Music therapy. Thumper was a metal-head. He played piano, guitar, base and tuba. Not at the same time but he played each well. And he sang bro. His voice was so.....wonderful. He could sing a Beetles balad with soul and his metal Cookie-Monster was mythic. Know that growl thing we do in heavy-metal? That animalistic and gutteral "woof"we do? That's called "Cookie Monster".
As I hung out with his friends among the great Northern Arizona heavy metal scene last night, we kept trying to find songs that DIDN'T remind us of Thumper but we couldn't. Thumper was omnivorous in terms of music.
In other words, there is no singing in Northern AZ right now. There is no dancing. And us elders in the scene are saying "what about the kids?" and we are preparing to adopt.
The idea has already been floated to do a heavy-metal fund-raiser but this is different. It's not like Thumper needs bail money this time. We got kids to look out for. So this day I have announced that I will take Thumper's oldest son Mikey. He's 9 now. I haven't seen him since he was 3.
I'd given up the scene. I ain't seen none of these people in 6 years. But when Oz hears his friends are hurting, he comes not walking, Oz comes running. Oz shows up with lights and sirens and a police escort. Talk about a day late and a dollar short.
I just can't believe that after all these years, after 2 kids, Thumper never got that monkey off his back. And this is what is making me cry right now is I THOUGH HE HAD IT LICKED. SORRY TO ALL-CAP BUT LAST TIME I SAW HIM HE SAID HE WAS CLEAN, THAT HIS NEW KID HAD TURNED HIM AROUND, HE WAS WORKING HARD AND SAVING MONEY FOR THE KIDS.
So now I got a bad case of the "if onlys". If only I had known. Oz don't walk when his friends need help, he runs. Sometimes Oz gets there in time. Oz has jumped into burning cars to save people in his day, Oz was a life-saver. But not this time.
Oz is old and Oz thought he had done with the days of finding a buddy dead with a needle sticking out of his arm. It's happened too many times. Way too many times. Once was too many but then it became almost gratuitous (from Death's perspective) and now it's just sick. We have a 9 year old and a 3 year old little girl now. Thanks a lot Thumper.
If you were me, and running a house on a modest budget, which would you take? The little gal or the first-born son? I'd take them both but know what's gonna happen?
There is already competition.
See Thumper died so well beloved by his friends and we are all family men. We ALL want the kids. There is already an argument. We will ultimately solve this disagreement in traditional heavy-metal fashion. We will sharpen our blades and prepare for combat and dress up in our most glamorous fashion and do a highly esoteric imitation of battle. Some guys will even wear make-up and black finger-nail polish. That would be the Goth factions weighing in. Goths are known for notoriously unpredictable males but entirely predictable females. Goth women are pretty solid and they are all pretty.
There are certain rules that apply among the sub-cultures. Hippy females can be trusted with children for short periods of time. Goth girls make excellent moms for a longer period because they know what it's like to be an outcast and they know what it means to tribally protect their own. For anything longer term you need a Native American because we remember ALL THINGS FOR ALL TIME.
To summarize, I am going to make my bid for BOTH SON AND DAUGHTER. I will encounter resistance. If I get only one, I will call this good. But what I consider best of all is THIS IS NORTHERN ARIZONA HEAVEY METAL. We will take care of our own. These kids have lost their dad but they have many fathers. They have many mothers and aunts and uncles and cousins and brothers and sisters. They are rich in love. We are a tribe.
Today I urge all people to hug somebody and tell them you love them. And to make such familial and tribal relationships with those you love. Build this in your life so that in your death you don't have to worry. For no money can buy the kind of insurance these kids now have. They will be loved and taken care of. If not by me, then by another brother who has bested me in combat or by counsel. For us brothers are fully prepared to fight. And I'm an elder, I'm part of counsel.
My counsel is to think of somebody that would leave a hole in your heart if they went away. My counsel is to think of the hole as being something to defend with all the love in your heart. For if ye have love in your heart and defend this hole, ye can be sure that this hole will be filled up with new love.
<message edited by OzDogs on Sun, 08/23/09 12:15 AM>
