When I started this blog back in August of last year I had no idea what a rich community of people I would be meeting and getting to know through blogs and communications. I have found myself looking forward to chatting it up with some of my newly found blog buddies. Many of you have shared of yourself. Some of you quite a lot. I have found your stories to be funny and creative, inspiring and insightful, and sometimes quite sad but always hopeful. I have seen myself in some of your words and I have been bettered by them.
I have also been inspired by you all to share something of myself.
What follows is a post I did way back last September. At the time I think I really needed to write it but I wasn’t ready to share with anyone. Soon after I posted, I buried this deep in a sea of bad navigation and a flurry of others. I don’t think anyone saw it. At the time I was relieved. Now I have reconsidered.
Those who know me by my blog alias; Strawberryindigo, may be surprised by the following post and then again maybe not, but for those who know me by Nancy, the following may explain much……
I find myself at a place in the road that requires concentration lest I fall off the side and into the mud. I am learning that this writing “business” contains layers and facets that I am not well versed in.
Call it the human side of writing. The personal side. The side that comes out at 3 a.m. on one of those long nights of the soul. That is a precious commodity. It’s the voice, the one that whispers to me and then eventually screams.
It is this thing that I believe to be at the very core of artistic endeavor, it is carnal and raw but honest. It can be ugly or scary or beautiful. It is essential, it is like breath, but it is easily lost and with its loss comes a loss of ones true nature.
I have always prided myself an independent thinker. A person who went against the common tide and came up with my own unique take. I’ve been wrong many times but I have always been true to myself and others. I’m bull-headed but honest, I’m flawed but pure….
I thought I had this quality in spades and my ego grew like a big fat balloon. This honesty I have always prided myself on, this writing from the heart was lost yesterday. I stopped listening to my heart. I lost myself on the side of the road. I spilled my integrity all over the street and now I have mud all over me.
Saturday I sent out a post that was not up to my standards or anyone else’s for that matter. This fluff piece about a movie is garbage. I am not qualified to write anything on the subject of movies, nor do I want to be qualified. Just because I like a movie doesn’t mean I should expect anyone to read such insignificant tripe. I apologise to you and myself for this.
I was not being true to either one of us. I am truly sorry. I promise that I will never write any such thing again.
From now on it’s just me. No crappy junk, no compromise, no dumbing down, all the strange pages of weird stuff are going and I will just concentrate on what I do best.
I must confess; at one time I was a latte whore. I didn’t care where I got it or how I got It, as long as I got my Chai latte. It is a weakness of mine that I enjoy, this love for Chai latte; it was love at first sip and its been going strong for a few years.
At first it was a no-brainer; there was no question as to where to get this coveted drink of mine..Starbucks. This is the place for me, I decided. It’s a bit corporate, but so what? I know what I’m getting there.
At Starbucks everyone seems so upwardly mobile, so cute in their colorful new clothes..people with jobs and busy lives. Even the slackers types were busy clicking away with the free Wi Fi. Everyone was happy and smiled and were friendly. I guess that is easy to do when you have a job and extra money for fancy coffees.
I like the music in Starbucks, they play all types. It is the only place where I will hear old jazz tunes from the 40’s my eclectic taste perks to attention on that….Billie Holiday and caffeine? What more do you want?
We started to frequent a particular one, M.M. and I. It seemed the lattes were extra good over there. Frothy and creamy with a swirl of spicy…I am in Latte heaven!
One bright late summer morning last year something happened that at first didn’t seem so bad but then as time went on it got worse. What I am talking about here doesn’t sound so bad until you’ve lived it…I really don’t want to offend anyone by what I say. Especially this group of people but in order I tell my story I must…
I can’t put it any other way than this; It was the cops. We would walk in and there they were, a pack of them. At first I thought; cool, I have always thought of the police as people too, and I have always appreciated the risks they take everyday for us. I am not a criminal, I have no record and I should have nothing to fear from the police. They are brave men and women who serve and protect……….but quite the suspicious bunch.
I felt it right away. I looked at them as people, they looked at me like a criminal. I am really very harmless looking, I bet most of them could take me in a fight. It’s obvious. So I am surprised when one looks at me like a potential threat. I suppose they are trained to be like that, and it’s probably necessary in their book. But I can’t help but be uncomfortable.
