transmission

"So much of who I am is because of Dr. Seuss."

[courtesy of humansofnewyork]

Aubrey Plaza

“I'm not super comfortable in my skin. I have to make it work for me, and that usually amounts to making it uncomfortable for everyone else. I don't let myself 'surf' on the Web, or I would probably drown. I'm totally an anxious mess all the time. There's a constant dialogue going on in my brain, and it's just reminding me of all the failures that I have had, and all of the things I need to do, and all of the things I'm not doing good enough.”

Deep Creek

Deep Creek (1974) ~ We discover a self-governing community living on the creek. They never wear clothes so they’re completely tan. The women are unshaven and look particularly fierce ..like Indians. Charlie, one of the elders, tells us they have a constitution. The springs are actually located on Indian Holy Land so the first article says to treat the land with respect. He’s wearing a bandana over his hear and looks like a benign version of Charles Bronson. The second article says respect the sovereignty of others ..don’t steal ..contribute in some way and you are welcome to stay. “As you can see ..” says Charlie “..not much is hidden ..we learn to live without ‘blind spots’ ..all sentient beings are welcome ..there are places for tents downstream; we don’t use them but the campers do ..we help them find proper sites ..warn them about snakes ..tell them where they can find water ..and in return; we don’t hesitate to ask them for whatever they can afford to offer in the way of food and medicine. Over there is the ‘Canyon of Refuge’ where people can practice solitude ..or hide if necessary.”

We burn our clothes .. pour olive oil over our body ..and lie in the hot springs ..sometimes until three in the morning ..watching stars as big as baseballs ..and listening to their discussions. My notions of beauty are forever altered. The girls at my high school now seem pretty plastic looking.

One day I watch Charlie help a group of teenagers find a place to camp ..he then asks them if they have any food or medications they can spare. They hand him a little orange pill. He balances it on his forefinger while they warn him not to take it all at once ..it’s a three-way dose. When they’re finished, Charlie looks at them kindly ..then pops it into his mouth all at once saying: “it can’t kill me.” They each take a step backwards. Later that day, I watch him walking up and down the creek with his bandana on ..eyes closed ..chanting a mantra ..and banging on a canteen like it was a tambourine.

Tracey Fragments

“My name is Tracey Berkowitz. Fifteen. 

Just a normal girl who hates herself.”

ecology of sex

Serena says she needs to get out of here .. the atmosphere is too contaminated. She’s seriously considering Ojai. I’m not sure what she means .. the air and water around here are hell of a lot cleaner than other places I’ve been. “It’s not that ..” she says  “ It’s the culture. I know I can eat a lot healthier in Ojai ..and I’m tired of performing to a room full of zombies (she’s a musician). Our culture doesn’t hold nature in very high regard. Sex is considered impure. Instead of celebrating it consciously ..we behave like barbarians and drink ourselves to oblivion first. Like we’re ashamed or something. I know I was raised believing it’s unclean unless I’m living some sort of storybook romance, which is, as far as I’m concerned ..unhealthy and totally unrealistic. It’s like sex is this shameful disease that you have to save for the person you marry.”