The DU Lounge

I loved listening to her. Mid 80’s so I hadn’t decided a useful major other than Literature. I didn’t have time or interest to actually read the books so my papers were back/side stories of the works. “Tequila with Emily Dickinson” was one of them.

One of my rich uncles rented some suites in Duck NC. Outerbanks. On the beach. Blazing hot summer day. My brother and I went down to the beach with a butt-ton of beer, a boombox (I guess), and tapes. We spent hours down there totally uncovered from the sun listening to REM 10,000 Maniacs The dBs probably some Steely Dan Traffic Sade etc. I wouldn’t say we were pounding beers - it was an effortless flow of beers. A lot of beer. I’m sure we were both baked. We worked the world out between us. That’s pretty much where we still are today. Based on that day.

It was one of the most beautiful days of my life.

When we got back up to the suite my aunt said “we could see you all. You guys drank a LOT of beer”. We did.


Pappaw - Johnnie - was there. He laughed and said something about how we had a day he never was able to have. He was injured in the Battle of the Bulge and spent two years at the Army hospital at the Greenbrier. Tough life. Read voluminously.

One of the best days of my life.