I went to my first movie alone in 1979, I think it was. That probably seems like yesterday to some of you, while it might sound like ancient history to others.

After all, this year's graduating class wasn't even born yet, for a matter of fact, those who are old enough to purchase alcohol this year for the first time were just being introduced to the world.

Sort of makes you feel old, don't it?

As far as the movie goes, it doesn't really stand out in my mind very much. But the experience does.

I had been given three dollars by my parents and I used half of it on the ticket, which was $1.50 at the Rex Theater. I also got popcorn, a drink, some really stale candy and a little change back. Those days are long gone. A movie date for two will set you back $20 without even trying.

I am sure that my father thought that giving a boy $3 for a movie was fairly ridiculous, considering that he and a dozen or so of his friends could go for that in 1963 or so.

My father used to tell me stories about sneaking into the drive in with a car load and a trunk load of friends to see a movie. That was probably why it was so cheap.

We weren't exactly rich, so movie trips weren't an every day occurrence. It was more like a special occasion to go to the movies. Now I can go anytime I want to and seldom ever go.

As for my first trip to the movies, I can remember the lights dimming and the people had stopped talking. I was feeling a little intimidated by all the people being around me in the dark. Maybe even scared. Then the cartoons started before the film, with dancing popcorn and drinks and candy bars.

I forgot all about being afraid. After the film, I also remember the sticky sounds of my feet pulling free of the gooey old theater floor. I didn't wonder at the time, but looking back, I bet those seats were nice, too. I guess that is why it was always so dark in there.

But I had been to the movies before then. My parents often attended the drive-in movie and we also sometimes went to the Rex. Mostly it was the drive in. We would take along a blanket or two and a basket of food. Sometimes we would go when it was colder out and sit in the car, but mostly we would just kick back and watch whatever happened to be playing.

It didn't matter much to me, I was just happy when my parents let me and my cousins out of the trunk of the car.

I better not print that without a disclaimer. However, I bet they felt like it a few times. I think we had a Plymouth Valiant or some other equally-sized vehicle that would have done nicely. Should I have a car that size and children at the same time, I couldn't make any promises. I went to see a movie the other night and it reminded me of some of my early trips to the theater. There was a little fellow who was looking around pretty wild eyed in front and to the right of me. He was sitting alone.

That made me think of the first time I took my cousin to see a movie in the early 1980s.

Her family wasn't exactly the movie-going type, so she had never been to a movie in her life. I guess she was around my age and the thoughts of never going to the movies was fairly absurd to me by then.

At any rate, she was pretty backwards, I guess you would say. When we got into the theater and took our seats, I had to go to the bathroom and left her there.

Before I got out of my seat, she asked me if I thought anyone would shoot her. I gave one of those what the heck are you talking about responses.

She noted that when Abraham Lincoln went to the theater, someone shot him in the head. While I knew that he was the victim of John Wilkes Boothe and that Boothe had been dead for well over 100 years by then, I said, "hmmm."

"I don't think they ever caught the fellow that did that either," I said, adding fuel to the fire. "I wouldn't worry about it," I noted, "you'll probably never see it coming. Lincoln didn't." The lights were really dim and I had a bit of trouble finding my way through the seats. I finally made it to the aisle and went on to the restroom. Feeling a twinge of meanness coming on, when I came back, I sneaked around behind her and grabbed her and made kind of a monster noise.

She screamed and threw her popcorn into the air. I am not talking about the kind of scream that you let out when someone surprises you, I mean the kind of scream you let out as you are being murdered. (At least the kind those people who are murdered on horror movies let out).

I am sure that she had visions of madmen with guns racing through her mind. It is hard to imagine being that "backwards" today, isn't it?

After I had showed her my face and calmed her down for a while. I kept waiting for someone to come and toss us out. After she realized it was me, she was so happy that she wasn't scared anymore that she didn't seem to mind the fact that she had just screamed out loud in a theater full of people.

But I was feeling about three inches tall. I could just feel everyone in the theater looking at me.

As it turned out, my little prank had backfired - it left me feeling embarrassed and her feeling relieved. I don't think a prank has a goal, but embarrassing the prankster definitely wasn't on the agenda.

I guess I shouldn't have worried about it so much. After all, it's not like someone assassinated me.

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