Toward the end of the Fall semester at PC in 1974, I was cast in the lead role for a play called "Where Did We Go Wrong?" It was a Christmas-themed play about the 4th Wise Man, and his goal to make money on souvenirs at the birth of Jesus. He was consumed with the commercialization of Christmas.
We didn't have much in the way of props. One of the funnier moments in the play was when he invents a car, because he hates camels. We used 4 stools to represent the inside of the car, and much of the action was mimed. It was hard to work out some stuff like everyone leaning to the left or right when making turns in the car. The play had a lot of funny moments, but the end was very serious.
We did a preview performance of the play at our theatre, and then we took it on the road. We went to 2 churches in Clinton, and both were well received. We then set out for Atlanta. Our first performance was at the North Decatur Presbyterian Church. All went well.
Our second performance in Atlanta was at the Druid Hills Presbyterian Church. As I wrote in an earlier blog, I had been introduced to alcohol at PC. It had been about a year since my first taste, and now I was a seasoned professional. Earlier in that day, before the performance that night, I went with some friends to a bar at the top of our hotel in Atlanta. I drank several Vodka Collins. If you ever hear a drunk say that they can handle it, don't believe them. We got to the church, and I could barely stand up. Thankfully, much of the play required me to sit, so I didn't fall down. However, one very scary thing happened. I did all of my lines perfect. My characterization was great. My acting was great. The scary thing came after the play. People came backstage and told me it was the best performance they had ever seen. They were comparing me to Olivier and DeNiro. They were telling me that I was the best actor. Others in the cast were fawning over me. I couldn't remember a thing about what I had done on stage. I had basically performed the lines on auto-pilot. One of the actors told me that he could tell I was "different", but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. I was drunk. Because it was due to vodka, no one smelled it on my breath. I only wished I could remember how great I was. Never again did I ever perform either drunk or stoned. I never wanted to forget that I was good. That may sound egotistical, but I know I was the best. I still had a problem with alcohol for years later, but never on stage again. That one was scary.
I loved that play. It is one of my personal favorites of all I have done over the years. If you can find it, you may want to look into doing it in your church. Just don't have anyone drink before you do it.
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Blue Hose
I have seen a lot of movies in my life. I guess you could say that I am a movie buff. I haven't seen every movie, but I would estimate that the movies I have seen are in the thousands. There are some movies that I want to see, but haven't for some reason. In the Fall of 1974, one of those movies I had not seen was something called "Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round". PC was showing that movie for students one night, and I thought it was a great chance to see it.
The room was only sparsely filled. It was me and some football players with their girlfriends. I wanted to watch the movie. They came to cut-up. They had water pistols and some might have been drunk. They caused such a ruckus that I couldn't hear the film. I got mad and left.
As I have talked about before, I had a place in the school newspaper for my letters to the editor. They were something of a staple for the paper. When I didn't write using my name, I used a pseudonym. No one was supposed to know that the fake name was me, except for the editor and asst. editor. I turned in a letter criticizing the football team and its players. The letter questioned the IQ of the players. It was pretty bad. I used the pseudonym. It was printed the next week. The football team at PC was revered. Not because they won games, because they didn't win many, but because sports was the number-one draw to the school, and they made a lot of money for the school. No one dared criticize the players or coaches.
After the letter was published, the coaches and players wanted to know who wrote it. The editor said he wasn't going to say. Apparently, the asst. editor spilled the beans. The team had a meeting and decided to put a "contract" out on my life. Word came to me that I could go to class or meals without retribution, but any other time that I was outside, there would be trouble. And there was.
One person taped the paper to my dorm room door and set it on fire. It burned a bit of my door, but someone put the fire out before it got worse. Someone threw a lit firecracker under my door, while I was sleeping. It got so bad that I wrote a letter to the security dept., asking them to insure my safety. They didn't do anything. I guess they sided with the team. I also wrote letters to both the administration and the coach in which I denied writing the letter to the editor. That didn't seem to work either. So, I left school for a week.
I went to Greenville and stayed with a couple of friends, hoping all of this would blow over. I missed two mid-term exams in Shakespeare and Modern Poetry. I ended up failing both classes. I came back to school and wrote a letter of apology to the coach. I admitted that I wrote the letter. They had another team meeting and called off the "contract", but there was a condition. I was to attend all home games, and they would assign a seat for me in the stands. If they didn't see me sitting there, the retribution would start up again. So, I agreed to the "punishment" of sitting in the stands, and watching PC lose, but it was worth it to get on with my life. The letters continued after that ordeal, but I was much more careful what I wrote. Freedom of the Press can be dangerous. I proved that.
