It was a year of mass weddings! I called it the Year of Union Street Marriagethons (or Y.U.S.M.). My buddies, most of whom lived in a large, apartment house on Union Street in the Bronx, N.Y., were dropping like flies into the sticky trap of marital crevasses! Floral bouquets, tossed in the air like confetti, were grabbed by eager female hands reaching toward the sky in hopes of clutching the desired prize. Dozens were joined in holy wedlock (or deadlock, in a few cases) that Y.U.S.M.! Some of the weddings were galore (guys in tuxes) and some were poor (best men in dark suits), but poor or galore, very few escaped the ritual! I had an explanation. Most of the guys were returning from womanless tours of overseas army or navy duties. The neighborhood gals were well into their child bearing days, and attacked, without pity, those poor, defenseless veterans! . It was a crazy season. I was able to escape this marital tsunami because I had not gone overseas and did not feel female deprived! I was, however, in between dates, and was being fervently pursued by one, Teri. I had two, popular, younger sisters, and our apartment was always filled with eligible women. Teri was by far the best-looking of the gaggle and we went out on a few dates. I had promised not to get serious with any of my sister's friends. Teri, though, thought she had the inside track on my heart because she was best friends with my sisters. Her attempts to involve me sexually with her grew more desperate during Y.U.S.M.! "If you don't make love to me," she declared one day, "I'll turn gay!" I thought she was kidding and made some light comment about wanting to be there observing when she turned lesbian! Nothing more on that subject was said, and after Y.U.S.M. ended, our family moved from Union Street to the north Bronx. Years later, I asked about Teri. I was told, to my shock, that Teri was totally gay!
