The surprise
A lot had happened to me in San Francisco, and now I got a letter in the mail that said I had to be drafted in or out of California, or go home to Minnesota and get drafted, so I decided to make My freedom last a little longer at tell the draft board he was on his way home. Realizing it was July 1969, I would leave in the middle of August and most likely once home it would take me a few months to go see whoever I had to see, or wait for my letter from the recruiting board. I didn’t care, it wasn’t the end of the world, just the end of my trip here in San Francisco, and to be fair to the whole thing, I told myself it was time. Lilli Ann’s manager was not told the truth, or no one other than Goesi knew in San Francisco that I was being drafted into the military. I’m sure the black belts felt a lot safer after I left. As always, Goesi was as kind as the day is long. A little sad, I think, and disappointed, things didn’t turn out the way he thought. But then, life doesn’t always work that way; and that he knew.
It was July 25th and I had to go home the last week of August, around the 21st. I walked in to Sammie, everyone smiled, I took a straight posture, not unlike what I was used to. I hadn’t even told the people at the bar what my plans entailed.
The elderly couple came over and sat next to me, while I ordered a beer and got a sandwich and chili wine.
“Chick,” said the old man, and his wife at his side, not sure whether to look or not.
“Yaw, what is it?”
He said like a father saying to his son:
“We all like you very much here, and bringing your mother was a great surprise. We all want to thank you for thinking of us that way.”
“Oh but I do, you are my family away from home, that’s you and Goesi.” He smiled like he really didn’t want to go any further with this. I didn’t look around to see any faces, thinking it was something I had in mind, more or less, you know, personal.
“Oh, there’s something else,” I asked him.
“You could say that. Let me explain. You meet some people here, and they all know you. In fact, every time you walk in, Ted and Joe, as a sign to everyone.” I looked a bit puzzled, what was he implying?
“Go ahead,” I said with my eyebrows.
“Chick, we’re all gay here …!” I couldn’t swallow, now I looked around, “Everyone?”
“Yes, everyone.”
“But what about you and your wife, aren’t you gay?”
“Oh yes we are, you could say bisexual … though”
“What is that?”
“Chick listen, that’s when people have certain preferences for both sexes, but they may like the company of their spouse and are willing to share it.”
“Boy of a boy, I don’t know what to say, but everyone is watching …”
“Chick, they look inactive because of you. They like you so much that they stop everything, every time you come; … they play a role, I guess it can be said, for you. But we thought it was not the right to continue.”
“Oh yaw I guess,” I said, not sure what to say. “But you know I still like everyone here. I really like you and your wife. You know I would never let anyone hurt you.”
“Chick, you have to do what you have, and if you want to come to the bar, we would love to have you here, and no one is going to bother you, but if you can’t we will understand, but we will not play with you anymore.”
“They recruited me, I have to go home in a few weeks, but you know, maybe if I stayed long I could adjust, but I’m sorry, but I can’t right now. I, I’m not sure what to say, but I’m ashamed that everyone had to do everything possible for me, how nice. However, I can’t go back, you know. “
“I figured it out,” Mr. Palace said, and then Ms. Places added “… but I want to write to you, stay in touch as long as you want. I know if you go to the military, you might go to Vietnam, and it would be nice to be aware of you. “
I have to go, I didn’t turn around, I’m not sure why, but I was happy. He would receive letters every Christmas for the next five years from the elderly couple.
A great event
It was August 20, 1969, I bought a bus ticket to go to Southern California to visit my brother, and he and I were going back to Minnesota together. And as I prepared, I got to thinking about all the things that happened, especially the last year or so. Just a few days ago, in a place in New York called Woodstock, some 400,000 children had an anti-war rally of some kind; They called it a kind of festival. I had never heard of a meeting like this before. I’ve seen pictures on TV and it was raining and people were smoking and urinating and there were traffic jams and a lack of food and water.
Some of the bands that played there were the Grateful Dead, who I heard about but never paid much attention to, and Jimi Hendrix, who was in the same category, the only one I knew and thought could sing half decent was Janis. Joplin, and she looked more like girls from San Francisco than New York, but I guess people said she was from around here.
When I met my brother in Montclair, we took a quick trip to Mexico and then returned to good old St. Paul. It wasn’t long before I was put into the military in October 1969. Mike, my brother, went with me to the induction center in Minneapolis. I guess the way he looked at things he was about to have another adventure and the Army was as good as any place; in fact, free transportation all the way.
Later
San Francisco in those days was where it was happening. Where music seems to leak out of or from and penetrate the rest of the United States. I went to many things in San Francisco, and if it taught me anything, it taught me that I could convert, pursue a dream, and things happen by accident. Being there, being available, things happen, only someone who likes you for who you were, could open doors, as long as your door was open. If all I had done was meet Goesi, my main goal would have been achieved, so everything else was a plus. Oh yes, there were hardships that I am not bringing up, but for what, it is not the crust of bread or the topping of a cake that we are seeing, despite that, but rather, the beautiful ending that we all want, and it is over. that way. Yes, I went to Vietnam, but that’s another story. By the way, they told me they gave me orders to go to Augsburg, Germany, I wonder what it will be like there. If you really want to know, read the book “A Romance in Augsburg”.
End to the story and sketches of
“Romancing San Francisco”