I read a recent article in the Denver Post about a brand new state-of-the-art drive-in movie theater that will be opening up in the Denver metro area soon. It is supposed to be up and running by Memorial Day.

That news made me both happy and sad. Happy, because I LOVE drive-in theaters. I have absolutely splendid and numerous memories of adventures at drive-in theaters (and none of them are x-rated Mr. and Mrs. Mind-in-the-Gutter).  Sad, because I simply don’t think the words drive-in theater and state-of-the-art should be in the same sentence. What is a drive-in movie without the crackling speaker hanging off your window? I’m guessing state-of-the-art doesn’t include crackling speakers.

Ah, drive-ins, where you could always see two movies for the price of one and eat stale popcorn and lukewarm hot dogs and call it entertainment. As a kid, it was very exciting because you got to stay up late since the movie generally didn’t even start until after 9. I’m pretty darn sure I never made it through an entire movie as a kid without falling asleep. But I usually woke up when I heard the dancing popcorn boxes and singing hot dogs cleverly encouraging us….Let’s all go to the snack bar, let’s all go to the snack bar, let’s all go to the snack bar, to get ourselves some treats.

As a teenager, it was particularly cheap entertainment because a group of six or seven of us would go to the movies together. The two or three smallest people got into the trunk (remember we were driving our parents’ 1970 Buick Le Sabres with trunks big enough to hold an entire African village), and we split the cost of the rest. As I was one of the smallest of my group of friends, I don’t think I ever saw the entrance of the theater as I was always stuffed in the trunk.

I’m sure the theater owner (Dad called him Burnsie) never suspected a thing.

I am compelled at this point to tell you a story about my father and Burnsie.

Burnsie owned the regular movie theater as well as the drive-in theater. The movie theater was across the street from Gloor’s Bakery, above which my father lived with his family. As a youngster, my father says he and his buddy would sneak into the theater by walking backwards in the crowd that was leaving the earlier movie.

Again, I’m sure Burnsie never suspected a thing.

Anyhoo, from the time my son Court was young until such time as he wouldn’t be caught dead alone with his mother, he and I would go to the Cinderella Twin Drive-in Theater in Denver at least once each summer. I would pop enough popcorn to fill a brown paper bag and load up a cooler with pop. Again, we saw two movies for the price of one – one of the best things about drive-in movies. A trip to the snack bar between movies satisfied our candy needs. It was late when we would drive home. Usually about 1 o’clock in the morning or later.

I remember once when he was in elementary school, we were driving down the dark street towards home. There was the occasional lit-up house since it was probably a Saturday night (or really, early Sunday morning). We were both quiet as it was late and we were tired.

“You know what I like to do Mom?” I remember him saying suddenly. “I like to look at the windows that are all lit up and try to imagine what the people inside are doing. Why are they up so late? Are they a mom and dad with kids? Are they having a party? Or are they up with one of the kids? I like to make up stories in my head about them.”

Boom.

I was suddenly reminded that my DNA ran through my boy. Just like his mom, that boy was born to write.

And he’s a writer to this day. Much better than his mom.

I will undoubtedly be visiting the new drive-in theater this summer, probably with a handful of my grandkids, making new memories. But I will still be sneaking in popcorn and sodas.

Bill said the sound will probably come through the car’s FM radio. I will miss those crackling speakers.