Dibs

If you grew up any time in the last several decades, the phrase “dibs” will be a memory that brings up either pain or pleasure, depending on whether or not you successfully snagged that last slice of pizza. “Dibs” is a popular slang phrase used to refer to the first right to something. Sometimes it’s a piece of pizza, but it could be a favorite seat in the car, the selection of a television show, which song to sing first, and at least one time for me it was a girl. The only catch: You have to call “dibs” before anyone else. I don’t know if it’s used everywhere, but I’ve used it a few dozen times. Most often when I was growing up in Royal Oak.

While calling “dibs” in my youth was a common occurrence, my most memorable time was in college. One of my friends, Tim, was dating a nursing student in Kalamazoo. Tim needed two volunteers to go out with two other nursing students on a blind date. He recruited Gary and me. I don’t recall much about the events leading up to our volunteering. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d like to say we were just helping a buddy out.

The most likely scenario was we couldn’t get a date on our own, so any action was better than none. We were nineteen or twenty and upon occasion desperate.

I think this date occurred during our sophomore year. I know I drove a car, so I was living with my Uncle Jack and Aunt Emma at the time. My cousin, Ruth Ellen, and I both had access to Aunt Emma’s car. I did most of the date night driving because some guy had already picked up Ruth Ellen for hers.

On this particular night I picked Gary up at his dorm and proceeded on to the nursing school at Kalamazoo’s Bronson Hospital. We checked in at the main desk and waited for the two girls to appear. They were about thirty feet away when we spotted them. I called “dibs on the girl with the glasses”. The ever-nimble Fox stepped forward and swooped in on my glasses girl. I ended up with the other one.

My date’s name was Nancy. I remember because it’s the only Nancy I ever dated. Her name and calling “dibs” for the girl with the glasses are the two things I remember about that night. I don’t know why Tim wanted to set the girls up. His date probably influenced his request to Gary and me. Guys tend to do that. They want to make their girls happy.

I probably would have forgotten the entire night if Gary would have honored my “dibs” declaration. But he didn’t. I’ve forgiven him but I haven’t forgotten.

Down the road I’ll have more “dibs” to share. And yes, I’ve held that grudge for the past fifty-eight years.