going south

water reflects the mood of the sky
but this time the gray doesn't match what's inside
'cause I feel like summer despite the cold breeze
'cause I'm going south where the music will be
have a new friend and I'm liking his vibe
he's going south, I'm along for the ride
and the sun will remember how I glow in its rays
and I'll be in motion for the next several days
and I think I'll forget all the things that cause worry
I'm in with the flow and in no kind of hurry
the company's good, and the view from the road
and new things to see that I've never been shown
I'm heading down south and it makes me feel free
and I'm closer to the person that lives inside of me
I'll let my feet walk barefoot, and let my skin touch air
I'll let my smile find my eyes, and take the ties out of my hair
and maybe I'll reveal the things that I don't often share
as we're rolling along to the beat of a song
all for the sake of just going somewhere.

So I wrote that piece on my way to the coffee shop to meet my new friend Mr. Pink and take off to California for a couple days. Pink works with the band Maktub (http://www.maktub.com/) who was playing a couple shows at the High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy California. Pink and I have been working on our own musical project and his keen sensitivities told him that I could use the escape, so he invited me along. I am very happy that he did because it was a great experience on multiple levels. First of all, I very much enjoyed getting to know him better because he is truly a beautiful person. I also got to experience what it's like to be on the other side of the fence. As part of the bands entourage I was given a backstage pass in the form of a blue bracelet. It almost felt like a power band at times allowing me to avoid the crowds, and most importantly the porta-potties. There were food and beverages available, and even the opportunity for free massage. I have to say that I was happy to have no reason to partake of the massage because Mr. Pink is quite the masseur himself:)
Attending a festival in this way was quite interesting. Being separate from the regular concert goers helped me to see it from a different perspective. Over the past several years I have attended quite a few of these gatherings, and was increasingly finding myself uncomfortable with something I couldn't put my finger on. You see, there are people who make a life style out of going from one festival to another all wrapped up in tie-dyed sarongs selling ganja cookies on shake-down street. There was a time in my life when I thought this was freedom. But behind the fence that separated the artists from the fans was yet another fence, and on the other side of that fence was a timber yard. As I stood there with sweaty hippies dancing to my right, and a grave yard for murdered trees on my left, I couldn't help feeling like these people were missing the point. It was interesting to watch them as they kept their eyes from wandering over to the inevitable buzz-kill of the dead trees. And while they ate mushrooms and payed homage to the earth, there was one lonely bearded man standing in a pile of garbage trying to sort out the recyclables.

Thank you bearded guy.

-Jillian