It is this reason why they are a “they” and everyone else, including the criminals and me are: “We.” It is also the reason we tried a new place down the street; A laid-back appearing hippie type establishment by the name of Tom and Mary’s. A picture of Tom and Mary graced the sign out front, they looked so nice.. I liked them instantly, even before we met. There was tie-dye everywhere and plastic chairs to sit on. The inside looked like the outside but I thought; so what.
No more cops and no more corporate guilt. I am on the edge now, part of the anti establishment crowd …. A latte revolutionist! Aha!
It was a bit downhill after that though; Tom appeared at least twenty years older in person than he did on the sign. He didn’t smile or even look at us at all. He muttered at us while Mary made the lattes. She wasn’t much friendlier. M.M.’s attempts at some sort of witty banter with her fell flat. We could tell she didn’t take fools gladly. Mary was not the laid back hippie princess on the sign, she was a mean old witch. Yikes! The lines on her face told the story.
The place was empty and silent as a tomb. A pimply toucan faced man with a tiny little dog walked in and chatted it up with Tom and Mary who, apparently liked him better than us. I got the impression that this place didn’t cotton to outsiders who looked like Starbucks people. I think it was my purple lipstick and Prada bag but I didn’t feel a part of the whole groove anymore.. My dreams of being a revolutionist dashed, I sighed and tried the drink. It was good, I wanted it to be damn awful, I wanted to spit it out and run back to Starbucks. right then and there.
We went back a couple of times but could no longer stand it. I am glad to say we returned to the corporate giant and then I understood the reason for some of their success. A Smile. The people at Starbucks seemed friendlier and happier. We told those kind people of our ordeal and they welcomed us back with open arms.
And the cops? They seemed friendlier and happier too. And different. Two lady cops at the back booth last time. I secretly drank a toast to justice and lattes and the two ladies in blue totally ignored us.
Ever since I was a young child that could grip a pencil, I wrote; scraps and pieces and this and that. For the most of the last decade, I have not had much time to write. I was too busy being a mom, but now as my kids grow older, I have more time to pursue my dream of being a writer.
I believe the time is right for me, I am old enough to have built a library of experiences, wise enough to use them and young enough to be able to use them.
I believe in the power of words and the power of words to change the world. The world is a big place but there are a lot of words. Words can unite people. A well-crafted story can take the reader on a journey they couldn’t have gone on otherwise. I myself have lived many lives through the eyes of another by reading a good book or story…or a good blog.
Just last night I visited the blog of an individual who was not only a talented writer but someone who had a story to tell of a life that I am not well versed in. Through the words of that person I got a small glimpse into a life I wouldn’t have known. A unique view. I came away feeling enriched and inspired.
I was inspired enough to ask myself “Why am writing, what is my message?” There is no denying that I am compelled to write and now that I am doing it regularly, I feel uneasy and unsettled when I don’t. Writing has become a part of me that I cannot live without. It is the air that I breathe and it has taken my soul.
I can pour my thoughts out on paper in a way I never could by just speaking. The more I write, the easier it comes and the more I can produce at a given time.
I am a private and solitary person. I suffer from some social phobias and generally I have found much difficulty in communicating orally. The written word gives me an outlet to the outside world.
I want to someday inspire others with my words, inspire the good to be great and the bad to be better… perhaps save the world a bit here or there.. a tiny bit of it or myself, anyway. The world is a big place and I am but one person… I do dream. It may be stupid and it may be futile, but it is better to dream than to not to. So…here I am dreaming and writing away….And wishing you a…
Hey you…Yes you..Can you hear me? I guess you don’t but I’m going to tell you anyway. Maybe someone smarter than you may listen and learn something….
We almost hit you today, my friend and I. We almost plowed right into you with his dark green Honda. You could have been seriously hurt or worse. You have no idea how close you came to getting your nice young red blood spilled all over the street.
If it wasn’t for my friend’s lightning quick reflexes and some kick ass breaks you would have been toast today.
I can imagine how your parents would have felt. You getting hit on your way to school, at the start of a new school year. Maybe they saw you off this morning, maybe they watched you with pride as you walked off to school. You are quite tall for your age, which I suspect is about 16. You with your dark hair and black clothes must have cut quite the figure as you walked off, navy blue backpack, jammed full of books on your back.
Being a parent of a 16-year-old myself, I understand how it’s hard to let go and trust that your kid is going to do the right thing. You teach what you can and hope for the best. I’m sure your parents taught you how to cross the street. I bet they told you to use a cross walk, look both ways and don’t just walk out into moving traffic. But yet this is just what you did.
