A Letter From The Future Dear Ed, I know you’re probably wondering why life is so hard and chaotic right now, and believe me, it took time to figure out. If this brief letter can reach back and find you in the summer of 1966, then pull yourself together and take a moment to read it. Listen critically, you might learn something. When the state of Indiana cuts you loose the day of your graduation, instead of just putting your small suitcase of clothes together, all that you own, and walk out the door of the Marion County Children’s Guardians Home onto the streets of eastside Indianapolis, say goodbye 1 to the others and wish them well. This includes Steve Blackmon, the kid who stabbed you, and Gloria, who you called “Cricket,” that beautiful dark haired girl who loved you so much, and you were too dumb to know it. Tell her you have to go. She’ll be O.K. She doesn’t know yet, but she’s going to do all right for herself. She’ll be happy. Thank Jerry Miller, who hired you at the carpet store so you could rent a room. Forget Don, his son. Mr. Flat Top didn’t like you, and made things as hard for you as he could, but you have more than a few hard edges. Boxing for PAL Club gave you the mental and physical toughness you need to find your own way. Ed, I know the whole idea of having a real family was always just a television fantasy, and at this point, it’s an adventure to be free and alone, but start thinking about it. It’ll happen. Next, when you take that hitchhiking trip through the Deep South, make sure you don’t answer that midnight knock on the door of your five dollar a night hotel room in Memphis. Get out of 2 there, nothing good will come of it, no matter how heartbreaking pretty she is. You exchanged pleasantries in the lobby earlier. She’s desperate to get away from Mr. Muttonchops, her abusive boy friend. He’s armed and drunk. Oh. When you finally reach the Beaux Arts Coffee House and Muse Gallery in St. Petersburg, stay in the hostel an extra week and meet the Lovin’ Spoonful and Jim Morrison and Jack Kerouac doing open mic. That way, you’ll miss that blonde girl outside Cross City who picks you up hitchhiking down that two lane blacktop through the swamps. She’ll offer you a place to stay and her heart, which you break. She’ll talk her daddy into offering you a job at the sawmill, but you have to decline. You tell her, “I have to move on.” Yeah, Ed, you moved on and did all right for yourself, in spite. This is just a reminder and some helpful hints from the future. I can’t tell you what to do, you’re hardheaded, with no support base, but in spite of that I know you are 3 open and searching. Take it easy, and tomorrow I’ll write to you about Viet Nam. Sincerely, You/Me P.S. Tell Donnie Branham his dad’s car wash is going to burn down in the fall, and to make sure he’s ready. He’ll just brush you off, laugh at you with that big horse laugh he has, but at least he’ll be warned, and maybe he’ll be able to save his little brother. 4 m © East Hell Productions www.edcoonce.com 2015
© Copyright 2024