Something Better Happen Soon

I have witnessed many storms in my life.
Most storms have taken me by surprise,
and so I’ve had to learn—and very quickly too—to look farther off,
to understand that I cannot control the weather,
to practice the art of patience, and to respect nature’s fury.
Things do not always happen the way I would have wanted,
and it’s best that I get used to that.
--Paulo Coelho
‘Like The Flowing River’


There is a song by R.E.M. called “Don’t Go Back to Rockville”. The R.E.M. band originated from Athens, Georgia. Between 1983 and 1986, R.E.M.’s first four albums defined a type of music still taking shape at the time (an as-yet unnamed “Alternative Rock” was then emerging).

This song was released by R.E.M. on November 30, 1983 and I really loved it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erBvUeQCeVs
The lyrics to "Don't Go Back to Rockville":

Looking at your watch a third time waiting in the station for the bus
Going to a place that's far, so far away and if that's not enough
Going where nobody says hello, they don't talk to anybody they don't know
You'll wind up in some factory that's full time filth and nowhere left to go
Walk home to an empty house, sit around all by yourself
I know it might sound strange, but I believe
You'll be coming back before too long

Don't go back to Rockville, don't go back to Rockville, don't go back to Rockville
And waste another year

At night I drink myself to sleep and pretend
I don't care that you're not here with me
'Cause it's so much easier to handle
All my problems if I'm too far out to sea
But something better happen soon
Or it's gonna be too late to bring *me back

It's not as though I really need you
If you were here I'd only bleed you
But everybody else in town only wants to bring *me down and
That's not how it ought to be
Well I know it might sound strange, but I believeYou'll be coming back before too long


Twenty-five years ago today:

Sunday, April 15, 1984
At approximately 9AM my telephone rang. It was Chris Cordellos calling.
“Hey, why don’t you come over,” Chris suggested impatiently.

I arrived in Concord, CA at around 10AM. We played by the pool with ‘James the Dog’. Barb came out later. We decided to head out to The City (San Francisco) to see Barb’s friend, Sue.

We ate at Scott’s Seafood Bar & Grill near Chestnut Street. After the scrumptious lunch we hung out at Sue’s bar called DANNY’s.

Chris and I escaped to a store called HEADLINE’s where I purchased a new pair of boots (gray in color). Chris thought they were so “hot”.

Chris bought a few greeting cards. One of the cards depicted a girl on a surfboard (for who this was bought I do not know). He also chose a card for his friend, Clay, although he would not show me this particular card. I wonder if he picked a card for ‘me’. I should be so lucky-if he did.

Chris browsed through some clothes at 3rd Avenue. He did not buy a thing. We jammed on back to pick up Barb.

It was 3PM by now and we decided to stop at Jack London Square at Gallagher’s. My brother, John, was tending bar there. He treated each of us to a drink. Both Barb and Chris were dreading the idea of going back to the US Coast Guard base up in Humboldt County. We filled the car with gas.

Chris called his friend, Clay. I learned that Clay is stationed at the Oakland US Coast Guard base. I was surprised--to say the least--to learn of this news. Then again, Chris is not the ‘blab and tell all at once’ type. He is well known for that.

We grabbed an evening bite at the Willows Shopping Center in Concord, CA. We munched at Fuddruckers’ Burgers. We continued to ‘hang out’, browsing through a few of the mall shops. I chauffeured them to Chris’ mom’s condominium in Concord by 7:30PM.

I drove home, wondering where C.C. (Chris Cordellos) and I stood after such abrupt goodbyes. The song by R.E.M. was playing on the radio, “Don’t Go Back to Rockville”. Chris and I have an ongoing joke, relating the tune to his going back to "Arcata-ville".