MY ARRIVAL IN VENICE BEACH 1960

I had a dream last night about the Gashouse in Venice. I had just drifted into Venice via the transit from the Union Station downtown Los Angeles. It was around 5:30 in the afternoon. My train from Kansas City had arrived at eight in the morning and yes, it had taken all damned day to get connections. When one is just-turned 18 and in the big city for the second time, one gets confused as hell. I did. Anyway, I had spent the previous summer, the summer of 1959, goofing off while staying with my Aunt Marietta and her daughter and family. More about that later.

So I am walking down the hill toward Venice carrying these two heavier-than-hell suitcases. I said to myself, "why lug these ______ers all around?" I found a shop of some type run by a little elderly lady and asked if I could park my luggage in her shop until I met my friends down in Venice. She looked puzzled and for a moment I felt as though she would refuse. Fine, no problem. Off I went down the hill to find my friends. Friends? Hell, all of my friends were in nowheresville. Did I actually think I would magically run into Paul, Gary, Sue, Tom or Sherry? They do not make names like that anymore.

Well, by seven o'clock I had met some new friends. I really looked young and innocent then. Yes, looking back at my photos, I understand how many more friends I could have made had I been just a trifle more gregarious. The more wine I drank, however, the more gregarious I became. And when I switched to Smirnoff, I became a different guy altogether, without a care or worry about anything. Such was life that first evening of my return.

No, I did not get my suitcases until the next morning. I barely recall the events of the evening, but I was just damned glad to be in California on the golden shores where all the beautiful were. Would I, could I become a beautiful person in time? Did I really give a hoot? Well, in a way, but I was more interested in writing poetry, enjoying some intimate times, drinking more alcohol, writing more poems about the intimate times, having more and more intimate times and drinking even more vodka. More about life in Venice later.