The room was only sparsely filled. It was me and some football players with their girlfriends. I wanted to watch the movie. They came to cut-up. They had water pistols and some might have been drunk. They caused such a ruckus that I couldn't hear the film. I got mad and left.
As I have talked about before, I had a place in the school newspaper for my letters to the editor. They were something of a staple for the paper. When I didn't write using my name, I used a pseudonym. No one was supposed to know that the fake name was me, except for the editor and asst. editor. I turned in a letter criticizing the football team and its players. The letter questioned the IQ of the players. It was pretty bad. I used the pseudonym. It was printed the next week. The football team at PC was revered. Not because they won games, because they didn't win many, but because sports was the number-one draw to the school, and they made a lot of money for the school. No one dared criticize the players or coaches.
After the letter was published, the coaches and players wanted to know who wrote it. The editor said he wasn't going to say. Apparently, the asst. editor spilled the beans. The team had a meeting and decided to put a "contract" out on my life. Word came to me that I could go to class or meals without retribution, but any other time that I was outside, there would be trouble. And there was.
One person taped the paper to my dorm room door and set it on fire. It burned a bit of my door, but someone put the fire out before it got worse. Someone threw a lit firecracker under my door, while I was sleeping. It got so bad that I wrote a letter to the security dept., asking them to insure my safety. They didn't do anything. I guess they sided with the team. I also wrote letters to both the administration and the coach in which I denied writing the letter to the editor. That didn't seem to work either. So, I left school for a week.
I went to Greenville and stayed with a couple of friends, hoping all of this would blow over. I missed two mid-term exams in Shakespeare and Modern Poetry. I ended up failing both classes. I came back to school and wrote a letter of apology to the coach. I admitted that I wrote the letter. They had another team meeting and called off the "contract", but there was a condition. I was to attend all home games, and they would assign a seat for me in the stands. If they didn't see me sitting there, the retribution would start up again. So, I agreed to the "punishment" of sitting in the stands, and watching PC lose, but it was worth it to get on with my life. The letters continued after that ordeal, but I was much more careful what I wrote. Freedom of the Press can be dangerous. I proved that.
Monday, May 2, 2016
Alpha Psi
Toward the end of my Junior year at PC, I was invited to join Alpha Psi Omega Honor Dramatic Fraternity. One had to accrue points from being in or working on plays. I was already a member of Delta Psi Omega from my work at Anderson College, and those points transferred to PC. At that time, I was the only person in South Carolina to hold both memberships. I guess that was a big deal.
Everyone had heard about the initiation into Alpha Psi. We heard about the ritual, and how hard it was. Each person had to memorize a passage from a work by Shakespeare, and it had to do something with the Theatre. I chose a part of "Hamlet". I crammed and memorized it, but I have never been a fan of Shakespeare, because his language is very difficult to learn. They had the initiation at night, and we had to stand outside until our name was called to enter the Black Magic Theatre. I was sweating bullets, as every candidate was. We had heard that if we messed up the soliloquy, that we would be rejected.
My name was called, and I entered the dark theatre. There was a small light on the Alpha Psi members seated behind a table. They made it seem very scary. Imagine a haunted house. That was the ambiance. I was more nervous about something than I had ever been before. They asked me to perform my passage. I guess I did okay, but I really don't remember. I was too scared. They preyed on your emotion. After I finished, they all gave critiques. They were very cruel. Then the vote came, and I was unanimously voted in. I found out later that everyone got in that were nominated, and the critiques were all an act.
The next year, I got to sit behind that table and do the same thing to those candidates that had been done to me the year before. After that night of initiation, they put a star beside my name in all of the programs noting that I was a member of Alpha Psi Omega, and I was included on a special page in my Senior yearbook. It turned out to be a big deal.
Everyone had heard about the initiation into Alpha Psi. We heard about the ritual, and how hard it was. Each person had to memorize a passage from a work by Shakespeare, and it had to do something with the Theatre. I chose a part of "Hamlet". I crammed and memorized it, but I have never been a fan of Shakespeare, because his language is very difficult to learn. They had the initiation at night, and we had to stand outside until our name was called to enter the Black Magic Theatre. I was sweating bullets, as every candidate was. We had heard that if we messed up the soliloquy, that we would be rejected.
