Just for the record this is the original first draft of an article that I did for Dayton City Paper. I had a phone interview with Justin Harris from Menomena who is really cool. I got a lot more from the interview that did not make it into the article so I might eventually do some blog posts with that unused stuff.
The outside is a swell of heat and a pool of human beings. Push and squeezing through the crowd to find our way back to the corn hole.
Dancing to Come on Eileen singing the lyrics, I can’t say for sure we distracted the boy’s game but I hope so.
Swanky drinking half a pitcher of beer straight from the pitcher.
Last call music stops. The background bouncy tunes are replaced by a sea of voices that spike and slur into a mixture of conflicting noises.
Suddenly the birthday 21 is yelling and I am inside a crowd of people. There are men yelling and I see body’s fly backward. The whole crowd backs up. Cleo and I are drowning in the masses as the birthday 21 is yelling from somewhere within the thick of the throng. Another girl yells and guys yell. People keep telling people to drop it and leave.
I have this thing I like to call Summer Fever. It’s this anxiety that sinks into your skin with the heat of the sun. It warms up your bloodstream to boiling which will cloud your vision and cause your brain to pulse in its skull shell. This fever is a need to get out, a need to be out, an undeniable craving for fun. Last summer this fever got the better of me and I got in some trouble. This year I’m trying to get a handle on it, but at least so far I’m not the only one infected.
I took pictures and enjoyed nature all by myself. I find it better for observing better for reflecting when you go all alone. This last month in Dayton for me is filled with silent goodbyes. I know I won’t be far and I know that I’ll be back, but I’d like to better appreciate and remember the places and people I’ve taken for granted.
It was sprinkling in a cooling summer haze as we drove home. Raindrops fat splatter on the ground far and few between. Quickly absorbed by the thirsty dry soil they leave no evidence behind.