It’s Summertime Summertime, sum sum Summertime!!
Let’s pretend for a moment that we all have the opportunity to belong to a state-wide organization made up of thousands of really good folks who like to ride motorcycles and do the things motorcycle riding people (usually called bikers) like to do.
Once a year these fine people would get together and have a three-day party held for those state-wide members......a good old fashioned rendezvous of like-minded adults. This party would be held in a spacious, well-appointed campground which the owners would let us use exclusively for the whole weekend. This campground could be located in the most beautiful county in the state.....which would be Hocking County (of course). We could do our own security. We could schedule our own amusements. We could bring anything with us (I’m thinking coolers of ice-cold beer) and anyone that we wanted to this “rendezvous” (as long as they’re over 18) and do just about anything we wanted to do (as long as we didn’t mess with anyone else).
We could dance when we wanted to. Sleep when we wanted to. We could kick-back and stay up all night sitting around our campfires singing songs and telling stories. We could participate in (or be entertained by) a whole slew of bike events. We could shop at vendors with bike-related merchandise. Participate in (or be entertained by) anatomy contests, show off our skin illustrations in tattoo contests, listen to bands and various entertainments put on solely for our benefit. We could bring our own food to prepare ourselves over our campfires and grills, or stuff ourselves utilizing food vendors. Those of us who drink, could do just that as we strolled around absorbing it all in the fresh, open air. Those of us who still smoke could actually smoke as we drank, without any hassle from those who are so much more politically correct than we are.
Now, maybe some of you are already fortunate enough to be living your daily lives like this. To you I say, “Good for you!” But most of us aren’t. Sure we’d like to be, but for most of us the mundane things like jobs, financial and family obligations, and the law, simply doesn’t allow us to, so we can’t. But what we CAN do, is make it to the June Jam later this month on the 24th, 25th and 26th.
To this day I still remember a June Jam (though the event wasn’t even called that at the time) about twenty years ago when I awoke from sleep at dawn and began to climb out of my tent. I paused to watch a lovely lone woman very casually strolling down the roadway between the tents in the light mist of the early morning. In the background I could hear, within the stillness of that moment, the soft strains of a beautiful old song with the incongruous name of “Maggot Brain” which drifted from somebody’s radio in the distance. Wood smoke lazily rose from the ashes of our campfire from the preceding evening, and its smell seemed to make the memory even more special for some reason. Our eyes met, and she just nodded and smiled without saying anything as she continued on her way.
I’m not quite sure why this particular instance has stayed frozen so clearly in my mind after all these years, but it has. I’ve never mentioned this to anyone, nor even spoken TO the woman then or since. In fact, now I honestly can’t even remember exactly what she looked like, except that she had long hair. But that brief simple moment, that song, and that woman, just seemed to mesh and had such perfect timing that I know I’ll never forget it for the rest of my life. Silly, huh?
We work our lives away. We fulfill our obligations (most of us anyway). We spend our days trying to survive and to take care of the business of life. But other than an occasional vacation (which is usually full of way too much stress and pressure to actually enjoy), most of us rarely get to really relax, to truly be ourselves and enjoy living. It’s not even often that we’re able to pause to enjoy simple moments. Soon the day comes when we might look back on things and ask ourselves, “Was it all worth it? What have I missed out on while I was busy being so busy?”
Well, one thing I didn’t miss out on was the opportunity to witness something as pure and natural as that woman taking an early-morning solitary walk amidst a campground full of snoozing party-goers. And this year, other moments that will only be experienced by being surrounded by the really good people at this year’s June Jam will supply me with other memories.
Join us.
In other news in the “Life of Bummer”....my son Jason recently had to leave his home in Louisiana to be deployed to Guam. His job as the commander of a shop that services B-52 bombers takes him and his squadron there for four months. There are only a few bases with runways big enough to handle B-52s in the whole world, and Guam is one of them. No matter how much he assured me that things are safe there, I’m still concerned about sabotage efforts by the bad guys, considering the current state of affairs. I just know I actually held my breath until my other son, Ben returned from Iraq a few years ago.
Speaking of Ben, he also had to leave his home in Dayton recently to attend an NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer) school in Tennessee for a few months which he should have attended long ago when he first received his sergeant stripes, but didn’t have the option to due to his then current service in Iraq, and later when he spent a year in Korea. So as I write this, it looks like he won’t be able to go to the June Jam with me as we had planned. This also alters his plans of buying a new bike anytime soon.
I remember a few months ago when I told Ben that he’d just have to wait until I was gone to get my Road King because I wasn’t done with it, unlike Jason to whom I gave my Shovel a few years ago. Ben laughed and replied, “The way YOU smoke and carry on, that shouldn’t be too much longer.” OUCH! But he became too impatient to even wait that long, so he made the decision to go ahead and buy his own. Now he’s back to waiting again due to his training schedule. Serves him right, the smart-ass LMAO!
I know it might be repetitive of me, but I am SO damned proud of both my boys. To be frank, when Jason first told me he was considering military service, I was both surprised and somewhat shocked. At the time he was going to Thiel College and doing well with it, but decided to do the Air Force before finishing school.
But a few years later when Ben told me he was thinking about also going into the service, I was all for it, having seen how much Jason liked and fit into it. I wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to suggest that parents urge their kids to do the same (that is if the kid showed an interest of course). Both of my sons now have families, nice homes and probably most importantly (regarding jobs) they have careers that have enabled them to get their college degrees while they are still in the service, enabling them to have a total grip on their futures without too many worries and concerns about the economy. The only bad things about them being in the military are my concerns for their safety, and that I wish I could see them more.
Selfishly speaking, the loneliness around here sucks sometimes. Hell, I just started taking banjo lessons to keep myself out of trouble! I even tried an internet dating service a few times recently. But though I hear that many good, honest people have had a lot of success with that.....well, let’s just say that many others misrepresent the hell out of themselves on-line and leave it at that. Being my age (59) and a smoker with a big belly, I have major handicaps when it comes to finding a good woman without a ton of issues. Of course we ALL have our issues, but come on!
Ya know, I never felt bad about my age until recently. When I turned thirty I felt fine about it. The same can be said about the way I felt when turning forty, and even fifty. But now sixty is gonna be a tuff one. I can feel it already. Even more-so if I’m still alone when that happens. Of course it’s already happened to a lot of folks, but I can only speak for myself and isn’t that who I’m talking to?
Wait a minute...am I talking to myself again?
Yes you are, or actually “we” are’
See what living alone is doing to me? HELP!! I’M GOING NUTS!!
Shut up and quit yer bitchin’.
Maybe I’ll just go for a putt on the scoot.
Well, let’s go dumbass....but I ain’t ridin’ bitch!
AHHHH!!!!!
Bummer