My name was called, and I entered the dark theatre. There was a small light on the Alpha Psi members seated behind a table. They made it seem very scary. Imagine a haunted house. That was the ambiance. I was more nervous about something than I had ever been before. They asked me to perform my passage. I guess I did okay, but I really don't remember. I was too scared. They preyed on your emotion. After I finished, they all gave critiques. They were very cruel. Then the vote came, and I was unanimously voted in. I found out later that everyone got in that were nominated, and the critiques were all an act.
The next year, I got to sit behind that table and do the same thing to those candidates that had been done to me the year before. After that night of initiation, they put a star beside my name in all of the programs noting that I was a member of Alpha Psi Omega, and I was included on a special page in my Senior yearbook. It turned out to be a big deal.
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Ivey Towers
In between the Theatre and my others classes, I was heavily involved in social change. It stemmed from my work in the anti-war movement and human rights. At PC, it was a little easier to do these things, because much of the student body was more liberal than those at Anderson.
Our school newspaper was "The Blue Stocking". It was a play on our school team, which was the "Blue Hose". It wasn't until much later that I knew what that meant. The editor of the paper was a friend named Eddie. He and I shared positions on what needed to be changed at PC. The list was somewhat long and changed from time to time, but it all centered around the administration and their seemingly lack of caring for the students. Their philosophy more had to do with money and pleasing the Trustees. I didn't have a regular column in the paper, but Eddie did give me space for an almost weekly Letter to the Editor spot. My letters were sometimes angry and sometimes thoughtful. It got to the point that several students told me that I was the voice that they didn't have before. Others got tired of my rants. The administration saw it as a thorn in their side. Some of my letters dealt with trying to get co-ed visitation in the dorms. Others were more political in nature about current events. I know that some students read my letter first before reading anything else in the paper. I became a fixture for the good (and bad).
In the Spring of 1974, it became time for those interested in running for president of the student body to sign up. I was urged to run. There were five candidates. Two dropped out early on in the campaign. The ones left were Millie, Howard and me. Millie had the backing of the administration. Howard was much more liberal than me and had the hippie backing. I had the backing of the jocks, fraternities, and pretty much everyone else. We all had to make a speech in convocation to introduce ourselves and tell what our platforms were going to be. Millie spoke on staying the course. Howard basically promised everything short of having co-ed dorms. I gave a rousing speech about the evils of the administration. The Dean of Students was a ex-Army man named Dean Ivey. He and I were at each others' throats all the time. I really think he hated me, and I didn't like him. During my speech, I saw him sitting in the balcony of the auditorium by himself. I had a line in the speech that the administration sat in "their Ivey..I mean Ivory Towers". I looked directly at him, and he looked very sternly back at me. The audience erupted in laughter. If Dean Ivey had a gun on him, I don't think I would be here today. His face turned purple.
So, between our speeches and the election, there was a week to campaign. It was generally thought that I had the election won. The night before the voting, Millie called me in my dorm and told me that she was going to drop out. I deserved to win, she said. She told me that she was scared, and felt she wasn't qualified, but that I was the most qualified. I tried to calm her down, but also I thanked her. She said that if there was a run-off between me and her, she would endorse me. Neither one of us thought Howard had much of a chance. The next day, the voting began. At the end of the day, it was announced that Howard and Millie had the most votes, and there would be a run-off. I couldn't believe the outcome. Neither could the other two. The run-off happened the next day, and Millie won. Upon further investigation, we heard that I got the most votes the first time, but the administration decided I was not to win. In the run-off, Howard got the most votes, but he didn't win. Millie won. I was given a pretty good position though of being on the Student Affairs Committee, which was comprised of students and faculty as a liaison between the students and the administration. We discussed the needs of the school and how we could get the Trustees on board with us. I also had a seat on the Student Assembly representing the independent students (those not in any other groups on campus). I am actually glad I didn't get the presidency of the student body, as it gave me more time to party, but I continued my letters. One got me in serious trouble. More on that later.
