"The Monkees" minus One.

Davy Jones died today at the age of 66 of an apparent heart attack.  Davy, former lead singer of "The Monkees" the popular, fun, and make that cute group that had their own television show in the 1960's, I never missed an episode.   I loved that show and I loved that band.  There was Micky, Peter, Michael and of course Davy.   All of my girlfriends loved Davy, but I thought he was too short for me.  I was a tall nine year old girl at the time.  He was short, which Davy joked about often, but to his advantage as he later became a well known horse jockey.  
  
 My secret crush was always on Micky.  Micky Dolenz with his curly then straight brown hair, and his quirky laugh, he was my crush, so much so that I wanted to name my first male offspring Micky.  I loved "The Monkees"  I memorized all their songs and dreamed of being a guest on their show.   At nine years old,  I just knew I was going to be a famous actress when I grew up and then I would marry Micky and I would have lots of little Mickys running around. 

   I always made my Mom promise to call me inside from playing outside so I could be the first one in front of the television to turn the channel to "The Monkees".  There was only one television in the entire house back in the sixties.  The first person in front of the TV got dibs on the channel.  Pretty remarkable when there were 6 people living in that house, but my chances were good if I was the first one in the living room.  
Being nine years old didn't hurt either, my plea was that I had to go to bed before my older brother and sister so I should get first pick.  It worked as long as my dad wasn't sitting down yet.  My dad was usually building or repairing something out in the garage and would come inside close to 9 p.m. but as soon as he came in and sat down, his first question was, "Is there a movie on tonight?"  Ug-g he loved war movies.  I hated war movies, I loved "The Monkees." 
Davy was so so so cute with his big dark brown eyes and his British accent, he was a good dancer too-being the front man of the band.  I asked for a tambourine for Christmas every year because of Davy Jones.  Davy was cute, I adored him, but I loved Micky from my living room.  Years later when I was in Ontario, Canada I met a sales rep that told me he had met and talked to Micky Dolenz many times in Toronto.  What??  I couldn't believe it, I lived only 2 hours and 45 minutes away from a place where Micky Dolenz from "The Monkees" hung out?  Hey, hey it's the Monkees in Toronto!  

The sales rep told me that Micky liked to hang out in this certain cafe in Toronto and that he had talked to Micky on quite a few occasions there.  Wow!  There I was in my thirties, now a single mom with 3 beautiful daughters living in a small town, tied down to a boring job and unable to get to Toronto.  

 This 34 year old woman realized that buried dream was still there.  Once a crush, always a crush I guess. I started to make plans to get to Toronto ASAP somehow, some way.  Funny how that little girls' dreams all came flooding back, but as it turned out, I never did get to Toronto.  I guess marrying a Monkee wasn't my destiny after all.    Having 3 beautiful baby girls to care for, that's where I belonged.   And that was just fine with me. 

 I will always remember the 1960's with my number one favorite TV show,  "The Monkees" with Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork and Mike Nesmith.   

 I loved "The Monkees" always will love "The Monkees" and will miss Davy Jones, just knowing that one of the four will no longer be with us.  Just because they are out of the spotlight doesn't mean that they are forgotten.                                                                  From 'Daydream Believer', Davy sang, "you once thought of me as a white knight on a steed."
 Still do Davy, still do.