We were clipping down the road, going about sixty miles per hour. Suddenly, the Jeep Grand Cherokee made a hard (and very poorly calculated) right turn that took us over the curb. Due to the physics of the situation... we ended up on a forty-five degree angle traveling only on the driver's side wheels, heading straight for the woods. The driver then turned the wheel correcting the Jeep's balance, but it was already too late to safely guide us back to the road. CRAAAAAASSSSHHH!!! We smacked head-on into the one lonely maple that stood in the grass lot before the woods. I was riding shotgun, it happened in a matter of seconds and I was fifteen-and-a-half-years-old.
In that moment there was no time for being scared. The guys in the back seat had clobbered heads and one had their leg caught underneath my seat. The driver somehow came out of the accident unscathed. I didn't have time to think about how rough my body felt from the seat-belt saving my life. My friends were hurt and needed my help. I immediately took off my shirt, balled it around my hand and held it on my friend's cracked open skull. We all lived through that accident that day, but life was definitely different afterwards. There's no guarantees out there and we were lucky.
Sooo... It smells like my birth in here. That's right, I turned thirty-one today and I'm fucking loving it. It's certainly been a wild year, hasn't it? The last few months have been incredible and the last few weeks even more so. Life isn't just some random adventure - it is THE adventure. I may have never lived another day half a lifetime ago, but that wasn't in the cards that day. I'm here today with twice the experiences and slowly learning to be grateful for all of them.
Kurt Vonnegut wrote, "Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter could be said to remedy anything.", which is an eloquent way of saying - don't grow into an old crotchety fuck-face, you'll never get out alive. We always seem to laugh when we throw common courtesies out the window. There's something hilarious about childishly tormenting another human-being. We fart in public places, holler "grandma" at random old women, scare people out of their sleep, go split personality on a drive-thru worker (like they can't jizz in our food or anything...), greet canvassers in our undies, honk at people - then wave in the opposite direction, use a thumbs-up in place of a middle finger with a road-rager and make pregnancy uncomfortable for everyone. Good call, Kurt... good call.
Laughter and Love are roommates of the heart - or even better - Laughter is more like Love's wing-man. The two of them will always find their way when they're working together. Let this be your compass in life and never doubt the magic they create together. It's so perfectly.... human. Laugh with someone, let your hearts dance and embrace the adventure.
My night was spent with one important, beautiful and intelligent woman. Laughter has been a playground for our hearts and her company is my favorite present. It was perfectly capped off with a sunset pontoon ride while picnicking with pizza and wine. We both confessed we didn't want to be anywhere else. All of our days have been incredible like this.
Which reminds me, I need to get the fuck out of here. She's patiently waiting to share the night with me and I'm here chillin' with all of you. The only thing I've got is... Laugh, Love and Live the life you deserve!! Thanks for the birthday love today from all of you. My heart is on fire... peace and love.
Scotty J. - "Just fucking laugh"