One of the problems with writing this story is how it might
affect the survivors. Certainly there are scenes in the story that some
folks would prefer to forget, or prefer not to remember. Of course, for
those who haven’t survived, it’s less of an issue.
A few years ago, I found a comment on a post asking how I
knew ‘Uncle Keith’ and another time someone recalled my friend Scott as a guy
‘who I used to deal grass with’. Keith is not a survivor and Scott, if he
has survived, is in parts unknown.
Recently, I heard from the daughter of someone who,
unfortunately, is no longer here, and was deeply moved. It seems I’ve
shined a light into a dark corner that was somewhat kept hidden from her.
It should be no surprise that a lot of what we did back then
was done on the low-down and the hush-hush. However, even those who
weren’t participating, clearly knew what we were doing and that we were
seriously shattering some laws.
Today, some of the survivors are upstanding civic leaders...
one key player is now a successful lawyer and a young legal assistant even has
become a judge. The prosecutor became a criminal defense attorney.
What began as a way to buy an engagement ring, ended in an
entirely different place that noone... absolutely nobody... could have
predicted. And as I sit here 25 years down the road, my head is filled
with stories inside stories about unique adventures in the baby boomer
underworld. And I only hope I have the time to put it all down as best I
can remember it.
So to those who would prefer these stories remain untold, I
apologize. In most places, I’ve left names either incomplete or slightly
modified. For those who aren’t in that frame of mind, I hope the stories
are entertaining, exciting, and possibly bringing back some fond
remembrances. As for the ghosts, I hope they are all having a big party
wherever they are.