Let That Shitake Go

I am sitting on a wooden bar stool, overlooking a spectacular beachfront. Surrounded by swings. Hammocks. Beanbags. My mind is racing. It’s always racing. Fortunately, on this particular day, a toasted chicken jaffle is helping me pump the brakes.

The intrigue is tempting, but the aftermath wins me over. I’ve spent the last few days thinking, living on a mesmerizing island of both lovely beaches and calm waters and unlovely roads. My heart races as the wheels spin over the uneven grounds. We play the infamous kids’ game, follow the leader, driving around the islands' many turns and hidden crests.

But on this day, we stop. We pay. And we wait.

I spent the next few hours here, sitting and watching. Observing the senseless drinking. The mindless mushroom. Call me chicken. Or call me smart. But I either couldn’t or wouldn’t participate. Instead, I watched as the mind-altering substances changed my friends those around me.

I feel light. I feel calm. I feel feathers. Time is unknown, with everything becoming blurry. A mermaid is born. She sits in the water for hours, floating on clouds of heaven. A lion is born. Hungry to bite. Burning inside. She roars at everyone. Everything. A sense of calm serenity comes over the others. They fear the sun, becoming one. Four quite individual experiences

As the time past, the sunset, and the effects wore off… my friends came back. For a while, they seemed gone, lost in a trance. I was alone. My feelings did not matter. I was standing in the bar getting smaller and smaller. Disappearing into the abyss. Until they came back. The giggles grew quiet. The time grew shorter. And the anger subsided.

In many ways, mushroom is the saddest, sexiest, most exciting thing to take.

But who am I to say.

The reason for me telling you all of this? I’m not entirely sure. All I can share is my takeaways from the few hours of watching…

1. It’s never too late to reinvent yourself (sometimes it’s necessary to survive)
2. Creativity can spark at any moment
3. Sometimes it’s better to stay small
4. When all else fails, walk away