and so the question is. Can one go home again? I'm about to put this question in play. Just finished reading/writing with David G. and his question is "why". Here's why. Being an old fart, i have a million tall tales to share, but when i think of California, i remember a time when my step father, mother and i drove to Tucson, picked up my brother Larry and my sister Karen and drove us to the beaches of California. They had never ever even seen the ocean before. What fun was had splashing and laughing at wild wet raw mother nature along with the intense enjoyment of something new. Hmmm. That must have been the summer of the late 50's.
in May, as you know, we rode the wide open west, on Snoop Skoot for almost 2 thousand miles and 9 days in the saddle. Seeing along the way a brave new (to us)million year old world. Can you even comprehend something a million years old? I can't. That adventure lit the spark. The spark of, hmmmmm? It's not such a small small world afterall. Dizney lied. It's a huge, massive, fantastic world, and i want to expreience more of it.
Then last month our company offered a "roadshow", made up of upper management giving us "remotes" a chance to mix it up and share ideas face to face. During the biz news, i learn that we (Redvision) is marching boldly into the Northern California market. Ahhhh. I nod my noggin. Northern California. NICE...Then it hit me. Like a ton of marijuana. "Hey. we can go home. I have a job making enough that doesn't care if i'm in TimBukToo, just as long as i meet the company goals. Alls i need is a high speed connection via my fi, from Verizon, and i'm kickin goals left and right. I write my superiors immediately and they respond. "Sure. You can live in California, if you want." Wow... Wow... I'm that frozen deer in the headlights. Then the little engine that could started huffin and a puffin and is now building a nice head of steam, heading west. Getting II on board is not an issue, he's ready to go now too. Linda is another story. "I love my house." is her first response. 'I've got friends here.". Hmmmm. Guess, i'm not moving this month, then?. lol...We compromise with a year. OK. we can do this. but still i haven't answered why? well.
I've lived in
Watts, North Hollywood, Edwards Air Force Base, Niles, Oliverhurst, Hayward, San Leandro, Oakland, Lake Tahoe, Walnut Creek, Santa Barbra and Goleta...
i went to multiple elementary schools, 4 high schools, 3 jr. colleges, gotten married (twice), got to hang out in Berkley when Ronald Regan was Governor and Peoples Park was the issue. Saw a baggie, what was called a "can", of weed for the first time, in the back of Jeff's station wagon with his cousin Rocky, from San Francisco. I cruised the strip with my cousin Roland, in San Leandro on East 14th St. Stood outside of that roller derby bar, on July 25th, waiting for midnight so i can buy my first real worl drink. I woke up in a tree after a party that included bikers riding their bikes up the porch and into the house, while my best friend Jimmy Kile was having a heated game of chess with one of the bikers . Whewwwww. I hitch hiked from Santa Barbara to San Francisco to stand in line for 'day of show' tickets to see Bruce Springsteen for Christmas. Took tornado's sister to that, or should i say, she took me. We taxied downtown from groovey sneaky hide away bars till just before showtime then danced the night away with the Boss in Winterland...I've eaten large doeses of chocolate powder mescaline and partied with the trees in Big Sur. I've seen Cheech and Chong on stage in Berkley... Limpy and I carried a cooler packed with cold ones, into the Santa Monica hose racetrack after a long day in Cable School with GTE, in time to bet the last 3 races.I flew my current bride into SF and had a limo waiting to take us to the Downtown Hyatt Regency Hotel the night we were married in the hills of Montecieto at the Country Club, and a limo to the Santa Barbara Airport filled with some crazy white powder..I camped out in a tent in the floor of Yosemite, way back when the bears were friendly. Well, you get the picture... Now i also have a mother and grandmother whose ashes are spread on the cliffs of Bodega Bay and i desparetly want to be able to chat with them regularly. My mother was born in Los Angeles and my Grandmother lived in Willits, long before it was cool to live in Willits. I have a Great Grandmother, Mimi, who was a real estate agent in Los Angeles in the 20's.
so. you see. i have roots. i have memories. and now i have a strong desire to go home...
