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Driving home from work last Friday, traffic was brutal. I decided to drive through my old neighborhood - Highland Park. It had been at least 15 years since I'd seen old neighborhood. Made my way up Fig, passed Sycamore Park - BAM! I could still see myself playing in that park and celebrating many birthday's. I decided to drive on my old street. There was our tiny two bedroom house. The Craftsman look was now gone - covered in stucco. I sat in front of the house until a man came out and gave me a dirty look. I drove to the corner and remembered rollerskating with my brother, my beloved only sibling who passed away 9 years ago, and with my bestest friend who is now a wedding dress designer in Carmel. I kept driving and ended up behind the old Iver's Dept. store. It's now some kind of mini mall! Where am I supposed to by my Cinderella brand dresses?! Iver's was yesterday's Nordstrom's! For us Highland Parker's anyway! Owl's Drugstore is still there, but Benson's House Of Music is long gone. Peoples, gone. Fosselman's gone. Kress, gone. Dee Ann's House of Beauty, gone. I was friends with the owner's daughter - haven't seen her since I was 11 years old - over 30 years. Finally made my way to the Highland Park Playground and the Library next door. Made a right on York and was on my way to Pasadena. By that time, I was sobbing. So many memories, reminders of a childhood filled with laughter and so much hope for the future. This site may be the start of something. I have hundreds of stories and maybe I'll get the courage to write some kind of book. One last thing... Does anyone remember a woman we all called Beavertail? My brother once told me she was the heiress to the Hersey Chocolate fortune who had whacked out. Don't know if it's true, but I remember sitting behind her on the #6 bus going to Downtown and just staring at her hair - literally a Beavertail!

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