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O'Gagnon
It's March 17 - St. Patrick's Day - the wearing of the green.
With a name like Foxy Gagnon, no one has every mistaken me for an Irishman. Green's never been one of my favorite colors and the nearest I've probably ever come to an Irish anything is a little Bailey's Irish Creme in a drink once in awhile. Although Goose prefers that in his coffee more than I.
But today you can call me O'Gagnon. I'll show my spirit by donning a green shirt and play the role. I've never really celebrated March 17th as much as some people I know. That might go back to the last time I ever went downtown on St. Patrick's Day, and that would be March 17, 1977. A friend and I took our wives to a Margaret Street pub around 9 at night to soak in some of the festivities. The place we chose was extremely crowded, as were all the night spots that particular evening, and we found a small area to stand not far from the front door. Being the gentlemen that we were (and still are, I presume) my buddy and I left our wives safely near the jukebox while we fought the crowd to buy some drinks.
On the return trip through the spirited crowd my friend got bumped and accidently spilled some beverage onto the back of a leather jacket. A leather motorcycle jacket. A leather motorcycle jacket being worn by one of the toughest-looking females I had ever seen. She had some choice expletives for my friend. Being mostly a chicken in those days, I continued through the crowd, not wanting to further provoke the lady we had just met. My friend, however, well-schooled in military hand-to-hand combat and never one to back down to a challenge, gave the bearer of the leather motorcycle jacket a few choice words of his own before moving on.
Moments later he joined me back at the jukebox where our beautiful wives had waited patiently. Before I took my second sip of a cold one a fist came from behind my left ear and smacked my friend flat on the eye. He fell like a bag of cement. A leather-jacketed male pushed me aside pounced on top of my surprised friend, who began fighting his way back from the sucker punch. I leaped forward to rescue my buddy but was grabbed by the neck by a second motorcycle male, who pushed me against the jukebox and put a beer bottle inches from my head. "If you move I'll smash this on your skull,' he barked.
My wife bravely came to my rescue calling him a few names that I didn't realize she even knew. But the man's grasp on my neck never loosened. In less than 30 seconds several bouncers had everyone pulled apart and we were brought outside. Foxy Gagnon kicked out of a bar! Can you believe it? Word was already spreading down Margaret Street that Foxy Gagnon was in a bar fight. So much for my reputation as a chicken!
Once outside one of the bouncers recognized me and knew that I was no competition for the opponents who stood about six feet away from us. He told us to leave, while he held the other combatents hostage. Thus my St. Patrick's Day celebration was a short one. One sip of beer. And that was the last sip of beer I have ever taken on a March 17th.
So today while my friends enjoy the festivities I'll mostly be watching basketball on television. But I do hope the Fourth Ward Leprechaun will grant me a few wishes. Keep my friends safe today and let them party wisely. And if you see any female blue-eyed leprechauns in their 20s who'd like to meet an O'Gagnon, send them over to Saratoga Court. I'll be wearing a green shirt!
Comments
I cook a mean (but tender!) Corned Beef- you should have invited yourself over...it would have been worth the chore of wearing o' the green!
Posted by: Kathy L. O"Baumgarten | April 2, 2006 3:51 PM
St. Patrick's Day is my birthday and I am not even Irish, but, on that day I am Irish. For living in Florida, they don't celebrate it that much. Friends of mine say go to Georgia, they celebrate it.
Posted by: AJ Portera | March 20, 2006 9:11 PM
I missed St. Patricks Day. However, I did wear a light green sweater to work. (I found out it was St. Patricks day when coworkers were buying raffle tickets.) You remember some things well. I remember walking on Margaret Street, not being parked there.
Posted by: Daisy Dawn | March 18, 2006 12:19 PM
St. Pat's Day, 1977, I remember... "O'Haley & McSweeney" were out, but I guess I wasn't one of those beautiful wives that night.
Don't remember a fight!
(smile)
(Foxy's note: No, Gail and I were with another couple that memorable night!)
Posted by: Dorie Sweeney | March 17, 2006 3:33 PM
Tom Loughan told me about your blog a couple of weeks ago. Jack Glasgow then reminded me again today like he does most every St. Patrick's Day about Beekmantown beating us (Saranac) in the Class A Sectional finals in '61. Still would like to play that game again. I might not hear from Jack all year but I do on March 17th. Jack and I were in grade school at Dannemora and have tried to stay in touch over the years. Enjoy your column. Lot of familiar names.
(Foxy's note: My Press-Republican article "Where Are They Now?" on Elmon Henry, a 1962 graduate of Saranac Central, was in early January 1987.)
Posted by: Elmon Henry | March 17, 2006 2:43 PM