my opinion u will be a intellegent person because of it. i hate hearing stories about people in there 40s and 30s even 20s and have never left the state they live in, never seen the ocean or a mountain, and the bad thing is, is that most of them like it that way bacuse they have been conditioned their whole lives to think in this small minded manner. there is a great big world out there.  go get it.

[luckylindy]

Thanks for reading and commenting.
Fish-I was listening to the Steelers-Bengals game on the front porch, but the cold wind drove me back to the comp.
Bumblebee-I've been to Commerce many times.  What brought you to A&M Commerce?
Pants-I will tell the Ray & Bama to be ready for some Spring riding with you and maybe some other LA guys.
THall-i have to make my children get out of the house occasionally.  Thanks for your  thoughts.   

[hppants]

LL - your left foot peg looks 

How's the left foot doing?

[Hangster]

Again torture  ...One of these days i'll move south and stop this  , Nice ridin LuckyL

[luckylindy]

Pants-My foot is fine.  Footpeg is reattached but scarred for life.
Hangster-My wife grew up in IL and doesn't miss those frigid winters at all.

[jspringator]

I remember how hot Cybill Shepherd looked in that movie...even in black and white.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067328/

[coffee_brake]

Thanks Lindy, reminds me of all the cool old buildings in my home town that were shut down by the time I was able to realize it.....

[green427]

Cool report, thanks, LL.

[Bumblebee]

Bumblebee-I've been to Commerce many times.  What brought you to A&M Commerce?

This summer I was in central OK headed south and needed a safe place to overnight. I was bypassing the DFW area by going well East of Dallas and I knew ETSU was a safe place I could overnight.

I went to University there in the mid 80's when it was still East Texas State University. I snooped around campus all day just out of curiosity. (BTW, A&M committed ultra high treason tearing down the science building and the MSC and my old dorm and a couple other buildings. They screwed up the insides of most of the buildings too.  )  I had some pretty interesting flashbacks at times..you know, unsettling and comforting at the same time kind of like the feeling you get when standing a few feet from the edge of a serious cliff on a moonless night when you know you're totally safe.

[luckylindy]

jspring-Cybill was a hottie alright.
Bumblebee-I still think of it as ETSU also, didn't know I was talking to a former ET student and Commerce resident.  Now I know why you like to stay off the beaten path.

[Bumblebee]

Bumblebee-I still think of it as ETSU also, didn't know I was talking to a former ET student and Commerce resident.

Yea. Surprise!

There's a lot of territory overlap related surprises going around today. One of the actors I just finished working with grew up just two stone tosses from where I went to grade school. Neither of us saw that coming. The chances of that happening are only slightly above zero. (The familiar stomping grounds conversation completely floored another actor who knows both of us)

Now I know why you like to stay off the beaten path.

Not exactly, however you do have one piece of the million piece puzzle.

[luckylindy]

It's a small world Bumblebee.

[roadrunner]

LL - I too miss the small-town movie theatre like this relic in Morro Bay (CA) .. You can't beat this type of architecture today...   

[luckylindy]

Nice.  Looks much better the the cookie cutter megaplex.