You walked into oncoming traffic, without a care in the world…You never even looked up, or you would have seen us. You, stooped over with your hood covering the tell-tale white cord and ear buds of your IPOD.. you never even heard us, honking at you…you never heard the screech that the tires made as we stopped just in the nick of time. We came so close..you came so close, and you never noticed.
I wanted to stop and get out of the car and chase you down to give you a stern talking to. I wanted you to know how serious it all is, this life business. I’ve lived long enough to realise that life is fragile and fate can turn on a dime. One second of stupidity can make you pay big time for a lifetime.
I know you probably made it to school, the very same school my son goes to, you might even know him. And you probably made it safely home after school today as my son did. All the while never knowing how close you came to your life changing forever, and not just your life, but your parents lives, who most likely bought you that IPOD and would never forgive themselves for it, or the lives of your friends and family members who would miss you, not to mention, my friend who would have hit you, he never would have been the same either….
And so to anyone who is listening tonight…hug your kid a little tighter tonight, I will.
Oh what a crazy day in my little neck of the woods..Yikes! My crazy drunken neighbor was in rare form, he had his car radio turned up and it was blasting the top 40 by 7 a.m.
That man is spirited I must tell you; he started yelling around noon. The usual “Yeah!” and “Whooah!”.. the music got louder and louder. As strange as this sounds; I like the guy’s taste in music, so I am enjoying myself out in the front, doing some light weeding and some casual seed harvesting, when the dried out wheat straw neurotic from next door shows up.
She asks me about the crazy drunken neighbor, as if I am responsible for the man’s behavior. “I don’t know why he’s like that, I guess he is crazy.” She asks me if I have called the cops on him and then asks “What is my take on this?” She has this notion that somehow I can resolve this for her because “I have lived here longer.” ( me,11 years her, 6 years)
I informed her of a time I called the cops, only to have them show up at my house, talk to me in right in front and all the while pointing directly at the guy before they talk to him for 2 minutes, then leave. I tell her that I have an uneasy truce with the guy and I don’t want to ruin it.
She looks at me like I am crazy. I suggest that she, Mrs wheat straw call the cops. She doesn’t like it, she mentions my dying tree in a snide manner, I tell her I’m trying to save the poor thing. Just then like if on cue; We hear a “Yeah!” She sighs and scampers off and I am left to my seed heads.
I was busy for most of the day; doing Mom stuff and gardening. I could hear the party getting louder and louder. Crazy drunken guy drumming on something and then he starting yelling out words but I couldn’t make out what they were, through all the slur. I crept up closer and listened..It was “America!” “God bless America!” How touching and how patriotic. This got a laugh out of me and the day progressed and eventually everything became quiet.
He must be napping, I mused and went to make dinner.
I am almost ready to put everything on the table when Act Two begins; It starts with a flurry of loud explosions (Fireworks) and ends a few minutes later with “You dirty F***ing Whore!” over and over..Then bottles break and the roar of an engine, someone has driven off, I don’t want to look.
We turn up the music (Beatles, Abbey Road) and eat our dinner (chicken and rice, Yum) I notice that it’s getting dark as the sounds of a click clicking of someone running in high heels tells me the party isn’t quite over yet.
The night plays out without further incidents, or so I thought….I stayed up late writing about my “Unblinking eye of truth” post and chatting online. It was about 1:30a.m. when I heard a noise, I didn’t know what it was and opened my front door and looked out. There was the crazy neighbor’s adult son, I’ll call him Pudgy, kicking over my trash can! He looks right at me and says with glee; “Call the cops.”
My stupid temper makes me run out and tell him to “Pick that up right now!” He keeps going. M.M. drags me inside…I am totally worked up by now and I stay up and drink coffee till I pass out……and then…Good Morning: it’s time to start the day and I’m off on a new adventure! Have a great day! Strawberryindigo.
The truth; the whole truth and nothing but the truth…those are familiar words, but do most people truly adhere to every letter of that misused and misunderstood word? The Truth. As a word it seems so formidable, so tall and strong. The truth never blinks an eye and never lets up for a second.
The truth is extremely important to me, maybe too much so. One of my quirky Asperian traits involves the truth and my devotion to it. I am compelled to speak the truth as I see it, I can do no less.
If someone asks for my honest opinion, I must give it. I try to be as diplomatic as possible, but sometimes the truth hurts, no matter how you sugar coat it. I feel I owe it to people to be honest with them.
I feel that one of the worst lies a person can tell is to themselves. This lie is the most dangerous because it blinds us to reality. I have tried to be honest with myself, no matter how painful the truth can sometimes be. This is essential to my personal well-being and long-term success.
