THE OTHERSIDE OF THE VOLCANO - Part 19: All-night, every night, "nights out" in New York City

New York, New York,   Lauren Bacall's "Applause" and more!

Phil Stout was a very good friend.  Phil went to University of California at Berekely and worked part time at Rhodes Department Store in Oakland selling womens shoes.  Most all students that I knew had part time jobs while going to college. We met in San Francisco and became part of a group of young friends who traveled into "the City" every weekend from different colleges in the San Francisco/San Jose Bay area...we hung out mostly on Sutter Street at the Club Rendezvous.  FUN (but no dancing allowed for Gay people in S.F. yet in the early 1960´s even though Carol Doda was going topless in North Beach)!

Phil was especially clean cut and attractive in a blue eyed, big smile, flashing white teeth and deep-dimpled way...he was intelligent, handsome, well mannered and modest...he had a great sense of humor.  We became regular "drinking buddies" and after University he did graduate work at San Jose State and lived close by me near downtown San Jose.  

Ron Williams returned to San Jose, after the Peace Corps (and his divorce) and met Phillip.  The two became immediate friends and intimates.  I was pleased, I was fond of the both of them. After Ron was hired at the Community Development Foundation for assignment as country director in the Dominican Republic, he moved abroad.  It was a sad seperation for the two of them. Ron later promoted Phillip, to his employers, for his assistant job that was available in Santo Domingo. Phil, UC graduate, spoke Spanish, was a natural, and he got the job. Off he went to work with Ron in the Caribbean.  I missed my friends but my life went on in a positive way and I moved to Arizona and moved up in my career path at Goldwater's.

Ron and Phil had "relationship" troubles and had a very nasty brawl on a vacation they took together in London.  Phil left Ron, quit his job on the spot. A few months later he moved to New York city and found work immediately at Gimbel's Department store on Herald Square.  He worked as a salesman in the mens sportswear department.  Someone told me Phil was living in New York and working at either Macy's or Gimbels...on my very next buying trip I set out to find him. I SURPRISED us both when I DEMANDED help/service after spotting him behind the Puritan knit shirt counter on the main floor at Gimbels!  Hugs! What a great time we had..quickly.  I moved out of the hotel and we spent my store expense money on lovely dinners, theatre tickets (vendor paid) and nights out...mostly, all-night nights out...we were in our twenties and filled with adventure and free-spirit with a pre-HIV/AIDS state-of-mind.

Ron later quit his job in the Dominican Republic and came to Arizona and lived with me.  We rented a house in Scottsdale behind Camelback Mountain and Ron became a Probation Officer for Maricopa County and then he purchased a 240 Z (a very hot car at the time)...not one quiet moment followed.  

More later, you'll agree.

to be continued