DICHOTOMY

I still have $ 72 dollars that I wouldn’t have, had I slept in a bed at Holiday Inn Express last night, Bloomington, Illinois. I slept in their parking lot with the windows open and my feet across the console. I picked the Holiday Inn lot because it was small, concrete; not such a heat engine as the big asphalt slab over at Wally-World. The thunder-lightning show was great at 2:00 a.m. and the cool breeze was better than motel air conditioning. Walmart, across the street has campers every night in their lot who rise early to brush teeth and use the necessary room. Parking lot campers are hybrids where you come as you are - sort of identify with homeless who do the same but sleep in cardboard boxes, under  bridges. As long as you be nice, everyone else be nice too. I had my chores all done by 6:00 a.m. and went for a walk before getting back on the road. 

5:00 p.m. - eleven hours later I’m at my desk: it’s the corner table at Coffee Grounds Coffee Shop in Grand Haven, MI. I’m here several days in a row, several times a year and they remember me. I’m the toasted ‘Everything Bagel’ with butter and medium size decaf. It’s summer. Sidewalks are lazy, short shorts, kids on skate boards and young moms with babes in strollers. Locals and day trippers: this is absolutely white privilege, lake shore middle class. It would never occur to these folks to sleep in the car and keep the cash; sort of having your cake and eating it. I’m betting none of them have ever slept under a bridge either, much less pan-handled. Joseph Campbell said, “We can’t cure the world of sorrows but we can chose to live with joy.” This is a place I come to for joy. I’ll head down to the beach and take photos when the sun gets a little lower. I need some joy and this is a good place. The rest of the world is upside down with craziness, violence, you name it. I’ve not had to pan-handle but I’ve slept places nobody would believe.  Campbell also said, “The question is, whether you are going to be willing to say a healthy ”Yes” to your adventure?” I hope I can. That’s my plan.