Stories from the Road: A Simpler Time

[Tobin S.]

I've been stuck here in Las Vegas over the weekend and I did a little gambling. The results were not as good as the last two times I went out, but I still have some of my advance pay left and enough fuel to idle here in the Nevada heat and get to where I need to be later tonight. But that's not the story. The story is about a guy who I'll call Jose.

I was done at the blackjack tables and figured I'd throw a twenty in a video poker machine before I hit the door on the off chance that I might recover my losses. As I was playing, a young latino man sat down next to me and just started talking. I think our conversation may have been a result of a much bigger loss than mine- the kind where you get hurt. But I didn't do very much talking. I might have spoke three sentences in the time that Jose was talking to me. The rest was all him and he had my full attention. That might be a good thing in more ways than one, because it might have kept me from putting another twenty in that machine. And I think Jose needed to talk to someone, hell, anyone, and I listened to him for probably a good half hour.

Jose was a bartender. He was married and had two small children. He started the conversation by asking me where I was from. I told him Dayton, Ohio and he knew exactly where that was because he had been stationed there in the military for a while at Wright Patterson Air Force Base; that place where they keep all of the aliens in the secret underground hangar known as Hangar 18 :). That led to a discussion of music and the song "Hangar 18" by Megadeth. It turned out that we had the same taste in music- good ol' metal.

But soon the conversation changed. Jose seemed to be some sort of anarchist. I don't think he was actually very well versed in politics. He seemed to be speaking from a place much deeper and honest; a place of deep pain. He didn't understand why life had to be so complicated. He longed for a simpler life where he could live off the land and provide for his family in what he thought was a more honest and fulfilling way. He hated all politicians and thought of them as detrimental to the planet all-together.

I started thinking of a song called "Back to the Primitive" by a metal band which name escapes me right now. Some of the chorus goes like, "Back to the primitive! Fuck all your politics!" I bet Jose had heard that one before and was a fan. It's a killer tune- classic metal.

This man hated everything about modern society, but you know what? I think both me and Jose happened to run across each other at a very good time. I think he'd be a much happier man if he could stay out of the casinos, and I might have caught a glimpse of what could happen to me if I don't get out of them, too.

I didn't argue with the man. I just let him be and listened. It might have been one of the most valuable conversations I've ever had.

Here's that metal tune I was talking about. "Back to the Primitive" by Soulfly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk_VUcrCXMY

Um, dois, tre^is, quatro...

Back to the primitive
Fuck all your politics
We got our life to live
The way we want to be

Back to the primitive
Fuck all your politics
"Who feels it, knows it"
(Bob Marley)
And God will guide me

Back to the primitive
Fuck all your bullshit
We're back to set it free
Confronting the negative

Back to the primitive
Fuck all you wannabes
You don't mean shit to me
Let it bleed...

(tribal)
Primitive
Primitive
Primitive
Primitive

Back to the primitive
Fuck all your politics
We got our life to live
The way we want to be

Back to the primitive
Fuck all your politics
How it used to be
Check your reality

Back to the primitive
Fuck all your politics
Fuck all you wannabes
Aaaaaarggghhh!

Back to the primitive
Fuck all your politics
Forever we will be
What we want to be

Primitivo

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear Tobin...

Now, that's an interesting story. I think it was highly fortuitous that you were there just at that moment. Sometimes we show up in a place and it's just where we need to be.

He needed you, and you needed to be stopped from losing any more money.

I'm sure he went away after your conversation feeling better about things. Maybe he saw his way forward more clearly.

A good story, simply told.

Thank you!

:hi:

[Tobin S.]

2. You're welcome, Peggy

I think a lot of people might have argued with the guy. I guess I might have under different circumstances. But when someone bares their soul to you, I think it's better to listen, no matter their world view.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. You have a good soul. What a nice thing to do, just listen.

I think that sometimes we just don't stop to see the pain in another being. It is good that you were there.

[Tobin S.]

5. Thank you

And thanks for listening to me, too. :)

[Curmudgeoness]

7. Always enjoy your posts. I will keep listening. nt

[femmocrat]

4. Thanks for the wonderful story, Tobin.

I love everything you write. :hi:

[Tobin S.]

6. You're welcome

And thank you. :hi:

[elleng]

8. Thanks, as always.