Square Dinkum

Talking to the Mayor of the Berkeley Flats awhile back (here, even the alcojolics and dope fiends can give you good and interesting conversation when theyre not 'tweaking')

"I can tell a person just by looking at them. Im very good."
"Ive noticed that. So, what am I?"
"Hmm... youre a square."
"A SQUARE??? What kinda person is a square?"
"You know, you dont look like you shoot dope or drink. Just a straight up person. A square."

I kinda took offense at that characteristic back then. A square. A nerd. Like I aint worldy, or perceptive, or aware.

*pshaah* As if.

A mere 5 months later, I now truly realize and appreciate that he was paying me a huge compliment by Berkeley standards..

I AM a square.

I am NOT as worldly as Id like to think I am. I am naive beyond belief about certain things.

I dont partake of the mind altering lifestyle.

Not even a toke.

Not even a pill.

And I get a LOT of respect for this.

*blink*



I asked someone for an advil to reduce the pain in my old achilles tendon injury. He offered Vicodin or codeine for it.

"Nah, thanks. I just need an advil to reduce the inflammation."

I swearto gawd, word of that spread. I had turned down surefire highs. Subsequently, I overhearing comments of "I really respect Joe, he's a straight-up guy..."

I confessed to being a drug virgin.. an almost unheard of concept among 90-something something percent of California residents.

That got me more respect. If a bit of incredulity at first among the streetwise.

"Boss Hawg" - a large WELL-KNOWN Oakland dealer from back in the day was discussing old times, and while cracking wise about his old-time crack use, he actually turned to me and apologetically said..

"Im sorry man, I know you dont really like to talk about drugs..."

I had to assure him that was quite okay, I was open to getting an education.

Sometimes you wanna live the lives of other people.

Sometimes people wanna be a little bit like you.

I learned, sometimes, people really do want to be a square.

Color me honored.
---------
What I learned at 'school' today.

"That shit messed up my Brillo."

At first I thought, that meant "Brillo" meant "head, brain".. that something messed up his head.

That started a lively session at the round table.

"No no. I mean BRILLO. You know what Brillo is right?"
"Yeah, Brillo pads.."
"Ok, in a crack pipe, you put a bit of Brillo to use like a screen or a cigarette filter."
"Ohhh, ok."
"..but it has to be that COPPER Brillo. You cant use the steel wool Brillo. That shit will taste like youre smokin' Reynolds Wrap."

I swear, talking to people about their past drug use can be HILARIOUS, even as you realize that its no joke, and they usulaly regard it as tragic.

"Sometimes folk will go into their mother's drainpipe and garbage looking for old Brillo to make pipes with.."
"Yeah, even if its covered with old food and shit and grease..."
"And that grease shit will catch AFIRE too.."

Or as they explain the first hand effects of it

"It so unbalances your chemical makeup that you will actually feel fine, strong as a horse the next day. But you might not get thirsty, so you get dehydrated, or hungry often, so you'll get malnourished, lose calcium, make you lose your entire grill."

"And you might go around for MONTHS not craving it like hairwahn, but then ANYTHING might be a trigger... the smell of matches as it catches fire, deodarant you might have been wearing the first time you tried it, the feel of a couple dollars in your pocket..."

"And then youre gone man. You disappear to a motel with somebody for days."

I could go on.

But...

I think I have a lot more to learn.