Our school newspaper was "The Blue Stocking". It was a play on our school team, which was the "Blue Hose". It wasn't until much later that I knew what that meant. The editor of the paper was a friend named Eddie. He and I shared positions on what needed to be changed at PC. The list was somewhat long and changed from time to time, but it all centered around the administration and their seemingly lack of caring for the students. Their philosophy more had to do with money and pleasing the Trustees. I didn't have a regular column in the paper, but Eddie did give me space for an almost weekly Letter to the Editor spot. My letters were sometimes angry and sometimes thoughtful. It got to the point that several students told me that I was the voice that they didn't have before. Others got tired of my rants. The administration saw it as a thorn in their side. Some of my letters dealt with trying to get co-ed visitation in the dorms. Others were more political in nature about current events. I know that some students read my letter first before reading anything else in the paper. I became a fixture for the good (and bad).
In the Spring of 1974, it became time for those interested in running for president of the student body to sign up. I was urged to run. There were five candidates. Two dropped out early on in the campaign. The ones left were Millie, Howard and me. Millie had the backing of the administration. Howard was much more liberal than me and had the hippie backing. I had the backing of the jocks, fraternities, and pretty much everyone else. We all had to make a speech in convocation to introduce ourselves and tell what our platforms were going to be. Millie spoke on staying the course. Howard basically promised everything short of having co-ed dorms. I gave a rousing speech about the evils of the administration. The Dean of Students was a ex-Army man named Dean Ivey. He and I were at each others' throats all the time. I really think he hated me, and I didn't like him. During my speech, I saw him sitting in the balcony of the auditorium by himself. I had a line in the speech that the administration sat in "their Ivey..I mean Ivory Towers". I looked directly at him, and he looked very sternly back at me. The audience erupted in laughter. If Dean Ivey had a gun on him, I don't think I would be here today. His face turned purple.
So, between our speeches and the election, there was a week to campaign. It was generally thought that I had the election won. The night before the voting, Millie called me in my dorm and told me that she was going to drop out. I deserved to win, she said. She told me that she was scared, and felt she wasn't qualified, but that I was the most qualified. I tried to calm her down, but also I thanked her. She said that if there was a run-off between me and her, she would endorse me. Neither one of us thought Howard had much of a chance. The next day, the voting began. At the end of the day, it was announced that Howard and Millie had the most votes, and there would be a run-off. I couldn't believe the outcome. Neither could the other two. The run-off happened the next day, and Millie won. Upon further investigation, we heard that I got the most votes the first time, but the administration decided I was not to win. In the run-off, Howard got the most votes, but he didn't win. Millie won. I was given a pretty good position though of being on the Student Affairs Committee, which was comprised of students and faculty as a liaison between the students and the administration. We discussed the needs of the school and how we could get the Trustees on board with us. I also had a seat on the Student Assembly representing the independent students (those not in any other groups on campus). I am actually glad I didn't get the presidency of the student body, as it gave me more time to party, but I continued my letters. One got me in serious trouble. More on that later.
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
The Birthday Party
In the Spring of 1974, I was given an acting role with the Black Magic Players at PC. I had done a couple of behind the scenes jobs on previous plays, but it was now time to shine. The play was "The Birthday Party" by Harold Pinter. I played a Jewish man named Goldberg, who was not a good guy. I had to learn to do a Jewish accent, which I think I pulled off.
The play was in the round, which meant that one couldn't stand in one spot for very long. I had to be careful, because I could easily hit someone's foot in the audience sitting on the front row. I did that a couple of times, but you just had to stay in character and ignore the audience. The play was very serious and dark. It required me to drink and smoke on stage. My Mother remarked afterwards that it was strange seeing me smoke a cigarette. She didn't know that I had been smoking for years, so I tried to lie to her and tell her that I didn't inhale. I blew into the cigarette to make the tip glow. I don't think she bought my story. There are a few tricks that I learned while working at PC. One was that if you have a mirror on stage, spray it with hair spray and the lights won't reflect into the audience, but the reflection of the person will show. Another was to put a small film of water in an ashtray, so one could put out a cigarette without the lingering smoke distracting the scene.
In one scene, we had to drink Scotch. Of course, it would not be the real thing. During rehearsals, we had just used water to pretend before opening night. The director sent someone to the liquor store to get a real bottle of Scotch for opening night. The prop person was to empty the Scotch bottle and replace it with tea. He did that, but he didn't wash out the bottle before putting in the tea. No one was told what had been done. When we went to drink the Scotch, it was tea-flavored Scotch. It was quite a surprise. The subsequent performances just had tea. The cast "explained" (yelled) at the prop guy afterwards about his mistake.
