I cannot think of anything that happened on Tuesday so my only conclusion can be that nothing happened on Tuesday at all. Twas a negative void in all the universe in which nothing occurred and some vast intergalactic being gained so so many days from living creatures that he added onto his own life certain immortality. This unknown supreme being stole everyone’s Tuesday and thanks to it shall eventually out live the universe itself. His curse shall be to sit alone and bored in the leftovers of all that was; cosmic stew and space decay shall stain his sneakers a nasty yellow brown.
Weaving past bored children and excited grandparents we go around the corner to be confronted by a giant smokey the bear. This bear is clearly hand made. Something in his face is off which gives you an uneasy feeling. Like who is this deformed imposter pretending to be smokey the bear?! The worst thing of all was the draw string mouth of obvious puppeteering. The voice of the bear was coming from the very obvious speaker near by. This was the most average voice of the most average guy I have ever heard. He must be an OSU student perhaps volunteering because it looks good on the resume. Anyway I was going to pose for a picture in front of the plastic monstrosity when the voice begins to directly address one of the children passing by.
How does Satan know his name? I wonder. I watch in horrified amusement with less shame than looking at a car accident. I have no idea where the voice is coming from, which I will give them credit for. However the receiving mic seemed to be faulty. The giant fake bear of evil and doom asked the child “What’s your favorite part of the fair so far Brian?” The little boy nervously began to answer and midway through speaking the bear yells “That’s great I liked that too!” Obviously the bear truly did not hear him. Smokey the bear is a liar and a fraud! I no longer desired any sort of photo with the creature. We moved on. The blind and deaf the beast was being fed information. The false profit knew nothing of our coming and going. It appeared that he only ate children’s souls so we easily escaped unharmed.
I saw a lot of fancy nice designer clothes. I saw a million well put together outfits. I saw yuppies and yacht owners.
I saw homeless and stinky.
I saw tourists walking around with wide eyes and cameras at the ready.
I saw families. I saw couples of every possible sort. I saw a million dogs many of them small and so damn cute. Apparently one of the custard shops on High Street was giving out free plain custard with a dog bone to any dog for free this day.
I saw furies. I saw a bunch of full on dog costume people with masks, tails and collars. There were actually a lot of them.
I saw people and children wearing fairy wings.
I saw Drag Queens in beautiful gowns.
I saw organizations which had all their people wearing the same color shirt. Some slogan was printed across I’m sure it said who they were and what they did but I never saw close enough to know what that was. There were at least three different shirts out there a dozen or so being within each pack.
I saw a large group of girls dressed as airline stewardesses. I believe they were handing out flyers for something maybe?
I saw a group of five skate boarders all ride down the street. In unison they kicked off down the road at full speed basically keeping up with the cars who were trapped in the busy High Street stop and go.
And all along the sidewalk you could find tables selling local art, handcrafted jewelry, printed T-shirts, organic goods and more. Many corners featured fantastic musicians playing for money and dressed in their own cool ass style.
When I was off I was off. YHA was set to play at 10:30 at Kafe Kerouac which is on High Street. I walked as fast as I could. I dodged and bobbed in-between the sea of human beings. I squeezed through and I excused. I hurried and scurried. I ran across green light roads. All the while I ignored the pain in my legs and feet.
The party that night was fun. I’ve developed a habit of staying up until the break of dawn with the boys. There were fireworks of Illegal quality, ducks (I’m serious Sullivan’s family has pet ducks) a pack of seven little yapping dogs who bite and snap at your ankles anytime you walk across the living room floor, smoked deer meat, beer, sparklers, meat loaf baked into zucchini, and an orange cay named Tommy.
Hanging in a room each of us doing our own thing. Smoke like mist hovering in the air as music from a cell phone combines with the natural lighting to create an atmosphere of lazy late summer day complete freedom breath of fresh air.
As I sit here I think to myself It’s amazing how many places one can be all at once. In this room, in a chair, lost in thought. Running through my mind, Dancing in their memories. A name on the tip of your tongue, a catch in the throat. I’m thinking I’ll use that in a short story at some point. Copyright 7/6/2013 once this post is posted.
I don’t want to come off as an asshole when I say I’ve never given a shit about the fourth of July but that’s basically what I’m saying here.
I like BBQ’s and sparklers and seeing my friends. I like smores, bonfires and beer. I cannot say however that I have ever truly associated any of these activities as a celebration of America. I realize that is supposed to be the purpose however it has never been heavily present in my mind. If anything my favorite part of Fourth of July is getting fireworks illegally from out of state. My favorite part of this holiday celebrating my country is breaking the law?
And today was my second to last waffle Tuesday. Two weeks left is creeping in, seeping in, sinking in with heavy gravitational weight. So sudden I desperately want to see all my people and do everything I can before I go. Weekends are already booked and pushed and crammed into every free second I have. Weekdays I’m still charting, mapping, leaving open to the wind and getting an idea of best course to sail. I am resisting the expensive urge to go out each and every night I have left.
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.
I smell the fire most of all. I smell the chemical burn of lighter fluid which Collins almost blew himself up with. I laughed when the tip of the bottle had a flame. (Nervous reaction more than a manic delight at possible carnage I assure you.)
I smell smores, hotdogs and muss melon all snacks we snack upon.
I smell summer sprinkles and the extinguishing flame. Forced out of existence smoke charges into the air in a big show hissy fit. Clouds of gray are pluming up into the black night sky. Dissolved with time faded and forgotten. Flame is a short life lived to its fullest.