Growing Up Geis - A Very Short Memoir (Part 2)

Last week I regaled you all with anecdotes about my childhood and what it was like to grow up in the Geis household. This week, I’ll share more of my memories from my childhood! Read on for more insights and fun!

My first nude photo at five weeks old!

As I read the news and stories about Gen X, Z, or whatever, it always strikes me that my childhood was so simple and uncomplicated compared to what kids go through now. No phones, computers, or cool toys like drones and video games. The simple pleasures in life were, well, really simple.

My favorite toys were Legos, Matchbox cars, Big Jim and his Camper (a non-military alternative to GI Joe – and Big Jim was everything I wasn’t – a sportsman, rugged outdoorsman, athlete, hunk), marbles and jacks, Spirograph, and my blue stingray three-speed bike with the silver sparkle banana seat and sissy bar. I also loved playing with my cap gun (the only gun I’ve ever owned or shot or will ever own or shoot), model kits (complete with Testors paint and that amazing smelling model glue), and chemistry set (what could possibly go wrong with giving a 9-year-old a bunch of chemicals to mix in the basement just for fun?!). Also, my favorite games growing up were Crazy Eights, Hands Down, Checkers, Sorry, and Uno.

When I wasn’t in school and especially during the long summer months, I looked forward to playing outside – building and hanging out in our tree forts, playing in the sprinkler, and watching and waiting for the ice cream truck to show up on our street each day (what will it be today? The Good Humor Chocolate Éclair, Creamsicle, Drumstick, Firecracker Pop, or Fudgesicle?). The days were long and lazy, and we were allowed to play outside until it got dark, and it was time for bed.

Our family was very musical – each of the Geis kids played multiple instruments (mine were the piano and drums) and we all loved listening to music as well. My initial musical interests were suspect at best – my first full-length album was the Three Little Pigs, followed by The Jungle Book album. As you can see from the picture below, I was decidedly uncool compared to my brother Scott who was playing the Beatles on his record player while I was listening to Disney stories and songs on mine. Things got better over time though – eventually I started getting more hip albums like K-Tel’s 20 Explosive Hits, and Tom Jones Live in Las Vegas!

Definitely not an auspicious start to my future music collection

Regarding sports, everyone who meets me assumes that I was great at sports since I’m over six feet tall. They mostly assume I excelled at basketball, and perhaps football as well. They couldn’t be more wrong. I was a terribly unathletic child. I couldn’t dribble a basketball well if my life depended on it, and I hated all team sports. When my parents forced me to try out for the high school basketball team my freshman year, I actually purposefully tried to not make the team (it wasn’t hard!). When I was told I hadn’t made the team, I produced another one of my stellar acting performances by actually fake crying and pretending I was devastated when I told my parents. They felt so bad for me that they never mentioned trying out for another sports team for the rest of my high school years – mission accomplished!!

I actually despised gym class and always dreaded that part of the school day. Two particular memories come to mind that help explain my aversion to gym class. The first was that damn Presidential Physical Fitness Test that John F. Kennedy began as president. I was bad at all of the events in those tests that you were required to do two times a year, but the absolute worst was the rope climb – I never got further than two feet off the floor and simply hung there, legs swaying, until the gym teacher put me out of my misery and gave me the go ahead to let go and move on to the next test.

Another horrifying gym class event was when we were sent to the pool to swim in Junior High School. They sequestered the boys and the girls, and then, for some unknown and sadistic reason, had all the males report to the pool naked as a jaybird – no swim suits allowed. For the somewhat shy and private kids like me, this was the equivalent of 45 minutes of cruel torture each day. To this day, I’ll never understand how or why they allowed that ridiculous invasion of privacy to occur.

Fashion-wise, I was definitely a trendsetter growing up as already evidenced by the pictures of me in my all-in-one turtleneck and sweater vest ensemble. When leisure suits were all the rage, I was one of the first to don my tan leisure suit with silk flowered shirt. And for senior prom, I outdid myself if I do say so myself, as you will see in a few minutes!

Rockin’ my tan leisure suit and silk flower shirt in California!

Another big part of my life growing up were our pets. We had a dog for most of my childhood – she was a miniature French poodle that my dad brought home in his trench coat pocket as a puppy, and she lived to the ripe old age of 13 before she passed away from a stroke.

When we moved to California, everyone in our neighborhood had horses, goats, and chickens so we somehow convinced our parents to let us have them as pets. We already had the fenced in pasture and barn, so I think that sealed the deal for us! Our horse was a quarter horse named Barry. He was actually previously owned by and named after the famous NBA basketball player Rick Barry (who shot foul balls underhanded – remember that?). Our African pigmy goat was named Joshua, and we had a roost of Bantam chickens as well. It was great fun, and we spent a lot of time riding Barry (Western, not English style) and playing with Joshua during my Junior High and High School years.

Hanging out with our horse Barry, and our goat Joshua in California

And finally, what would a memoir be without mention of girlfriends and my love life as a child? Of course, I didn’t meet the love of my life (my wife Laurie!) until much later in adulthood, but I was a bit of a “Rico Sauve” growing up! According to my family, I started early by having a girlfriend in kindergarten named Julie – I have no recollection of this (very) young lady specifically or a romantic relationship with her more generally, but why would they make something like that up?!

Next up was Alison Jones, my grade school sweetheart. She was a platinum-blond bombshell (see the photo below for proof!) and we “went out” for almost a full school year, which means we hung out sometimes, held hands a few times, and kissed exactly once!

To be truthful, I didn’t have many girlfriends growing up because I preferred hanging out and flirting with all the girls instead of actually dating them. My high school senior prom date and girlfriend was Tracy Williamson (my best friend’s sister). We were the talk of the prom in our powder blue coordinated tuxedo with ruffles and prom gown!

My sister’s birthday party with my girlfriend Alison Jones (the blond with pigtails in the back of the picture)

Senior prom night all dolled up in our powder blue best!!

So, there you go! I hope you enjoyed this walk down memory lane with me as much as I did! Next week I’ll get back to the topic of food, wine, and spirits but until then, enjoy these photos and laugh it up!