Another scene, toward the end of the play, required a boy to blow into Goldberg's mouth to restore him from his exhaustion. The boy was played by a high school senior and brother of one of our actors. He and I were both uncomfortable about this scene and the homosexual undertones. In rehearsals, we couldn't stop laughing. We were both embarrassed, but when I would laugh, he would laugh. When he laughed, I laughed. We just couldn't get through the scene without laughing, and it was a very serious scene. It got to the point that we had to do something to get through it without laughing. So, the director suggested for each of us not to look into the eyes of the other, but rather pick a point on the forehead of the other and stare at that during the scene. The suggestion worked, because we knew we had to get through it. I also asked the boy to use mouthwash before blowing into my mouth. That helped. A couple of times, our eyes started to tear up, because we were holding in the laughter. It made for a more convincing scene.
My acting was well received, and I finally showed the others that I had talent. The next two roles that I had required me to play old men in those. More on that later.
The play was in the round, which meant that one couldn't stand in one spot for very long. I had to be careful, because I could easily hit someone's foot in the audience sitting on the front row. I did that a couple of times, but you just had to stay in character and ignore the audience. The play was very serious and dark. It required me to drink and smoke on stage. My Mother remarked afterwards that it was strange seeing me smoke a cigarette. She didn't know that I had been smoking for years, so I tried to lie to her and tell her that I didn't inhale. I blew into the cigarette to make the tip glow. I don't think she bought my story. There are a few tricks that I learned while working at PC. One was that if you have a mirror on stage, spray it with hair spray and the lights won't reflect into the audience, but the reflection of the person will show. Another was to put a small film of water in an ashtray, so one could put out a cigarette without the lingering smoke distracting the scene.
In one scene, we had to drink Scotch. Of course, it would not be the real thing. During rehearsals, we had just used water to pretend before opening night. The director sent someone to the liquor store to get a real bottle of Scotch for opening night. The prop person was to empty the Scotch bottle and replace it with tea. He did that, but he didn't wash out the bottle before putting in the tea. No one was told what had been done. When we went to drink the Scotch, it was tea-flavored Scotch. It was quite a surprise. The subsequent performances just had tea. The cast "explained" (yelled) at the prop guy afterwards about his mistake.
Another scene, toward the end of the play, required a boy to blow into Goldberg's mouth to restore him from his exhaustion. The boy was played by a high school senior and brother of one of our actors. He and I were both uncomfortable about this scene and the homosexual undertones. In rehearsals, we couldn't stop laughing. We were both embarrassed, but when I would laugh, he would laugh. When he laughed, I laughed. We just couldn't get through the scene without laughing, and it was a very serious scene. It got to the point that we had to do something to get through it without laughing. So, the director suggested for each of us not to look into the eyes of the other, but rather pick a point on the forehead of the other and stare at that during the scene. The suggestion worked, because we knew we had to get through it. I also asked the boy to use mouthwash before blowing into my mouth. That helped. A couple of times, our eyes started to tear up, because we were holding in the laughter. It made for a more convincing scene.
My acting was well received, and I finally showed the others that I had talent. The next two roles that I had required me to play old men in those. More on that later.
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Introductions
I have been introduced to a lot of famous people, but this story is not about any of those. I have also tried to be as honest as possible with my stories, and this one will be no different. I only ask that you don't think any less of me after reading it. And, if you put it into the context of my life during college and beyond, then it might make more sense. So, here goes.
My Mother once told me that I have an addictive personality. Little did she know how much of that was true. When I was around 14, I discovered cigarettes. I would ride my bike over to Flora and find half-smoked cigarettes in the parking lot. Students would go out to their cars between classes to smoke, but they couldn't finish them, so they threw them on the ground. I would find those and smoke the rest. I know that wasn't too sanitary, but it was still a kick. I also would look for cars in neighborhoods with cigarette packs on the dashboards. If the cars were unlocked, I stole the packs. My favorites were Salems and Winstons. I smoked off and on until 1984. For a time in college, I smoked those small cigars. I could buy those legally. They made me look cool.
