#31 / 2004 Tour 3 : Laissez Faire

LAISSEZ FAIRE

#31

We headed out of Nashville for our first stop, Lake Eden Arts Festival on Black Mountain, North Carolina. We didn’t make it to the state line before my tail lights went out. I’ve had them fixed four times, but even the best efforts of my B&M mechanics back in Nashville couldn’t get out all the bugaboos out of a contrary old van such as mine.

So, I have adopted a “laissez faire” attitude about the whole thing. Instead of getting bent out of shape and upset, I have just accepted the situation. For now, I no longer drive at night. Fortunately we left town a day early, so we just pulled over and spent the night in an obscure parking lot. Next day we headed out for the LEAF. As we arrived all the leaves were turning just the right color, the valleys were ablaze and it was a wonderful time to bid the South “adieu.”

Joe has hosted the Beatlick Film Fest at LEAF for the last few years. He has been able to show films by our friends and acquaintances from the Watkins Film School, a video of the anti-war play, “To Think As A Pawn,” by Bill Peach of Franklin, TN. 

Of course, he threw in a few “Speer Presents” from his own cable-access television show and lots of other fun presentations. We’ve spoken of this festival many times and there is really not a lot to elaborate on again save the police bust of a few campers nearby.

We noticed them because they held the parking space we had hoped for; we knew it was near an electric outlet. All the young men at the site had rolled in driving an old limo. They were noticeable because they all seemed to be dressed in matching new khakis and black sweatshirts.

They were drunk every morning before ten. I noticed on Sunday morning they were getting into some arguments and it wasn’t long before some staff members showed up at the camp site. The kids had a huge tarp over the limo. When the cops pulled the tarp off it was obvious they had sneaked in, no stickers on the windshield. The limo must have been stolen.

Someone had taken a blow torch and cut around the license plate to gain access to the car. The cops pulled so much liquor, beer, and wine out of that vehicle I couldn’t believe it, not to mention bags of pot. There was no food just a few Mason jars of canned fruit that looked like they came from somebody’s Grandma’s house. The young men were summarily dispatched to the Swananoa jail. We left on Monday morning.

Joe and I have now expanded our laissez faire attitude. Since we don’t have a fridge, just an icebox our van, it is always a problem to keep ice on hand. Why do we want the ice? To keep the beer cold, of course.

So we now embrace the concept of hot beer. “Ready for a hot one?” I now ask. We have learned if you drink a full-bodied beer, like dark beers and lager or ale, and load it down with lime or lemon juice, it is delicious! I feel so international!

We now use powdered soy milk that we mix up as we need it for the coffee or cereal. I haven’t had a cigarette since I left my son’s house. It has been so enlightening and freeing to just accept things as they are. I am no longer struggling to overcome so many problems. With less needs I feel lighter and lighter.

And I tell you in all sincerity, Joe and I are embracing the whole concept of minimalism to the very core of our souls. So what if the van breaks down? Then we will park it and fly directly to Mexico. How bad is that?