And Some Things Never Change June 3, 2009
Posted by mike in Uncategorized.trackback
About 157 years ago in June of 1972, I graduated from high school. I didn’t really want to because I knew that hell was waiting on the other side, but they forced me to. Once the ceremony was over with, my dad loaded me into his 1970 gold colored impala with power everything and a 454 cubic inch engine and drove me home.
There was no oil shortage.
There was no 9/11.
There were no computers.
There was no global warming.
No one died of AIDS.
We drove home in relative silence except for this song on the radio:
Later that evening, I went out and took my sister’s pink bananna seat bike with the streamers coming out of the grips on the handlbars. I rode down by Lake Huron and the sound of the wind and the streamers was all I could hear. The constant, never ending, never stop voices in my head were quiet.
I drove that pink bananna seat bicycle to a bar called The Rainbow Lounge and ordered a Lime Vodka and 7 UP. I wasn’t old enough to drink, but no one asked for my ID, so I drank for as long as I could. My girlfriend was looking for me. My parents was looking for me. My sister wanted her bike back. Everyone wanted something. I just wanted to take it easy.
So it’s kind of come full circle.
Or maybe not.
Because I still love taking it to the limit.
Even though “the limit” is no longer “the edge.”
Y’know, Mike, I have been where you are. And I’ve come to realize that you can’t take it to the limit the way those rock ‘n’ roll bands sing about.
Most of the time.
I had a purple banana seat bike with those streamers coming out of the handles. That bitch rocked. Jesus, it’s 5:30am and I am awake again. My husband will pay for setting his damn alarm for 4:45am again! (Note to self: make male unit suffer tonight. End transmission.)
Also, the day I graduated, I too was the only person in my class I think who was not to thrilled with graduating and realized it was easier in school than out. I reflected that in my senior will in our class book. “I guess I’ll be the first to admit that I am going to miss this place.” The rest just spouted out how glad they were to leave “hell.” Fools, all of them fools! I think they would write differently today.
Cat–Yeah, but is sure was fun to try, wasn’t it?
MI–I have no one to blame but myself for being up this early. And yes, being in school was a hell of a lot more fun than being out. Most just didn’t know it at the time.
I discovered while living (and I use that term very loosely) in Greymouth (google it, you know you want to) that you could order a great cheese and pineapple burger in the time it took the jukebox to play that song.
I love that song. Thanks for making me 20 again!!!
In 1972 I was four.
Just when I start to feel old, you come along and remind me that I’m not older than you.
Awesome.
However, I was also drinking vodka at the bar in ‘72.
Carding people was a lot less restrictive back then.
The Edge… there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over. – HST
Good to see that there are decent men such as yourself still alive and making clear distinctions between one of the best* country rock “boy bands” and the last known version of God seen walking among us mere mortals.
Keep up the good work.
(* due to the lack of comparators, they get superlatives based on showing up)
Easy on the 7-Up. Who knows what they put in that shit. Oh wait – that doesn’t leave much in the glass does it?
Sigh.
Amanda–Yeah, there’s nothing like feeling 20 again is there? Except maybe “feeling up” 20 again.
Moooooog–Thanks, and what a coincidence, I was buying 4 years olds booze back in 1972.
Duke–Yeah, I miss the edge. I fell off.
Anaglyph–I love the way you think.
Talk about ordering a drink as a kid, years ago in South Carolina I could walk down to the nearest store, buy a six-pack for my mom and the clerk would not say a word.
Hate to say it, but the Eagles as a group look only slightly less ancient than the Rolling Stones.
Hey, I was born April 1972!
Beach–The drinking age at the time was 18, so I was only “just shy” of being old enough and since drinking laws weren’t nearly as ridiculous then as they are now, no one bothered to check my ID.
Malach–Of course you were!
Rode yer sistrs bike, huh?
Desperado!
Yeah, and it was a pink one!
Couda been worse, I guess.
I still just want to take it easy. Wish everyone else did, too.
i’ve always had trouble with my own limits…be nice to take it easy though
Holy shit, I come over here today and your site looks like a front cover copy of national geographic. Playboy, Hustler…I would expect, hell even respect. But you have gone to far this time young man! You have gone and gotten all professional looking and respectable on us. Time to TP your crib.
Beach Bum should wash his mouth out with soap for making rude remarks about the Eagles!
Joey–Yeah, but not by much.
Lynn–Taking it easy is what we should all be doing.
Rosie–True. I have issues with limits too.
MI–I know. I hate it too. As a matter of fact, I hate all of Word Presses templates. I was going to chage it back, but then I though why bother–they’re all uglier than shit.
Meggie–”Kids” these days!
Oh the seventies. The best music came from the seventies.
Absolutely the best!
Drove your sister’s bike to the bar? Holy cow. That is hardcore. You just started off running, huh?
Even though “the limit” is no longer “the edge.” True, so true. I hear you.
It doesn’t take nearly as much of anything to get me to the limit as it used to.
Chickie–Yeah, the limit is always just around the corner for me these days. I think all those years of abuse just moved the edge a lot closer to the middle for me.