When I got to college, I discovered a few more things. First was cocaine laced snuff. They would put cocaine in snuff flavored with strawberry or cherry. I didn't do that much, but it did give me a rush. The downside was that I got nosebleeds. One was so severe in my Sophomore year that it looked like the horse head scene from "The Godfather". After that incident, I didn't do it any more. The other things I discovered in my Sophomore year was speed and downers. When I would do plays, the play would usually go until around 11pm. I would take legal speed called "No-Doz". This stuff was pure caffeine, and it was designed to keep you awake. The normal dose was one pill. Usually, I would take two. Yes, it kept me awake, but then I needed something to sleep, so I took sleeping pills. This was a regular habit. Often, I would wake up the next morning and have a headache, so I would have to take aspirin--a lot of aspirin. That did a number on my stomach. I had this routine for several years, when doing plays. I had to stop it, when I started drinking.
The only alcohol I had was the wine in Rome, which was covered earlier. When I got to PC, alcohol was more prevalent. One night, I went with some friends to a forest outside of Clinton, and I had my first taste of beer. I didn't like the taste, so someone told me to think of it as "banana juice". I know that sounds gross, but it worked. During my Senior year, I drank a lot of beer. One night, I drank 22 beers over a three-hour period. I passed out for two days. I went to a fraternity party and got very drunk. I pinched a girl's butt with ice tongs, and she told me that she had problems sitting down for a week. I also discovered daiquiris in Atlanta during this time. I liked those and Tom Collins mostly. Anything with Vodka was the best, since it didn't smell on my breath. I will address the Atlanta trip later, at least what I can remember of it. Alcohol was a part of my life until around 2000. I can't have any alcohol now without getting sick.
During that trip to the forest, I was also introduced to Marijuana. I didn't feel anything at first. No buzz. I tried it again in Atlanta and really got stoned. So much so that I went for a walk one night and found myself floating down the sidewalk. The last time I did grass was 1981. Another drug during this time was LSD. I think I only did two hits of that, but it caused me to have flashbacks for many years afterwards. Thankfully, the flashbacks never happened while I was driving. They would come every three months. Then every six months. Then every nine months. I haven't had any for about five years. I hope I have outgrown them. I never did Heroin. I had two friends die from overdoses during high school, so I had no desire to do that.
So, I had several introductions to things over a period of about 7 years. Some remained longer than others. If you look at the time frame, most of the stuff I did was during my hippie years. Most were more acceptable back then, even if much was illegal. When I reached 21, I could legally go into a liquor store, but by then it was anti-climatic, because I had already been drinking by then. I also just want to say that I do not want to suggest that it is cool to drink or take drugs. I am suffering now, in many ways, because of what I did many years before. As you read subsequent stories, you will see some things I did, which I am not proud of. They seemed fun at the time. I wouldn't even think about doing them now. I guess we all have things in our past that we are not proud of. I just wish that I had the power of being able to see the future, and then maybe I would not have done so much in the past.
My Mother once told me that I have an addictive personality. Little did she know how much of that was true. When I was around 14, I discovered cigarettes. I would ride my bike over to Flora and find half-smoked cigarettes in the parking lot. Students would go out to their cars between classes to smoke, but they couldn't finish them, so they threw them on the ground. I would find those and smoke the rest. I know that wasn't too sanitary, but it was still a kick. I also would look for cars in neighborhoods with cigarette packs on the dashboards. If the cars were unlocked, I stole the packs. My favorites were Salems and Winstons. I smoked off and on until 1984. For a time in college, I smoked those small cigars. I could buy those legally. They made me look cool.
When I got to college, I discovered a few more things. First was cocaine laced snuff. They would put cocaine in snuff flavored with strawberry or cherry. I didn't do that much, but it did give me a rush. The downside was that I got nosebleeds. One was so severe in my Sophomore year that it looked like the horse head scene from "The Godfather". After that incident, I didn't do it any more. The other things I discovered in my Sophomore year was speed and downers. When I would do plays, the play would usually go until around 11pm. I would take legal speed called "No-Doz". This stuff was pure caffeine, and it was designed to keep you awake. The normal dose was one pill. Usually, I would take two. Yes, it kept me awake, but then I needed something to sleep, so I took sleeping pills. This was a regular habit. Often, I would wake up the next morning and have a headache, so I would have to take aspirin--a lot of aspirin. That did a number on my stomach. I had this routine for several years, when doing plays. I had to stop it, when I started drinking.
