Saturday, April 2, 2011

Poles


I woke up in the back of the van, alone. It was hot. I leaned up on one arm and looked out the windshield to see where I was. Tommy must be surfing. I wiggle into my brown crocheted bikini and pull my hair back into a pony tail. "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys” is in the tape deck and I wonder if this is what I want to listen to right now. I’m thinking I might want to smoke a joint and listen to some Pink Floyd, but it’s really not important.

As I navigate my way up to the front seat the beach catches my attention. The waves are small but perfectly formed. There are maybe five or six surfers in the water. The sun is at their backs and it feels like there is nothing else in the world but this small stretch of beach and the ocean and the sky. When I swing my legs around I look out the passenger window and see the dead surfboard stuck to the tree. I think it was Robo’s board that he got pissed off at a week or two ago and slammed it up against the tree. A branch from the tree stuck through the board and the board has been a part of the tree ever since. Someone spray painted it with the words “Locals Only”. There’s really not much need for a sign. Once in a blue moon some out of town surfer might show up here but it’s rare.

Private beaches are a perversion actually. The beach should be free and open to all. It’s a nice theory anyway. Sadly if beaches aren’t maintained and monitored and policed to some degree they are often abused. It seemed sad when the parks were closed at night. The county passed an ordinance that all public parks would be closed from sundown to sunrise every day. It sure changed our lifestyle. Of course our lifestyle is the reason for the ordinance. Because of our parties and consumption of illegal substances at our parties your picnic or nature walk or shell gathering must end before the sun sets. It’s funny, we didn’t like being controlled by law enforcement and government, but when I look back on it, it was us controlling them to a large degree. No matter what you give a living creature all he wants is freedom. It took a long time for me to learn this. I certainly didn’t know it in 1971 while sliding out of the van and down to the shore to coax the boys in so we could get breakfast somewhere. 
:P            

13 comments:

  1. Need more blog :)

    Reading yours is making me feel like I should be doing the same, but, I don't think I'm ready yet. So, I need more of yours :)

    Joe

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  2. There's plenty more Joe. I haven't even gotten through 1972 yet.

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  3. o.m.g. Incredible first post. I'm hooked. I'm also listening to "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys"(which I hadn't heard of) on youtube while reading this. I also love your little ":P" symbol.

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  4. I wanted to share what it felt like to be Tommy's girlfriend. There was always music and it could have been any song from that time period. Tom is a piano player, so that song seems like a fitting tribute.
    I'm really glad you like it. Ever since you told me I should blog, I've been looking for a theme.

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  5. 1971 cool night 1\2 mile off poles I ran quitely off shore and turned towards the beach to see my target glided along side got my load then back to that green and red dim light of the us1 bridge streaight to the trail. Ok I'll stop but if you want more just ask

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    1. Please continue. It's very familiar.

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    2. Well its your blog but it was our life god I loved it and I will and you shut it down any time iwill not use names( just a simple time of a old jupiter boy long sence retired

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    3. ok after a thought i will start my own blog so not to enterfear with yours i will start on monday. there will be nothing hurtfull no names just the truth my storie.(and they say the truth will set you free) i'm in no way ashamed because that was just the way it was. www.scammingonjupiterwarter.com

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    4. In my opinion, you can't retire from being a Jupiter boy. But you will feel compelled to tell your story. Happy writing, my friend.

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  6. John Edward Clark, RNJuly 14, 2012 at 2:24 PM

    ~These Writings are very important to those of us of whom know these recollections as Past reality & Continuing Memories. Sooo very Beautifull! I had actually forgotten Robo's yellow (?) board pierced & hanging on the broke-off limb. Now I can see it in my mind's eye just as if I were there right now. I was very likely one of those "five or six"... surely... maybe I was Number 7, Y'Know? ! One point- You were at our backs, covering for sure. We were looking straight into another Jupiter Sunrise... Yes? Your note has brought happy tears to my eyes- of so many good memories. Gracias... jec

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    1. You are quite welcome John Clark. It was a special time in an ideal setting for us to begin to define ourselves. Who we are today is a tribute to that time and place. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who remembers.....

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