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Those of us that are auditorily driven, quite often, associate music with our personal experiences. My earliest memory smoothly floated into my mind, from deep within a RCA Victrola. As the logo's befuddled canine stared into the horn of a Thomas Edison phonograph, I was immediately drawn to the voice of Connie Francis singing, "Where the Boys Are." Written for the 1960 movie of the same name, the heart rendering Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield ballad was a big hit for Ms. Francis, finally topping out at number one in 1961.

Ms. Francis's rich and sumptuous voice immediately grabbed my attention. Additionally,
"Where the Boys Are" has very redeeming melodic qualities.

The movie was one of the first of its kind to examine the brewing tempest arising between America's youth and their authoritarian caretakers. Ms. Francis is cast as one of four attractive coeds, that land in Fort Lauderdale, FL, during Spring Break. Desperately escaping the harsh Midwestern winter, the girls are in search of sun, surf and, in some cases, sex.

This oppositional trend would reach its highest point in 1967, during the so called, "Summer of Love." Two years later, the film Easy Rider offered Hollywood's no holds barred spin on the youthful defiance that defined the late '60's. I couldn't have been more enthralled.

Ms. Francis had a very successful pop career, by industry standards. Still, her stay at the top of the charts, that began in 1958, only lasted seven years.

The innocence of my childhood vanished just as quickly. Deeply committed to the defiant behavior exhibited by many of my contemporaries, I grew into an angry, angst ridden teenager hellbent on leaving home immediately after high school commencement exercises. The chasm that had grown so large between our society's parents and its children was readily visible in the relationship my father and I had, or didn't have. Determined to find the America of my oppositional creation, I rode my thumb across thousands of interstate miles. The restless spirit within me never really discovered what I expected to find.

Connie Francis's life after success has had its tragic moments. Bouts with behavioral health issues have come on the heels of a sexual assault in 1984. Regrettably, her brother was murdered. Still, she soldiers on.

My personal disappointments wane by comparison. I eventually went to college and taught at the elementary level, for more than a decade. I even taught Religion at a Catholic school. However, I found that our standardized and data driven system of schools, established by my once rebellious and ideal generation, has no interest in genuinely recognizing and honoring the dignity in all children. I discovered that if you build character in children, the learning will take care of itself. My generation disagrees with both conclusions. I no longer teach school.

I'm greatly disappointed in my generation. They once defiantly embraced individual liberty, social change and equal justice for all. Today, despite being given the opportunity and authority to implement these values, my generation has chosen to homogenize schools and outsource jobs, while refusing to recognize the importance of providing all Americans with a modicum of health care coverage and retirement benefits. I was certain they would have chosen otherwise. I was wrong. Certainty is, most often, speculative.

Uncertainty is not. The future is uncertain for Connie Francis. It's uncertain for me. Indeed, it's uncertain for anyone. We can only be certain of the following. We can be certain that the roads we have traveled have been paved with the memories gathered along the way.

I'm certain that my earliest memory is of Connie Francis singing, "Where the Boys Are."

Learn more about this author, Tim Gray.
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