An Old Friend
When I first came to Humboldt county, this simple ranch house was the first place I stayed. My friend Kent lived there along with two or three other roommates. It was a vibrant student household, full of life and warmth, and it was here that I came to my decision to leave L.A. and all its comforts and move to Arcata, and start my real life as an independent adult. So the experiences I had in this house were monumentally important to me. Literally, for me, "this is where it all began."
August 23, 1982
Sadly, the house has been abandoned for over a decade, and time has taken a hard toll. Driving by the area, I could always see the house from the main highway and it was obvious that no one lived there anymore, but until just a couple of days ago, I hadn't actually explored the place. This is what Kent's house looks like now...
August 17, 2006
It's hard for me to describe my feelings, seeing how this old friend has changed. Has it really been that long since those miracle-filled days of my youth? It doesn't really seem like it, but seeing with my own eyes how the ravages of time have affected this special place, well, I suddenly felt very old, indeed...
In this top picture, a very stoned Me is showing off this huge baggie of weed that I just bought for $5 (yes, FIVE dollars) from one of Kent's housemates. I'm holding it up like some giant fish that I just caught.
The same spot today...
Contrast my happiness then with how I feel now.
I don't know... after my visit, I almost wished I hadn't gone. The death symbolism I saw there was frankly overwhelming. The boarded-up windows and doors. That appalling, almost corpse-like dark blue-green paint. My god, look at what's happened here. It's really finally over. Everyone and everything I loved is gone now. Everyone. Everything. Gone...
August 23, 1982
Sadly, the house has been abandoned for over a decade, and time has taken a hard toll. Driving by the area, I could always see the house from the main highway and it was obvious that no one lived there anymore, but until just a couple of days ago, I hadn't actually explored the place. This is what Kent's house looks like now...
August 17, 2006
It's hard for me to describe my feelings, seeing how this old friend has changed. Has it really been that long since those miracle-filled days of my youth? It doesn't really seem like it, but seeing with my own eyes how the ravages of time have affected this special place, well, I suddenly felt very old, indeed...
In this top picture, a very stoned Me is showing off this huge baggie of weed that I just bought for $5 (yes, FIVE dollars) from one of Kent's housemates. I'm holding it up like some giant fish that I just caught.
The same spot today...
Contrast my happiness then with how I feel now.
I don't know... after my visit, I almost wished I hadn't gone. The death symbolism I saw there was frankly overwhelming. The boarded-up windows and doors. That appalling, almost corpse-like dark blue-green paint. My god, look at what's happened here. It's really finally over. Everyone and everything I loved is gone now. Everyone. Everything. Gone...