I did see my friend one Fast Fred more time. I was hanging out with a local band, playing roadie up in Nevada City. The band had gotten a gig at the community center in North Columbia for a Saturday night. After we were all set up and the doors were opened, in walks Fast Fred with Lisa on his arm. We see each other and it's, "Hey hey, what's the haps?"
I tell them my story and they tell me theirs. They had gotten tired of the Truckee area and had relocated to up here in about the same situation. They were living on someone else's land in their gypsy wagon and Fred and his brother were still planting trees. Fred asked me if I wanted to go home with them after the concert and since I had nothing better to do said, why not. We hung out together taking turns dancing with Lisa and some of the other hippie babes. When the band was finished we helped them put their equipment away then I told the band, "see ya later" and left with Fred and Lisa.
Fred still had that Land Cruiser and as we drove to their new digs Fred told me that one reason that they left Truckee was that they had heard of this New Age commune that was going on up here and that they were thinking of joining it. He said that tomorrow morning I could go with them and check it out. I told him that I wasn't too enthused about any religion either old or new age. But what the hey, I do try to keep an open mind. Lisa said that the commune had built a giant geodesic dome to hold services in. That it was all white and was full of really good energy and people. I asked if they had any good pot to smoke and they said no, so I broke out my stash and we toked up. The rest of the ride was pretty much in stoned silence.
When we got to their place it looked about the same as their last camp. The gypsy wagon sitting by a creek under some trees at the end of a logging road. We smoked another doobie, chatted a little then turned in, Fred and Lisa in the gypsy wagon and me under the stars. Next morning we had breakfast and a wake up joints then headed over to the New Age commune.
When we got there, I said that the land didn't look right and Lisa told me that the commune was located on an old hydraulic mining area and that's why it looked so sculptured with the trees were so short. The parking lot was full vehicles of every sort and age but all the folks standing around looked like hippies around our age with lots of kids. We got out of the Toyota and started walking towards the dome following a steady stream of other people.
As we were walking, I heard these two young boys about 10 years old who were behind us talking. They were saying, "Are you afraid of the Devil?"
"I don't know, are you?"
"Well, He can steal your soul and send you to Hell. So maybe I am."
"Yeah, me too."
When they said that, I turned around and said in my deepest growlingest voice with my eyes bulging out and looking wild, "Are you two afraid of ME!"
They looked up at me with big round eyes and said, "What?"
So I bellowed again "Are you afraid of ME!"
With that they plucked up some courage and said, "Why should we be scared of you?"
Because" I yelled, "I AM THE DEVIL!" Then laughed like a fool.
The boy’s mouths fell open and about that time a woman, probably their mother, came up to them, grabbed them by their arms and said to them, "Don't listen to him, he's not the Devil. He just a crazy old man."
But I laughed and hollered, "No boys, I AM THE DEVIL! So if you're not afraid of me then you don't have to fear the Devil."
The woman drug the boys away but they were staring at me until she got them out of sight.
I was laughing but Fred said, "Why did you do that Tai?"
I told him that trying to scare kids with the Devil was a bunch of shit and I wasn’t going to listen to it. And what kind of New Ager’s believed in the Devil anyway?
They just shrugged and we walked on.
We got to the dome and it was huge, the biggest I had ever seen. We went inside and it was one big room with no furniture but it had a small slightly elevated stage. The acoustics of the place was the best thing about it. The whole dome was filled with whispers. You could hear the person you were talking to, but you could also hear conversations of folks across the room and when you moved the conversation changed. Lisa said, "I told you this was a high energy place."
And I had to agree, it was bitchen. When the dome was full of people, a guy with a couple girls trailing behind him came into the room. He greeted everyone and bade us to sit down, which we all did on the floor. Then he gave a benediction that ended with all of us chanting the AUM. After that he launched into his sermon, and I could hardly believe it! It was the same old tired guilt trip bullshit that all the churches of the world have been laying on us for the last five thousand years, only it was dressed up in different words. Instead of sin, it was karma, instead of heaven, it was nirvana and instead of hell, it was reincarnation. I looked around to all the supposed hip people listening to this asshole with rapt attention and I couldn't believe it. After another maybe 10 minutes of this shit I stood up and said, "How can you people listen to this bunch of crap?"
Then I walked out with the preacher saying what did I mean by that? But I certainly wasn't going to debate the creep, it wasn't worth my time so I just left.
I then walked into the nearest stand of trees and meditated until I heard the people coming out of the dome. I stood in the trees until I saw Fred and Lisa walking back toward the Toyota then I joined them.
When they saw me Fred looked angrily at me and said, "How could you say that to them in there?"
I said, "Come on Fred, that's the same old oppressive horseshit that we're suppose to be liberating ourselves from. You don't believe that garbage do you?"
Fred says, "Well no, but at least they're trying."
I said sarcastically, "They're trying all right."
But Fred didn't see the humor in that and said, "I told you, we were thinking of joining this commune. Well, I guess that's over now especially with you yelling about being the Devil. And then insulting not only the High Priest but the whole congregation."
I said, "Then you are lucky. What a bunch of uptight maroons."
Lisa said, "Come on now Fred, they can't blame you for what Tai said. Now let's all get in the jeep and go home before someone gets mad."
Fred said okay and I just shrugged.
On the ride home everyone is quiet. I ask if they want to burn a number?
They don't want to so I smoke one myself.
When we got back to their camp Fred said to me, "Ya know Tai, everyone can't be as hip as you. Some of us need something to believe in."
I said, "Then believe in yourself and this wonderful universe that we are now in."
But Fred said, "Maybe that's not enough for some folks."
I look at Fred and said sadly, "Then I feel sorry for you and them, because we exists here and now in this miracle that we're living in. What could be more improbable or implausible than THIS! It's something more than I could even hope to fathom. I can hardly believe how incredibly lucky I am just to be here participating in all of this majickal marvelous beauty right now. "
Fred doesn't know what to say, so I tell him that I'll just grab my pack and leave.
Lisa said, "You don't have to go, Tai."
I went over to her and hugged her. Then got my stuff, walked back over to Fred and told him, "So long, buddie." and shake his hand.
He asked if I wanted a ride to the road. I told him, “It’s such a beautiful day I think I'll just walk out.”
He said okay then, "You know Tai, you're always welcome here." and hugged me.
I told him, "I know." Then I shouldered my pack and walked off into this wonderful miracle that is this Life thinking of something the philosopher Arnold once said, “Is it so small of thing to have enjoyed the Sun, to have lived light in the spring?”