I have to say without a doubt, my life has been a most interesting one. But, if it were not for the company I seek and hang with,...well, just shoot me, 'cause it would've been mundane. There're a lot more crazies out there to hang with, too.
It was the late 60's when I met him. We shared the same home room in High School. As I said in my previous blog bein' a country kid was tough. And those of you who are from Niles might think otherwise, or not. So, what does one do?! Look for someone to be your friend RIGHT AWAY!!!
I noticed immediately there was something different about him. It was the way he looked at me. No. His eyes weren't fluttering....pervs. It was, well, one eye would look at you and the other, well, it was looking a little left of you. I knew right away I needed to be his friend.
You see, I just didn't "fit in" with the rest of the kids. I wasn't a jock. We certainly were not a family of wealth and...I just couldn't accept the fact that life had to follow a certain path. I dunno how to splain. Back then most of my friends had graduated to a level of "strangeness". I needed that.
So, here was Lawrence. Different and totally insane. F'rinstance. His father owned a 53' 4 wheeled barge that sucked about 7 miles to the gallon. Course, back then gas was less than 25cents a gallon. Can you imagine?!! Anyway, that 53' could travel a 100 miles an hour and you felt like you were riding on a cloud. It became a totally different thing however, when "L" would let go of the steering wheel and just recline. WE WERE 16 YEARS OLD!!! Stoopidity is not part of the visage of Immortality.
But, that wasn't enough; "L" would make me drive das boot and at 100 mph he would climb out the window and stand on the hood of the car! In winter it became our snowplow. Blizzards were "our cup 'o tea". We'd tie a sled to a rope and the bumper of the 53' and cruise backroads. I remember travelling down a country road one night (yes, night. it was against the law......shhh) and "L" had the wheel to the barge. We were going about 65mph (we would call out the speed to let you know how fast you were travelling before you crashed and burned) when all of a sudden the snowpacked road turned to bumpy ice. I remember trying yell, stop, but the impact of my back to the rutted ice made me sound like I was huffing Helium. "L" of course didn't realise I had fallen off the sled until it overtook him on a turn and noticed "it" was solo.
When he returned I tried to mouth a few words, the impact had not only knocked my breath away, but also knocked one of my boots off. But, that wasn't the only thing. A dog had come from a nearby farm to checkout the commotion. After licking my face with globs of dogglop he'd noticed the lone boot. "AHA!" "PLAYTOY!!!!" Bye boot.
Anyway, daredevil escapades gave way to night trips. I mean, like "L" would knock on my bedroom window at midnight and say, "C'mon!" And we'd cruise. There was one particular night however that left an impression on me I can still remember as clearly as the weekend it happened.
"L" came over at midnight on a Friday...same o', same o'. So I thought. But this time there was something different. Something different about him. We didn't talk much, but we drove into the night. Little did I know things were going to happen in such a fashion that it changed my perspective on life and it's fragility. We drove, my friends. We drove. By the time we'd stopped we were in Detroit's Metro Airport. It was mid morning and "L" had this look of charged energy that I'd never noticed. And then the PA in the airport paged Ike and Tina Turner. That wasn't all of it though! As we raced with the crowds I accidentally ran into someone while looking elsewhere. As I stopped to apologise I noticed the man with long hair and dark sunglasses looked familiar. He said" Sorry, my fault." "L" just stood there, jaw open, not able to speak. It was Jim Morrison. Yes, people, I ran (literally) into a Door!!!!! "L" was mesmerized. I was like, "who?!" (My parents were very conservative. Lawrence Welk was on the TV).
We left Detroit Metro and continued east. I never questioned "L", or his motives. Heck, after that what else could happen? Something else did, though. We crossed into Canada after losing our way through Detroit. Followed the coastline of Lake Erie into the night until we could no longer stay awake. I remember Point Pelee, the sign said. We parked and fell into a deep sleep.
