A Shot At Life
(An Essay by Jim Slimedog)
Set me up; set me up with another shot and beer. A shot to symbolize what you have to take that’s bitter in life and a beer to soothe out the aftermath, what eases you out of the pain. I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay, like Otis Redding sang about one time and he didn’t know that was the last bay he’d be sitting on, he was dead in a plane crash weeks later. But I’m drinking my beer after the shot. Just watching the tide, the water comes in and sweeps what else away? Sweeps the human deluge back out to sea. And it reminds me of the people who’ve been swept away by the tides of life and don’t exist anymore and don’t get to look, to see and be, and they’re swept out of life, swept out to sea.
My best friend, Jim, same name as mine, same as me and he’s swept put into eternity with liver cancer at 38. There’s no rhyme or reason, is there? Steve dead at 28, heart attack, and cancer taking Andy’s friend, swept out to sea, also, to eternity. All our friends, all our lives, it’s not destiny just random horseshoes or a game of marbles-that’s what I think. All our loves, our women or men in our lives, that at one time meant so much to us, that we couldn’t believe we could breathe one more second without them and they’re swept out, swept out to sea. And we’re left with memories and thoughts of where they might be.
Bonnie, I’m sure you’re not a nymphomaniac anymore, I just wonder how many children you have and if you’re happy. Marie, did you kick your habit? I’m hoping you did and you’re in suburban bliss as it is. Debbie C. from San Diego, I’m sure you’re okay; strange our paths met this way. Lonnie, hope you’re alive, though it wouldn’t surprise me if you ain’t, take care, brother.
I could name all the girls, all the guys, whom I hope aren’t dead and are living in peace. “Looks like nothings gonna change, everything still remains the same.” But everything changes. Just our perception of life stays the same when we’re still in past times that can’t move on because we don’t see or live there anymore.
Set me up, set me one more shot, set me one more beer. And I’ll drink them to the friends and lovers who’ve escaped my grasp and who are flourishing or in decay and I’ll wonder what could’ve happened and let life go.
