Batman’s first concussion

BATMAN’S FIRST CONCUSSION 

To the best of my recollection this took place back in 1967 but I could be off by a year in either direction. After all it was 52 or so years ago! 

It began with me being completely infatuated with the Batman series that was on T.V. at that time. I was so infatuated in fact that I had talked my mom into creating a Batman cowl and matching cape for me one summer afternoon. It was by no means network television worthy but it was highly effective at transporting my 7 year old imagination directly to life in Gotham City. 

The only thing lacking was an arch nemesis. With this in mind I headed off in the direction of a neighborhood friend of mine whose father was also the neighborhood Cub Scout den leader but that fact isn’t really pertinent to this story. I made the half mile or so walk to my friends house, which I might add was quite a trek for a lone 7 year old back in the mid 1960’s and would most certainly be grounds for a call to child protective services in today’s social climate. Once there I explained my predicament to my buddy and he agreed wholeheartedly into accepting the role of villain. 

At some point during our rambunctious fete my friend ran between two parked cars in his driveway with me, Batman hot on his heels. One thing that is pertinent to this story is that my cowl reduced my peripheral vision to near zero. Coincidentally my ability to judge the distance from my forehead to one of the cars shiny chrome bumpers was also near zero...

I awoke some minutes later with my buddy, his sister, his mother and his father who had apparently gotten home from work while I was unconscious standing over me on the concrete driveway. Something was probably said like “thank God your ok” after I awoke and shortly before I was yanked to my feet by my buddies mom and guided wobbly to the sidewalk in front of their house. Squaring my 7 year old shoulders to the general direction of my house she patted me on the butt and said “go home and tell your mom what happened Batman.” I distinctly remember her calling me Batman! That was pretty cool. No ride home, no ice for my head, or any other assistance was offered which I don’t think was all that unusual back in the wonder years before today’s overly protective parenting. After all, my mother once told a neighborhood kid to go home and tell your mom you were shot in the testicles with a 22 caliber round at the Hopkins house... (See “Box of Bullets”)

So off I set for home with my Batman cowl still affixed to my head and cape still tied around my tiny mid-western suburban neck.

I don’t remember anything else about that day. I don’t remember the walk home or telling my mom about my brief encounter with unconsciousness or even arriving home at all. 

I do however on occasion have this dream where a 7 year old kid dressed like Batman is going from house to house in a mid 60’s neighborhood asking residents if this is where he lives. Still not sure what that means... 

S. Monkey