M I C - K E Y

When "The Mickey Mouse Club" premiered on ABC television on October 3, 1955, I was glued to my television set just as I would be every weekday afternoon for the next couple years.

That year for Christmas I asked for (and got) a wristwatch, so I would be able to know the time when I was outside playing. I didn't want to be late to see my show. I also remember having to sprint all the way home on Tuesdays after my piano lesson so I wouldn't miss a moment.

My fourth-grade classmate Diane Robinson and I spent an entire Saturday afternoon writing a fan letter to Annette, our favorite Mouseketeer, and, I think, most everybody's favorite. I admit to having had a very big crush on her.

Annette Funicello died today at the age of 70. I'm not sure I thought about her more than a few times in the last several decades, but still, I feel like I've lost a friend.  It is the end of yet another era.

Well, Annette ... Now it's time to say goodbye to all our company ... C you real soon. Y? Because we like you.