The rap on the window scared the crap out of both of us! A Mountie. He said the park was closed, but would give us break for the night. Good dude.
I woke the next morning and "L" was not in the car. I got out and walked down to the beach of Lake Erie. He was standing there looking into the distance, the American side of the Lake. I then knew why we'd come this far. The horizon was a dark cloud. Not a thundercloud, but one of smoke. The Lake caught fire that year and we were there to see it burn.
Our senior year in high school was just as fun and maniacal as the years before. As with most young people back then we'd concocted this idea we wanted to be Rock Stars. Our group was comprised of 3 of us and our band name after much thought and the third member being the "brainiac" he was and is, named us, The Pyloric Valves. Look it up in your medical dictionaries. I'm going to let you do some of the work here, too.
After being shot down for so many auditions we finally called it quits. We did manage to copyright a song which is probably in some dusty, dank shelf in the copyright office. It was called "Intestinal trek". that should give you a clue to the band name.
Graduation gave way to summer jobs and college. I on the other hand had to work longer and save for my entire tuition, because my father didn't want to pay for an Artist in the family. (Artists are fags). Thanks Dad!
"L" went to one of the local colleges and then to Western Michigan Univ. I enjoyed going up on the weekends to visit with, because I could was able to sit in with him on his midnight shows. "L" was a campus DJ with the radio name....Adam Bomb! It was awesome! Chicks were calling, people were buying us pizzas, he was a celebrity on campus.
But the candle began to burn out. "L's" girlfriend ran off with the Domino's Pizza guy and he went into a spiral of depression. I remember our last night together before he left. We'd been partying into the wee hours and he was giving me a ride home. I kinda dozed off for a moment and then was startled awake by crashing noises. "L" was travelling over 120mph and running into mailboxes!!! "Shit, Man! I don't want to die with you!" I said.
A month later I received a postcard from him. He'd travelled to Arizona and stayed with some relatives then headed to Texas. His car was nearly swallowed by the Gulf of Mexico as he sat alone on a beach. He'd noticed the tide rising and decided to move his car. Had it not been for the Texan with the four wheel drive it no doubt would become a shallow reef.
Years passed and the letters grew thin. I caught the occassional window washer for skyscrapers in downtown Houston. The microwave tower repairman for the "Free Cuba"radio stations. And then silence. For nearly 20 years.
As I was sitting at home one night early this summer the phone rang. Lisa, my wife answered and then handed the headset to me. It was "L". And he was in the area. He'd left Houston to come home and get a job. I was excited to see him! We could catch up on ol' times......
When I saw him I hugged him. But, I was shocked to see he had fallen victim to hard times. REAL HARD times. He was homeless, penniless, jobless. It hurt to see him that way. There was nothing I could to do help. Money, was short-term. He needed a job. But, as I told him, "We're too old, man!" "The job market wants young people, not 50 somethings." He wouldn't accept it. At least until he was beaten by the odds and the hard truth. I told him he had to find the strength inside to do it alone. And it is "alone", my friends. In the past 5 years I have submitted online and in person over 1,000 applications! Seriously, it's freakin' scary!!! Had I known what was in store for me earlier (before the "you gotta go" thing) I would've accepted several positions that were offered to me. But, that meant moving and the wife, she "wasn't leaving her job". Can't say as I blame her. At the time I stayed for family...........................whatever....
Back to "L".
He was gone toward the end of the summer. Tired of living in run down hotel rooms and tired of begging for money for food and gas. A month ago I received a postcard of Colorado on it. He was in Idaho (I know, Colo., Idaho...he's just that way). He, too, has a blogsite and it reminds me of the friend I knew a long time ago. Talent! He's crazy in a very talented way. I'll give the blogsite after this summary.
"L" was definitey an impact in my life. Maybe he was the one who opened that door to "mayhem" and shoved me in.
his blog: wakinguphorny.blogspot.com
It's funny, sad but creative.
