Dave Burley:  

I'm also on Facebook as David R. Burley When I was a kid, in my neighbourhood life was mostly about knowing how to elude stray dogs, pee-filled water guns and the Darling brothers... Before we get going, a disclaimer: As you may notice I have some odd and rather questionable entries in my list of communities and groups. No, I did not attend Kent State, nor have I done a tour in Nam. And for that matter, I have never set foot in the the Haight. I chose to embrace these communities not to come across as some dillusional poser, but, in the spirit of the Classmates mandate, to connect with those who may have experienced first-hand the events that had a profound effect on my life at the time. That being said... It started like this: SMACK! Whaaaaaaa Whaaaaaa Wha Wha Whaaaaaaaaaaa. I'm told I had a monster set of lungs. Many decades later, sitting in front of the screen watching the "now and then" pictures morph into one another, I cannot help wondering- Geez, what the hell happened to me! Then I realize that the tee shirt on the old geezer is actually offering some sage advice- Yes, just let it be! At first glance this bio may appear to be long and windy. But please read on, you may chuckle a bit... I'll tell you right off the top that I am unashamed to say that I miss the Rock Pile (light show by Catharsis). I remember seeing: Procol Harum, Iron Butterfly, Ars Nova, the original Deep Purple, The Mothers of Invention, Muddy Waters, Led Zepplin, Edward Bear, house bands Transfusion and Mary Lou Horner. I miss the original hippie Electric Circus at 99 Queen. Remember the fire eater, the barrel room, the wandering minstrels, the strobe room? Who did I see there, let me see- ah yes- Its All Meat, Mother Tuckers Yellow Duck, Rhinocerous. I miss the Mariposa Folk Festival when it was on the Toronto Island. Utah Phillips- "My god, that's moose turd pie...its good, though!" I'm now and have been for many years a Coronation Street addict and an avowed Agnostic. Play many musical instruments and stink at all of them but this makes for quite an extensive collection- bagpipes, irish button accordion, five string banjo, about 23 guitars and of course my euphonium. Love American film-noir from the 40s and 50s. "Hey doll face, what a set a gams!" Have battled the bulge since my late 20s- sometimes winning, but right now I'm on a bit of a losing streak. Pass the Cheetos. Love AHL hockey- more scraps and still one ref- currently hold season seats at the Ricoh Coliseum for Toronto Marlies games. Cycle everywhere- especially on my recumbent bikes, which are great fun to ride. Occasionally throw caution to the winds (cheesy cliche) and peddle my ass on a single-speed fixed gear like the cool bicycle couriers. Have a thing about vinyl- no, not the S&M type- just collectible lps. Mostly original pressings and still-sealed. (Remember the scandalous Beatles butcher cover?) Like to read British mysteries- Elizabeth George, Martha Grimes, Ian Rankin, Peter Robinson, Ruth Rendell, to name a few. Love PBS's "Mystery"- Diana Rigg is still hot! Never really played in any serious bands (performance anxiety) mostly just got together frequently with like-minded bluesmen and tortured the same riffs ad infinitum- and still do. Jimi Hendrix's "Red House" is a great tune for that. Was tutored, along with a few others, by a member of the award-winning Peel Regional Police Pipe Band. The "Great Highland Bagpipe" is not an easy instrument to conquer. It eventually conquered me- I no longer squeeze my bag! Member of the Craft- square and compass, the widow's son, lambskin apron, the handshake- all that venerable stuff that is not as secretive as it's made out to be. Was a bit of a social contradiction during my time at Riverdale- dressed like a clubber (penny loafers, Lee cords, duffle coats) but hung out mostly with the fringe element (hippies, stoners, eccentrics). Loved playing in the concert band- despite what other people used to say, I thought our Salvation Army-inspired uniforms were quite snazzy. Occasionally smuggled the jacket out on weekends and wore it during my visits to Yorkville in the late 60s- the white shoulder laniards really gave it a Sargeant Pepper look! Played highschool lacrosse- still have the bruised kidneys to prove it. At the time, the combination of axe-handle-like stick shafts and flimsy protective equipment was potentially lethal. Made it to the finals against Danforth Tech- lost. Didn't matter- the tournament we played in Hagersville that same year against some Native teams was much more exciting (the 1972 yearbook reveals a photo of me knocked semi-conscious on the lacrosse floor) Thank you Barry Hong! Fondly remember the senior Prom. Yes I did attend, despite the fact that I was viewed by others as a bit of an "anti-establishment" enigma. On this occasion, I was accompanied by a young woman who reminded me, and still does, of Ali McGraw in the movie "Love Story" (don't gag). She had similar looks and had talent (played piano and had a great voice). We were an item for the better part of grade 13 -Preppy and Jenny! For me, Riverdale was more of a community centre than an academic institution- never really took my studies seriously. I cherished the daily social interaction that brought relief from the tension of a sometimes difficult family life. Scholastically I was a washout but there were flashes of brilliance. One of my biggest eye-openers at high school was actually the year I wasn't there. After grade 12, I decided to leave academia for the working world. Made many new friends on the loading docks at the old Eaton's store at Yonge and Queen- especially East Coasters. This brief hiatus instilled an appreciation for the more "grass roots" aspects of life that has remained with me to this day- Union labour, social safety nets, liveable wages... spread the wealth! A year later I returned to the Riverdale cocoon to complete grade 13- was I ever glad to be back. After graduation, took a stab at a Business Admin program at Centennial College- man, was I ever out of my element (rebel without a clue). I left the student lounge only to visit the cafeteria or the gym. Lectures and classes remained foreign soil. Best recollection of my internment there was sitting in a packed 500 seat auditorium and watching Paul Henderson pop in that goal to win the Summit series against the Soviets in '72. The celebration down the road at the Mansion House afterwards was a bellicose, pukey affair. The Centennial years: 91 Highcroft, 24 Lark St., 150 Kenilworth, Summerville Pool, Eagle L...Expand for more