40 Calif. teenagers let loose in Europe for 28 days, in the summer of 1981. What else happened in that summer? There was a baseball strike, James Bond’s “For Your Eyes Only” was out, and Supertramp’s “Breakfast in America” was climbing the charts. What a year it was. I was 15 that summer going on 29. I was 29 when I got back, at least worldly wise I was. Which made the rest of my high school days, 11th and 12th grade, seem like a prison. Trapped in place with less worldly traveled people. My H.S. years that followed weren’t uneventful to say the least, but they were filled with a longing for Europe.

 

    It’s funny what people remember about you. I never noticed the things they mentioned to me till now, as I look back. That’s life as an American adult now, raised in that culture then. It’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring, he bumped his head and couldn’t get up in the morning, something like that. Memories seems to be the key for all us storytellers that all we humans are by nature. Recorders of events and experiences of our lives that come in and out of consciousness from time to time. You don’t realize, or at least I didn’t realize that every one has them and so profoundly to me until this point in my life, and that bond between humans is what I am now experiencing and cherishing. With my parents, and siblings, who have always been there, but going through their own growth and life as I’ve been. I’ve always opted to spend the growing up time and sharing experiences with my friends instead of my family. For this I feel guilty now for missing all that time away from them. Not realizing then how precious time truly is when you allow your surroundings to dictate your decisions of how to spend your time, and whom with.  

    

    I choose my friends because they were more my age and now that I see that those choices have substituted my time with my family I feel distant to them. For that is a flat out crying shame to me and I feel as though I wish to blame that on the society I was raised in. Not seeing the bigger picture then of how I see it now and how I adapted to it just to survive it. Well I now have survived it and wish to pass along the knowledge that its structure is what creates distance between people. It wasn’t to a fault on my parents part, they did what they were taught and passed it down in order to do the best they could for their offspring. Fortunate? yes very much so, yet, given my location on society’s scale, I, then, took advantage of all that has passed my way in order to suit my own needs. Guilty as charged. No contest. But I can’t help to look back and see my trespasses and wish for that time back to better have spent it with my family.

 

    I know I cannot go back, but I didn’t realize the consciousness of it at the time, or its implications, or its consequences. I guess I am atoning now for it, but that is useless except to experience it, this much I do know. I just can’t get it out of my mind now, and it’s really Heavy, but good I guess. For if it wasn’t heavy it would be superficial and I would truly be an asshole. Yes even more so than I have chosen to be in the past, (ha ha on me.) Sowing my oats as they say. Paying for the past now, karma curtain call if you will. Bring it baby, bring it. It’s gotta happen to me some time and with all this stuff going on in America now it’s only fitting. Just when you think your lost, life pop’s up and says here’s what’s next buddy, “hold on “BUB””, “sit back down” the rides not over yet. Life is the script in which we aren’t privy to read all the way through in the beginning, unless you’re truly fortunate like Mozart. Or maybe it’s a willful choice to pick it up and read at your leisure, or it’s different for everyone, except to the fact that we all get one script and depending on your conditions, circumstances, situations, surroundings, and neighbors, you adapt, morph, become into what you are.

 

    SO if you had the capacity to understand it all earlier what could you evolve into? How much further would you be down the line? A Lot I believe. Smarter younger is the goal. Oh the struggles of passing from young to old are another universal bond all life shares.  How to learn from Nature in order to coexist with all those around and like us? Start teaching nature vs. the current bullshit that is pumped in to people in order to keep them quiet. Priority’s change and perspective shifts as we age unless you’re a tree.  Humans need the same things to live as the trees except for one thing Shelter. Trees grow out in the elements with only its’ skin to protect it. People need to regulate their exposure due to elements yet still we need to learn how to weather the elements as the mighty Redwood does. How do we do that Mr. Wizard? More vulnerable than a tree, yet able to move away from the danger of fire.

 

    If trees had a source of vocal expression during a forest fire, there would deafening screams around the globe. If people were silent to experiences, life would be very dull. No I don’t want to be a tree, but I sure would like to meet some girls who have some brains about them. Street smarts is Ok at an early age, but no one I’ve met who was young has the wisdom in her that I’ve learned at 15 except those who went on that trip with me to Europe, but they’re too physically old for my preference. So how to find a younger female with a comparable mind. Where is that one at? Step up young lady and show yourself. Chop, chop. Time’s a wasting away. You’re getting older by the second. Quit dallying around already.

 

                                    Aloha

                                    RDM