The only alcohol I had was the wine in Rome, which was covered earlier. When I got to PC, alcohol was more prevalent. One night, I went with some friends to a forest outside of Clinton, and I had my first taste of beer. I didn't like the taste, so someone told me to think of it as "banana juice". I know that sounds gross, but it worked. During my Senior year, I drank a lot of beer. One night, I drank 22 beers over a three-hour period. I passed out for two days. I went to a fraternity party and got very drunk. I pinched a girl's butt with ice tongs, and she told me that she had problems sitting down for a week. I also discovered daiquiris in Atlanta during this time. I liked those and Tom Collins mostly. Anything with Vodka was the best, since it didn't smell on my breath. I will address the Atlanta trip later, at least what I can remember of it. Alcohol was a part of my life until around 2000. I can't have any alcohol now without getting sick.
During that trip to the forest, I was also introduced to Marijuana. I didn't feel anything at first. No buzz. I tried it again in Atlanta and really got stoned. So much so that I went for a walk one night and found myself floating down the sidewalk. The last time I did grass was 1981. Another drug during this time was LSD. I think I only did two hits of that, but it caused me to have flashbacks for many years afterwards. Thankfully, the flashbacks never happened while I was driving. They would come every three months. Then every six months. Then every nine months. I haven't had any for about five years. I hope I have outgrown them. I never did Heroin. I had two friends die from overdoses during high school, so I had no desire to do that.
So, I had several introductions to things over a period of about 7 years. Some remained longer than others. If you look at the time frame, most of the stuff I did was during my hippie years. Most were more acceptable back then, even if much was illegal. When I reached 21, I could legally go into a liquor store, but by then it was anti-climatic, because I had already been drinking by then. I also just want to say that I do not want to suggest that it is cool to drink or take drugs. I am suffering now, in many ways, because of what I did many years before. As you read subsequent stories, you will see some things I did, which I am not proud of. They seemed fun at the time. I wouldn't even think about doing them now. I guess we all have things in our past that we are not proud of. I just wish that I had the power of being able to see the future, and then maybe I would not have done so much in the past.
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Elton John
Elton John did a concert in 1973 at the University of Georgia. He was promoting his LP "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". My friend Jimmy offered to take me to UGa on his way to Atlanta, so I could go to the show.
When I got there, the only tickets left were General Admission seats for $2 each. My seat was behind a column in the balcony. I had to peer around the column to see anything, but just being there was great. Elton had his piano draped in a cloth surrounded by lights, which made it look like the piano glowed. He wore big glasses and had a flashy costume. His band of Nigel, Davey and Dee were great. At the end of the night, he got Gregg Allman to do the encore with him, and they did "Midnight Rider" together. It was a magical night.
I saw Elton again in Columbia in 1980 at the Carolina Coliseum. A lot had happened to be since that show 7 years earlier. I was drinking more and doing drugs. I am guessing that the show in 1980 was good. I remember little bits of it, but a lot of marijuana was being passed around, as well as beer. Some guy brought some binoculars, and I got to see Elton and Nigel making faces at one another while they were playing. He was there to promote "Little Jeannie". I really don't think a concert is any better when one is stoned or drunk or both. Unless maybe the Grateful Dead, but I never saw them in concert, at least not all of them. I have been to a lot of concerts over my life, and I will discuss them later. I have been drunk, stoned and sober at various shows. I prefer to be sober, because then I can remember the shows better and enjoy the music more. To each his own.
When I got there, the only tickets left were General Admission seats for $2 each. My seat was behind a column in the balcony. I had to peer around the column to see anything, but just being there was great. Elton had his piano draped in a cloth surrounded by lights, which made it look like the piano glowed. He wore big glasses and had a flashy costume. His band of Nigel, Davey and Dee were great. At the end of the night, he got Gregg Allman to do the encore with him, and they did "Midnight Rider" together. It was a magical night.
I saw Elton again in Columbia in 1980 at the Carolina Coliseum. A lot had happened to be since that show 7 years earlier. I was drinking more and doing drugs. I am guessing that the show in 1980 was good. I remember little bits of it, but a lot of marijuana was being passed around, as well as beer. Some guy brought some binoculars, and I got to see Elton and Nigel making faces at one another while they were playing. He was there to promote "Little Jeannie". I really don't think a concert is any better when one is stoned or drunk or both. Unless maybe the Grateful Dead, but I never saw them in concert, at least not all of them. I have been to a lot of concerts over my life, and I will discuss them later. I have been drunk, stoned and sober at various shows. I prefer to be sober, because then I can remember the shows better and enjoy the music more. To each his own.
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