Tom Joad here again, today I was back here in Oklahoma – back at the job, sharecroppin’ away on pa’s forty acres when my old friend Mulee Graves strolled over. Ol’ Mulee asked me where I had been at last’n week, said a dust storm damn near blew away this year’s crop… I sit and thunk about it fer a minute, ‘fore drifting back in my memories, away to where the sweat wasn’t runnin’ in my eyes all day, away from long hard workin’ days for lessn’ wages than I’m worth… back to sunny days spent with my good buddy Harry, back to them nights I was sleeping in my car and luvin’ ev’ry minute of it, back to chilly nights spent watchin’ classic movies with good friends in their backyards, back to when every breath of every day invigorated me, makin’ me excited to be alive, back to when life was good…
(((FLASHBACK)))
Ma sent me south from Oklahoma to check inta what folks’r callin’ South by Southwest – the clever ‘uns call it SXSW, thinkin’ they’re cutsie… anyhow’s driving south to Austin, I didn’t right know where I was gonna be stayin’… it was late Thursday night and I was thinkin’ I’d be holin’ up in my car…
Sure ‘nuff, I slept overnight near a place that sounded like a inter’sting house to visit, called itself the House of Pancakes, but with no cash, I had ta pass without goin’ in to see all the food, sounded like there was a bunch of it, but woulda been too much temptation… Sun woke me up ‘round dawn, so I followed the sun to cross town and find the Convention Center, a darn big buildin’, just plain massive! Plenty diff’rent from the ol’ shack in Oklahoma. I figured my way around and made way to the desk where I got my picture flashed of me, temporarily blindin’ me, when my eyes got their sight back, I was wearin’ a Platinum badge ‘round my neck with my face right on the front! Neato! Feeling cool and filled with importance, I spun on a heel to face a room FULL of badge wearin’ folk, the air woulda been swept from my balloon had I not discovered how excited ev’ryone was to be here, the enthusiasm everyone there was sharing and how contagious it all was. Then I ran into Harry. My bud from January when Ma sent me down here to check inta the Tarantino film festival… He was looking a bit haggard, just plain spent, as he was trying to secure some tickets to the world premiere showing of The Newton Boys fer his pa and sis, such a kind heart, that Harry. He filled me in on when n where he was gonna be at talking on panels and such and that he was introducin’ a picture at midnight the next night called SANITY… I made a mental note to be there for definite sure… he turned to go and was distracted by some clamoring fans, so I spun to head back to the doors, where I was s’posed to meet the wife (Meredith) and my friend Annette Kellerman to help get them registered (I couldn’t wait ta show them this flashin’ picture takin’ thang!), and who should be walking directly toward me but the two I was headin’ to meet!!! Now I’ve never been a believer in coincidences so much as I have in fate. Everything’s by design. And this trip was shapin’ up to be designed by the gods.
Eat and drink is what we needed, so we all headed to sixth street, where we was told all the good eateries and bars were. Sure ‘nuff, headed right into a superb meal of fried fish and hushpuppies with a mug of frothy fun… learned our way around the way the town that day, figured out our plan and had a real good time…