I don’t mind being incorrect and I don’t mind being wrong. In fact, I welcome this. I have an open mind; To me, mistakes are opportunities for growth. I try to learn as much as I can from my mistakes and from others mistakes as well…We live in interesting times and I can truthfully say that I have learned a lot.
I have learned that “The Truth” varies with one’s perspective of it. My friend Einstein let me in on that little nugget and it certainly rings true. Many conflicts occur because both sides of the argument are convinced that their truth is more true than the others truth, “You must be wrong because I am right” and all that nonsense.
There are, however, universal truths that we all share. We all want to live in peace and happiness, to be able to fulfill our hopes and dreams. We all need love and understanding. We have so much in common, we share the same planet and we all need each other.
We can deny these truths, we can look away, but in the deepest parts of our hearts we know what is right….. They say “The truth shall set you free” and I truly believe that….and I cannot look away any longer……
Happy Sept.12th. Strawberryindigo.
“This is the character of truth; it is of all time, it is for all men, it has only to show itself to be recognized, and one cannot argue against it” **Voltaire**
A Runaway Train On Meth or how I didn’t stop worrying and love insanity…
It takes an extreme amount of energy to try to keep hopeful on this insane wreck of a planet. I am a reformed news addict; I simply cannot take it anymore! The nightly news is so sensationalist and bizarre and oh so depressing.
I do not need this, I can look outside my window and find bizarre and depressing. I feel the urge sometimes, to head for hills, or somewhere. It reminds me of a car wreck, a horrific, bloody mess of a car wreck, a truly sickening sight, I have to look away but then I’m compelled to take a little peek…and I’m frightened at what I see…
We are a great society in decline, a massive and swift decline. We are in such decline that we are likely to screw it up for all life on this planet, not just ourselves. We as a species are so egocentric, we believe that the Earth and all its treasures are for us to control and manipulate to our own greedy selfish ends.
We condemn others who do not share this philosophy of dominance and instead promote unity and coexistence. Society writes them off as best as well-meaning ignorants or at worst, militant nuts.
I am guilty as the next person, I will admit. I consume like a good citizen. I stay out of trouble, I recycle and pay my mortgage on time. I pay my taxes and I never see the man behind the curtain, I have a good idea that he’s there, pulling all the strings. I know enough to just pay up and keep my mouth shut….
Or do I? Maybe I’ve decided not to keep my mouth shut or my eyes. It’s like a bad dream and human society is a runaway train on meth and no one is at the controls. In fact, the crazy passengers on the train of fools are busily arguing as to whether they need an engineer at all. We are about to jump he tracks. everybody sees it, they all talk about it but do nothing. It’s like they cannot stop the insanity long enough to see this and I am the only one who does and I’m no damned train engineer, I want to scream…..”Stop this selfish bickering before it’s too late and we fall into an abyss never to return”…and no one can hear me but I still shout…….
The spectrum of humanity lives in my garden. All the hues are represented. I spent much of the day today here in the garden, working and enjoying the beautiful day.
Here in my garden among nature’s living color. The riotous reds and sunny saffron. The bright fuchsias, vivid indigo and royal plums, Tangerine oranges and leaves of deep velvet green with tickles of snow-white petals kiss the Kelly grass.
The butterflies flutter and frolic, while the songbirds twitter and tweet. The place hums with life. Chickadees and blue birds, Robins and Crows, the little Wrens and the glorious hummingbirds all play and sing.
Raccoons and opossums, the neighbor cats and probably a few mice. A million kinds of insects and even a few humans also pay frequent visits to the garden. It is an oasis of pure green in the city.
Everything is all organic. I let nature do a lot of the work so I can have more time to appreciate It’s wonder.
When I work the soil, I feel a certain connectedness to the Earth. I feel so included, so a part of something much bigger than I . A cool cloud of calm descends over me and my mind can finally relax. I take in the whole experience of the garden, It is a delight to all the senses.
I plant a seed and watch that seed sprout out of the ground and grow into something beautiful and useful, it’s like a miracle to me, every time. I can’t get over it, the more I learn, the more I need to learn.
I have learned much over the years and have accomplished much as well. Many times I had to learn the hard way until I finally learned that I don’t know everything and that it’s O.K. to ask for help. I’ve learned that nothing and no one is perfect and that is a good thing. We are all different: but just as beautiful, just as vitally important. All of us contribute to the beautiful essence of the garden of humanity in our own unique ways.
