I experience many realizations about what is and what is not. I live within the fantasies and perceptions of my mind imagining things to be the way I see them when that is not always the truth. In the words of John Lennon, “The more I see, the less I know for sure.”

It seems that so much of mankind is following a tired, dog-eared script handed down by generations. Always doing things the way “they have always been done.” There are some who break out of the mold and write their own script. I like to think that I am one of those. I still follow the good rules of the script that my parents gave me. Mainly the golden rule, “Treat others as you wish to be treated,” however I have written a good bit of my own personal script. This has served me well, although, some people find me odd. That’s okay. I like odd, strange, different, weird and unusual. I love the anomalies of life. Plus if you don’t like the script you are following, you can always rewrite your story.

I imagine that I can figure out within seconds the workings of the minds of people I encounter. There doesn’t even need to be an exchange of dialogue. I just observe their persona and I instinctively know what goes on in their heads. Or at least I think I do. I can’t verbalize it. I just know. It’s as if there are only a hundred molds of people on earth and you can figure out in seconds which mold this person fits.

Have you ever noticed that?

Every year for the past 40 years or so, there has been a family camping trip in June. It has been held in various locations but for the last few years it is held in New Braunfels along the Guadelupe River. I had first attended over 30 years ago when my daughter, Erin, and I participated to see what this family adventure was all about. She and I (Steve had gigs) brought a tiny kid size pup tent and spent two cozy nights in it only to have to grab our stuff and get the hell out of there by multitudes of thunderstorms on the third day. Since I had been in California for many years, I did not have the pleasure of going on the camping trip again until 3 years ago upon moving back. I took my Mom and we stayed in her air conditioned pop up tent. Boy, had camping changed. I went this year for the first time since then. I rode with my sister and her daughter in her truck pulling the same pop up tent (she had bought it from Mom.) The trip was to be longer than the usual three days as before to 6 days, 5 nights. Sounded like good R & R to me as I had been working almost everyday and needed a break. We got there, set up camp and proceeded at a snail’s pace through the following days. Slowing down felt good… for a day.

Since I am somewhat of a different thinker from other people on this camping trip, I thought of it as a chance for research of behavior. I was quiet, almost invisible and observing everything. Here are some of my observations:
1. drinking adult beverages for 8-10 hours straight is totally acceptable
2. lots of beef, lots of beer
3. More than enough food, in fact, too much. Lots of it thrown away.
4. Floating down the river requires tubes and an extra tube to carry the adult beverages.
5. It is a requirement on the last day after packing up all your stuff and before leaving, that you bond with the river once again by sitting in the middle of it and toasting it with a beer.
6. All sleeping is done in air conditioning except for a small, small majority who slept in tents.
7. Everybody shares everything.
8. When the adult beverages kick in late at night, it can turn into a love fest.
9. Country Western music is played almost constantly

Like I said, I was quiet and somewhat introverted but taking note of my surroundings and human behavior. The dynamics between husband and wife, parent and child and siblings was definitely interesting material. In the evening after dinner I retired to the pop up to watch “Orange is the New Black” while there was much carrying on in the river. While country music was playing during the day, I plugged in my earphones and listened to my own selected cuts on my iPad of jazz and R & B.

I did enjoy the experience but it will probably be my last. I move way too fast and am always doing 5 things at once. I am uncomfortable sitting still. It is too slow of a pace for me.

The camaraderie was wonderful and all the little kiddos and babies adorable, but as my Aunt said, one screaming baby is enough, but six? No thank you.

I have noticed that since moving back to Texas three years ago that something odd occurs every Summer. Texans love to get together at each others houses for any old reason, be it a birthday, anniversary, wedding or baby shower, a graduation, you name it. This is my fourth summer back in Texas and it is consistently gross outside. Hot as fire, humid as a sauna and mosquitos by the millions. Most of these Texans live in fine, large homes with the air conditioners cranked to the max until the first cold spell in the fall. However when it comes to having a party in the summer, it is not as one would expect. One would think it would be held inside in air conditioned comfort. But no! Instead, it is held outside in triple digits of temperature and humidity! I don’t get it. And, I might add, I am one of the few quests who stay inside. Once in a while someone who thinks like me joins me in the cool, cool air. I have never been one to follow the crowd. Why fit in when you can be cool inside instead of entertaining the life threatening potential of heat stroke? Lots of things here just don’t make sense to me and this is one of them.

A Texas phenomena that I have also noticed is that come Spring, Texans go crazy for crawfish. I never really ate any mudbugs when I was growing up here in Texas. My brother and I would dig them up to play with from the ditches in our front yard in Jacinto City but I don’t recall eating any until my early 30’s in 1984 or so. I think they are tasty but would, quite frankly, have someone else peel them for me, giving me the tails to make my killer crawfish pie or some spicy etoufee. Eating them fresh boiled is a physical experience. Prepare to splash yourself and those around you with some of the juice. If your fingers, forearms and lips aren’t burning after eating a dozen or so, then you aren’t doing it right. I also learned from my sister that chickens love the shells from these tasty tidbits, however if you feed them to your chickens, the eggs produced shortly thereafter will have orange yolks. That did not deter me at all. The eggs were quite tasty. Don’t knock it until you have tried it.

Since I moved back to Texas in 2011 after 25 years of living in Los Angeles, I have tried to acclimate and these are some of the things I have learned so far:

1. In almost every family unit, if there is a boy and a girl, regardless of their given name, they will be nicknamed, “Sissy” and “Bubba.”

2. Whether it’s a wedding, funeral, or birthday, the buffet will most likely consist of barbecued beef brisket, beans, sausage, potato salad and cole slaw (acronym BBSPC) UNLESS, it is crawfish season. Then it’s boiled crawfish, potatoes, corn on the cob and sausage.



3. When you order iced tea in a restaurant you are always asked “sweet or unsweet”? Sort of like paper or plastic?



4. Trucks or SUVs are a necessity. Cars are optional.