I hope all is well with you my friend. I wish it was different and I miss you.
We had a helluva ride!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was the late 60's when I met him. We shared the same home room in High School. As I said in my previous blog bein' a country kid was tough. And those of you who are from Niles might think otherwise, or not. So, what does one do?! Look for someone to be your friend RIGHT AWAY!!!
I noticed immediately there was something different about him. It was the way he looked at me. No. His eyes weren't fluttering....pervs. It was, well, one eye would look at you and the other, well, it was looking a little left of you. I knew right away I needed to be his friend.
You see, I just didn't "fit in" with the rest of the kids. I wasn't a jock. We certainly were not a family of wealth and...I just couldn't accept the fact that life had to follow a certain path. I dunno how to splain. Back then most of my friends had graduated to a level of "strangeness". I needed that.
So, here was Lawrence. Different and totally insane. F'rinstance. His father owned a 53' 4 wheeled barge that sucked about 7 miles to the gallon. Course, back then gas was less than 25cents a gallon. Can you imagine?!! Anyway, that 53' could travel a 100 miles an hour and you felt like you were riding on a cloud. It became a totally different thing however, when "L" would let go of the steering wheel and just recline. WE WERE 16 YEARS OLD!!! Stoopidity is not part of the visage of Immortality.
But, that wasn't enough; "L" would make me drive das boot and at 100 mph he would climb out the window and stand on the hood of the car! In winter it became our snowplow. Blizzards were "our cup 'o tea". We'd tie a sled to a rope and the bumper of the 53' and cruise backroads. I remember travelling down a country road one night (yes, night. it was against the law......shhh) and "L" had the wheel to the barge. We were going about 65mph (we would call out the speed to let you know how fast you were travelling before you crashed and burned) when all of a sudden the snowpacked road turned to bumpy ice. I remember trying yell, stop, but the impact of my back to the rutted ice made me sound like I was huffing Helium. "L" of course didn't realise I had fallen off the sled until it overtook him on a turn and noticed "it" was solo.
When he returned I tried to mouth a few words, the impact had not only knocked my breath away, but also knocked one of my boots off. But, that wasn't the only thing. A dog had come from a nearby farm to checkout the commotion. After licking my face with globs of dogglop he'd noticed the lone boot. "AHA!" "PLAYTOY!!!!" Bye boot.
Anyway, daredevil escapades gave way to night trips. I mean, like "L" would knock on my bedroom window at midnight and say, "C'mon!" And we'd cruise. There was one particular night however that left an impression on me I can still remember as clearly as the weekend it happened.
"L" came over at midnight on a Friday...same o', same o'. So I thought. But this time there was something different. Something different about him. We didn't talk much, but we drove into the night. Little did I know things were going to happen in such a fashion that it changed my perspective on life and it's fragility. We drove, my friends. We drove. By the time we'd stopped we were in Detroit's Metro Airport. It was mid morning and "L" had this look of charged energy that I'd never noticed. And then the PA in the airport paged Ike and Tina Turner. That wasn't all of it though! As we raced with the crowds I accidentally ran into someone while looking elsewhere. As I stopped to apologise I noticed the man with long hair and dark sunglasses looked familiar. He said" Sorry, my fault." "L" just stood there, jaw open, not able to speak. It was Jim Morrison. Yes, people, I ran (literally) into a Door!!!!! "L" was mesmerized. I was like, "who?!" (My parents were very conservative. Lawrence Welk was on the TV).
We left Detroit Metro and continued east. I never questioned "L", or his motives. Heck, after that what else could happen? Something else did, though. We crossed into Canada after losing our way through Detroit. Followed the coastline of Lake Erie into the night until we could no longer stay awake. I remember Point Pelee, the sign said. We parked and fell into a deep sleep.
The rap on the window scared the crap out of both of us! A Mountie. He said the park was closed, but would give us break for the night. Good dude.