We need a spectrum of colors in our garden of humanity. And love and understanding for one another. The health of the garden depends on all of us…From the bipedal big-headed hairy ape, to the smallest microbe. We need to work together for the good of all.
As I work in my garden I think of these things; I start to believe that nothing is impossible, if you believe. Every plant starts with one tiny seed, and ideas are like that. Some land in the wrong place, some never germinate or get water, some just wither and die, and some are even stepped on. Some ideas, with love and care and attention can grow and become tall powerful towering trees, like the great redwoods.
I believe that, if we all believe and work hard. Humankind can achieve wonderous beautiful things. Together, we can do much. Apart, we achieve nothing. And maybe someday we can all live in peace and harmony. Just like in my garden.
And while we are on the subject…Check out My Garden page for a tribute to The Sunflower and more…Wishing you Peace and Happiness,
The following is a true story; only the names have been changed to protect the innocent… 20 minutes ago…The rustling of leaves in the overhead trees, birdsong, barking and a faint radio. The neighbor screams, a vicious “No!”, followed by two more, A “yeah!, more birdsong, then a lone crow. Another scream and…ahhhh… the air conditioner kicks in and drowns out my crazy neighbors…..
It’s just your typical Friday in my neighborhood.
I hear Florence and the Machine..It’s a surreal tune and I go to the front to investigate. My neighbor, The head of the clan of crazies is getting drunk on his front porch. His dusty black car sitting in the driveway, sans a driver, with the radio blasting. I don’t mind, I like the song.
He screams a “Yeah!” again and points across the street to a stop sign lying in the grass. apparently he has seen me and he wants me to know about it. He yells, I think, “Three Times!”, I half-smile and wave the peace sign at him and scoot on back to the studio.
I have many “interesting” and noisy neighbors. The three dogs, Fletcher, Jimmy and the new one,The Moaner. The cute little girl next door who plays the violin almost constantly, the same tune that sounds like the theme to “The Exorcist“. The Giggler on the other side and his friend, the doughfaced punk with the fluffy dog. They watch their dogs play and giggle until all hours of the night.
It is the night when it truly gets “interesting” around here. Many times the police are called on the neighbors with the ironic name, who report many “crimes”. Once the police showed up at our door looking for one of them who had been reported kidnapped, later he’s screaming as he’s been taken away by the bald cop.
The radio plays all night. It’s not so bad since again I like the drunken crazy guys taste in music. It drowns out the creepy flute music and reedy voiced woman who sometimes sings like her heart has been broken.
You can see why a visit from raccoons would be a welcome distraction. Did I mention? Those rascals showed up again last night and they made quite a racket. This morning I discovered a sunflower head missing, just a stem left. I think one of them took off with it. Who knows.? Just another day in the neighborhood.
Three years ago this October I learned something about myself that profoundly changed my life. It came as a complete surprise, although looking back now I suppose it shouldn’t have.
I received a call from my daughters teacher, she told me that she’d like to set up a meeting with the school psychologist to evaluate my daughter for Asperger Syndrome. I had heard of it before but I never associated my daughter with anything like that. Sure, she’s quirky and sensitive and a bit shy and uncoordinated. She got those traits from me and I don’t have Asperger’s…..?
A question was planted in my brain. If I am interested in something I will learn everything I can about it, as fast as I can. I have been accused of doing something until I exhaust it to death. This new bit of information had me reading up a storm, the more I read the more it became obvious. My daughter was definitely going to be diagnosed with Asperger’s, I knew that for sure because by then I knew we both are soaking in it.
This left me with mixed feelings, as a mother, it’s hard to hear someone tell you that your child isn’t perfect and it’s doubly hard on my heart to know that my daughter now knew that the school thought something was wrong with her.
The other part of me, the one that belongs solely to me was elated with relief and joy. I cannot describe fully how I felt. All my life I had lived in the shadows, trying to blend in with the crowd; into the background. I couldn’t let anyone know my secret. That I was different from everyone. So misunderstood. Everyone seemed to know what to say, how to act, what to do. I never knew what to say to anyone.
As child I liked to pretend that in reality I was an alien and that “my people” would be returning for me soon. I am blessed with a rich imagination and that helped somewhat but no matter where I went, I was alone, even in a room full of people, I was alone. The more people, the more isolated I felt.
