Back in college I met a guy in a bar- it was the Cat's Eye Saloon in Athens, Ohio. This bar was one of the bars that my friends and I would go for two specific reasons. The first being that a very jovial man we loved owned it and secondly because it was the perfect kind of battered place to really tie one on. The wooden floors were worn down to nearly the sub floor and looked exotic from afar with all the dimension in color. But really it was black and brown cigarette burn marks everywhere. The bathrooms were tiny and dirty and it was cold in there. But, they had a long long bar and we would often drink for free.
Anyways, this one night I met this guy Edy who was in town for a bike race. He was a professional cyclist. (yeah, like Armstrong and all.) He liked Nick Cave and we drank beers and of course I flirted with him even though I outweighed him by at least 50 pounds. He was adorable and small and smart and I think I was in a sad place that summer. Someone had broken my heart and I had no idea what I was going to be when I grew up and whenever I was disenchanted with life I would rally the troops and stay out entirely too late and charm people. I have this small super power inside of me called sexy charm. I am not beautiful- at least in the conventional sense and I have never been a hot body, but I know I have that spark. I cultivated it and grew it to large proportions in college.
Of course I made him come to the after hours party with me and we did stay up all night and talk and make out and talk some more. I blew smoke circles all over his perfectly conditioned and pristine body. I think he took vitamins before he fell asleep. I drank vodka and passed out.
I liked him even though he was so different from me. In the morning we walked down to the health Food Store and he bought me Emergen-C packets and told me to start taking them. He was sweetly concerned.
Anyways. Every year when I buy those packets I kinda think of him.
I am drinking one right now bc I am slightly sick. I try and visualize the vitamin C dancing all over the inside of my body with swords. I know. I am weird. I am weirdest though in the sense that I never ever forget anyone in my mind. I can't recall what I ate yesterday and I don't know much about 1994, but I can recall and suspend people in my mind and spin them like tops. Is this a good thing?
Lovely Print for ETSY
9 comments:
You are bringing back so many memories...Zippy...Dan the bartendar that I was so in love with...did we ever pay for our drinks? I don't remember! But we sure did have some good times...partying like we were rockstars!!!
I am the same way with memories of people. Sometimes I wonder what people remember about me. Sometimes I don't want to know!
Beautiful story Turn. I now remember my brief ramblings through Athens in youth.
I need you to publish a collection of creative non fiction. Your stories are fantastic!
I don't see anything wrong with that.
Oh the memories...you forgot to mention that we were totally under-age. I can think of a few "Edys" I met at that bar during troubled times...a "rocco" comes to mind.
You remember wonderful things. Like Kate said, I sometimes what people remember about me. Especially from my more distant past-and what that would mean to me today? Would it be good or bad?
I personally think it is wonderful to have such memories dance through your mind.. I mean, really, who wants to remember what they ate when they can remember thoughts like this?
it's a great thing...i can remember every conversation i've ever had.
but the conflict of 1958? don't even know when that was...
our brains are made for love and emotion and maybe some sparkly things...not numbers. xoxo.
Post a Comment