Note: This will be the final City Slicker conversation. Don’t want to abuse the theme. However, I would be remiss if I neglected to acknowledge the source of these conversations. Without naming him, he is a friend of mine. A dear friend. An important friend. He is indeed from the “City” and we did in fact have these conversations.

He’s not odd or strange unless kindness, humility, humor, and intelligence can be considered as such. He does have a perspective on life, or his life anyway, that really mystifies and amuses me. He is one funny guy. I do believe that he talks to me with tongue in cheek. I think. I hope. What the hell.

Everybody should be so lucky to have a friend like that.

“Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.” –Margaret Mead

Me: Morning friend. How’s it going?

Him: Fine. Got my coffee. Got my doughnut. I’m ready for the day.

Me: I meant to ask you something the other day. How did you know the rich kids were having a prom?

Him: I saw them on the subway. All dressed up in Tux’s and gowns. They pretended not to know me, but I knew.

Me: They rode the subway to the prom? Are you serious? Most people either drive or rent a limo for the occasion.

Him: What planet are you from?

Me: How did you end up in New Mexico?

Him: Well…….remember when the Aids problem started to get serious? Late 70’s or early 80’s.

Me: Sort of.

Him: Anyway, people in Jersey and outside the city believed that everybody in NYC had aids. I was scared to date anyone from NYC myself because of Aids.

So I began to look for girls in Jersey but when they learned I was from Brooklyn they wouldn’t have anything to do with me because they thought we all had Aids.

Me: Why tell them you were a New Yorker?

Him: Eventually you got to tell them something. Besides, everybody in my zip code looked the same. They just knew.

Me: Are you serious? Come on man. You’re pulling my leg. Right?

Him: Could I make this up? Of course I’m serious. Life in the big city. Anyway, the Aids issue forced me to make a decision. I had to get out of town.

Me: Get out of town? And go where? Ohhhh………….yeah…………….New Mexico…….right?

Him: I always wanted to see the rest of the country. Now was the time. My girlfriend and I bought a Van, rented a trailer, loaded all our stuff and took off for New Mexico.

Me: New Mexico? Seems like an odd choice. Why not Colorado, Texas, or California?

Him: Well…….Clovis is where all the UFO activity happened and I’m into that stuff. Just wanted to go there.

Me: I’m beginning to understand.

Him: Ya…..well. I hang with a different crowd.

Me: How’d the trip work out? Anything about it stand out for you?

Him: The Van heater quit in Terre Haute, IN and we had to get it fixed. The garage we took it to had a real dragster in one of the bays. That was the first time I actually saw one of those things. It blew my mind. The tires were as high as my waist.

Me. Anything else?

Him: When we went through Joplin, Mo I remember telling my girlfriend that it was Janice Joplins home town. She didn’t believe me.

Me: I’ll call you tomorrow. Right now my brain hurts.

“Sometimes we make a big deal out of something when making a little deal out of something would have served us just as well.” – “Bad Country” by C.B. McKenzie