I woke the next morning and "L" was not in the car. I got out and walked down to the beach of Lake Erie. He was standing there looking into the distance, the American side of the Lake. I then knew why we'd come this far. The horizon was a dark cloud. Not a thundercloud, but one of smoke. The Lake caught fire that year and we were there to see it burn.
Our senior year in high school was just as fun and maniacal as the years before. As with most young people back then we'd concocted this idea we wanted to be Rock Stars. Our group was comprised of 3 of us and our band name after much thought and the third member being the "brainiac" he was and is, named us, The Pyloric Valves. Look it up in your medical dictionaries. I'm going to let you do some of the work here, too.
After being shot down for so many auditions we finally called it quits. We did manage to copyright a song which is probably in some dusty, dank shelf in the copyright office. It was called "Intestinal trek". that should give you a clue to the band name.
Graduation gave way to summer jobs and college. I on the other hand had to work longer and save for my entire tuition, because my father didn't want to pay for an Artist in the family. (Artists are fags). Thanks Dad!
"L" went to one of the local colleges and then to Western Michigan Univ. I enjoyed going up on the weekends to visit with, because I could was able to sit in with him on his midnight shows. "L" was a campus DJ with the radio name....Adam Bomb! It was awesome! Chicks were calling, people were buying us pizzas, he was a celebrity on campus.
But the candle began to burn out. "L's" girlfriend ran off with the Domino's Pizza guy and he went into a spiral of depression. I remember our last night together before he left. We'd been partying into the wee hours and he was giving me a ride home. I kinda dozed off for a moment and then was startled awake by crashing noises. "L" was travelling over 120mph and running into mailboxes!!! "Shit, Man! I don't want to die with you!" I said.
A month later I received a postcard from him. He'd travelled to Arizona and stayed with some relatives then headed to Texas. His car was nearly swallowed by the Gulf of Mexico as he sat alone on a beach. He'd noticed the tide rising and decided to move his car. Had it not been for the Texan with the four wheel drive it no doubt would become a shallow reef.
Years passed and the letters grew thin. I caught the occassional window washer for skyscrapers in downtown Houston. The microwave tower repairman for the "Free Cuba"radio stations. And then silence. For nearly 20 years.
As I was sitting at home one night early this summer the phone rang. Lisa, my wife answered and then handed the headset to me. It was "L". And he was in the area. He'd left Houston to come home and get a job. I was excited to see him! We could catch up on ol' times......
When I saw him I hugged him. But, I was shocked to see he had fallen victim to hard times. REAL HARD times. He was homeless, penniless, jobless. It hurt to see him that way. There was nothing I could to do help. Money, was short-term. He needed a job. But, as I told him, "We're too old, man!" "The job market wants young people, not 50 somethings." He wouldn't accept it. At least until he was beaten by the odds and the hard truth. I told him he had to find the strength inside to do it alone. And it is "alone", my friends. In the past 5 years I have submitted online and in person over 1,000 applications! Seriously, it's freakin' scary!!! Had I known what was in store for me earlier (before the "you gotta go" thing) I would've accepted several positions that were offered to me. But, that meant moving and the wife, she "wasn't leaving her job". Can't say as I blame her. At the time I stayed for family...........................whatever....
Back to "L".
He was gone toward the end of the summer. Tired of living in run down hotel rooms and tired of begging for money for food and gas. A month ago I received a postcard of Colorado on it. He was in Idaho (I know, Colo., Idaho...he's just that way). He, too, has a blogsite and it reminds me of the friend I knew a long time ago. Talent! He's crazy in a very talented way. I'll give the blogsite after this summary.
"L" was definitey an impact in my life. Maybe he was the one who opened that door to "mayhem" and shoved me in.
his blog: wakinguphorny.blogspot.com
It's funny, sad but creative.
I hope all is well with you my friend. I wish it was different and I miss you.
We had a helluva ride!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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