Sharon Kennedy: Anyone for a drive-in movie?
Two weeks ago, I was browsing through the aisles of Sault Ste. Marie’s Habitat for Humanity resale shop when a young man passed me and asked if I was the lady who wrote for the paper. I laughed and asked how he recognized me. The photo alongside my column is 6 years old. I was surprised he could identify a woman strolling down the tool aisle usually of interest only to men. He said I was easily recognizable because his father, Walter Brosco, always read my column and passed the paper along to him. And that’s how I chanced to meet Steve Brosco.
We chatted for a few minutes and he mentioned he knew some fellows from the Brimley area. He remembered George Kinsella’s name and a guy called Rob but couldn’t recall his surname. I said I knew a Robin Lawrence, now called Rob by his friends, but who will forever be “Robin” to me because that’s what his school chums called him. That was the man in question. They had something to do with piloting boats as needed. Then Steve asked if I remembered the old Starlite Drive-In on Mackinac Trail. I certainly did.
He told me his mother worked at the concession stand during the summer. At the time, he was a child and had great fun running around and eating popcorn supplied by the ladies who worked with his mom. She didn’t worry that young Steve would be grabbed by a stranger, forced into a car and never heard from again. Those were the days when a kid didn’t need constant supervision by a trusted adult. Steve could roam among the trees behind the concession, check out the speakers and watch the cartoons and first movie without fear of being harmed by anyone.
I said whenever we went to the drive-in we could see what was on the screen when we were on Six Mile Road near Mac Trail. In the 1950s, our vision was not obstructed by trees, and we had a clear view of whatever was playing. We usually got there just before dark when the main attractions started. Steve said his mother also worked the gate where people paid the entrance fee. We laughed as we recalled it was only the people in the cars that were counted, not the teenagers hiding in the trunk. I found it interesting that teens 20 years older than Steve were not much different from those 20 years younger.
As he was leaving the store, I asked if I could mention his name in a future column. He agreed. That’s one of the nicest things about being a local writer. People know I’m approachable and will take time to chat with them. We don’t always agree on what I say about the political mess in our country, but neither do we take off the gloves. The few minutes we stand in the aisle of a store and converse is not likely to result in major shifts of opinion on either side. The conversations reinforce what we suspect — that most people are rational when we take time to show them respect and listen to their viewpoint. Whether it’s reminiscing about the past or talking about the present, acknowledging the validity of each individual is crucial to opening lines of communication. Shouting matches and unfounded accusations accomplish nothing.
It was a pleasure meeting you, Steve Brosco. You’re a credit to your parents.
— To contact Sharon Kennedy, send her an email at authorsharonkennedy.com. Kennedy's latest book, “The SideRoad Kids: Tales from Chippewa County,” is available from her, Amazon, or Audible.
This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Sharon Kennedy: Anyone for a drive-in movie?
