Billy & The Beach Party

The extraordinary amount of organizing and multi-tasking came down to a huge reliance on friends. It was a definite advantage to have a little money to get things going. The sound system ($100), burgers & condiments ($240), rehearsal time & space ($210), hall and patio rental ($500) made for a hell of an organizational moment by moment plan. We pulled in $940 at the door consisting of $10 tix each, which included a beer. The night's tally on my credit card for those beers was $538. All said and done the total loss was over 5 bills, but I dare anyone to feed, entertain, and give prizes out to over 120 people for that. I was committed to having value for people, and to create an amazing memorable night. Bonnie's generous assistance with the screen, and projector hooked up to my laptop, as well as Amanda & Geoff's karaoke efforts, completed the experience.
By the time the police showed up to look into a noise complaint, the night had gone on without a hitch. Our final song, "Sweet Caroline" had every single person up dancing and singing. Jed and Sayo took over for a few songs, and it gave me a chance to connect with a few friends, and rest the voice.
The most miraculous of experiences for me was the transcendence of self. I chose to ignore self-conscious, and completely be generous to the people out there. It created a larger than life persona, and one that is necessary to bring together such a wide variety of people. We had the Latinas dancing in the corner, Marcel doing the funky moves on the dance floor, and all kinds of different groups of people conversing and sharing.
For the beach portion, it was me and Terry. That's it. The 2 am dip was chilly, but as my heart was warm, I could ignore it. The realization that my keys, wallet, and phones were all locked away in the Legion, forced an early experience of losing everything. I welcomed it.

After befriending some mid-20 folks on the beach, calming them down after Terry put a bottle under their tire, I felt anything was possible. There was still some miles to get back to bed, and I was without anything to make it there, except my feet, which I loathed as an option. A couple guys were walking across the street, and I flagged them down and explained. As I was using their cellphone, I put my hand in my pocket and pulled out a visa. Terry, who had vanished moments earlier, pulled up with a cab, and called me over. I do know that everything worked out without panic, and that there is always a helping hand when needed. My reliance on phones, and credit cards, and money has completely washed away my confidence in living without them.