I carried this around for many years. It effected my entire life. I was crippled inside, I believed my imperfections were weakness and entirely my fault. I hated myself and many times I wanted to die. I called myself “lame” and I believed it. I got into drugs and alcohol, my life hit a downward spiral. This continued for years….
Fate lent me a hand in giving me my two wonderful children. They literally saved my life. I had a reason to live, they needed me and they needed me to be strong for them. I began the uphill climb.
I kept pushing myself out of my comfort zone, past my boundaries. It hurts to grow and sometimes I would fall. But I always got back up. Slowly and surely I became more. It wasn’t enough though. No matter how normal I looked on the outside. No matter how together I looked, I was still as alone as ever.
As silly as this sounds; a part of me was afraid that they’d say she wasn’t Aspergers after all, but they confirmed our suspicions. My daughter was officially diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and began to receive help.
This last July I stumbled upon a website. It is a forum for people with Aspergers to communicate with others who understand.
That is where Strawberryindigo was born.
I obsessed myself with that website and the other people there. It was tonic for the soul to know others, many others felt the same or similar to me. I finally felt understood by those who were misunderstood themselves. And I found that sort can be the most understanding and accepting of all. I feel that people on the spectrum have unique talents and abilities. I believe we Aspies are a special breed with a lot to share with the world, we just need a few of us to speak up for the rest.
This peer therapy was truly was shot in the arm. My family started to notice a change happening in me. I became happier, almost cheerful. I poured out my heart to these strangers. The more I did this the better I felt. I began to use the blog feature there. It’s very simple compared to this one but it is there I learned my salvation…
..Writing. I found that it brings out the best in me. All my life I have kept all this in, I have kept myself hidden in the shadows. My dream has always been to be a writer but I had this fear of others reading what I wrote and judging for it and maybe even hating me. I have always felt that I had something to say but I’ve been afraid of saying it. I’ve been afraid of everything!
Now, Here I am. I little shaken but intact and improving and getting stronger everyday. I owe it to that website and those people. I really believe that peer therapy works. I also believe in the cause to help others with Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders such as Asperger Syndrome.
The other day I went and tripped around downtown with my teenage son. He’s 16 and I don’t know how much longer he’ll want to be seen with me, so I take advantage of these situations.
I led the way as I showed him where all “the cool shops” were. There was just one thing about that; all “the cool shops” I once went to were all gone..they existed twenty years in the past. I felt stupid and old at that point.
If that wasn’t enough; my famously poor sense of direction got us lost. We started wandering into uncharted territory. It was a park filled with young “business” people who were selling their “wares” all across the length of the park., it was obvious what was going on. I was glad that my “Suburban Mom” look deterred them from asking us if we wanted to “score” something from them.
As any good parent would do, I used the situation to preach against drug use. It was then we found a Starbucks! After having some caffeine and a realisation that I can be a hypocrite, we pressed on…
It was starting to get hot and technically we were still lost. My son is a great guy, I would have to say that because he is my son, but he is truly a one-of-a-kind special person. I wish I could take credit for this. In reality, I got lucky with him. I’m not just bragging him up for nothing. He has tremendous patience with his sometimes scatter-brained mom….
Now here we are, it’s getting hotter by the second. My son wants me to ask for directions, I refuse; stating over and over; “I have a good feeling about this, let’s go that way.” We go on and I’m starting to really feel the heat, all I had to eat was coffee all day and now its starting to take its toll…
I feel like a bad mother, dragging him around like this. I am sweating and I think I’m about to pass out when I see it.
What is “it”? you ask. A glittering oasis in the desert; An old school retro arcade! Yeah! This town rocks sometimes! It doesn’t take much to revert me back to kid again and this was no exception. It reminded me of the old days. Inside it was dark, hot and packed and I felt eleven all over again.
The change machine was broken but we found a few quarters. This is exciting to someone like me and my son could see it in my eyes, they practically pulsated as they darted from one game to another. We pass Frogger, Mr. and Ms. Pac- Man, We skirt the pinball machines and pass centipede and right over to the Mortal Kombat! Yes!
Now I will proceed to kick some @$$.. I won the first match. HA! My yellow guy beat his blue guy! I can see my son is surprised and a little impressed. That is almost impossible; A 16-year-old boy being impressed with his mom… watch out son…
Next round, he kills me, blood everywhere. What a mess. Next round, more killing.. I am dead, well, yellow guy is dead. I am looking for more quarters…
My son, being 16, is looking for the lunch I promised. I vow a re-match and we go and get some bad Chinese food at the mall.. and that is another story…What a great day!
Life Is Color 