A black-and-white photograph of a baby-blue Ford. Hardtop,whitewalls, racing stripes. Sleek vinyl seats, full tank of gas.That smell, that chemical smell, suggested possibilities. New teaching job, brand-new car. You were a soldier, a guardsman in uniform, leaning against it,  hands in pockets, grinning, squinting in the sun. Just slide in and drive, back to 1963. Back to your first date with your first love.

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By Ann Hermone