Searching for Reality

“In your 20’s you have to pursue your LIFE’s goals.”
-as heard in the 2010 film THE DEBT

Diary Notes/Photos June 22-28, 1988

I’m still enjoying frequent telephone chatter with Amy L Platt.   She seems a bit bored in the Contra Costa Valley area and always seems ‘chipper and cheery’ whenever I happen to call.    We’ve gone out dancing a couple of times to Bobby McGee’s in Concord and Baxter’s in San Ramon. 

She gave me a few modeling photos that she had taken for some local boutique clothing store.   I liked them.   After I spend time with her I have fun but she gets a little bossy, argumentative and opinionated.   I’m not so sure I like that.   It must be from her New York upbringing.  Most California girls don’t act so headstrong.   A part of me likes it but then I find that I need a breather from her. 

PHOTO:  Amy Louise Platt, June 21, 1988

I promised mom I would help paint the exterior of her house.  It has been an elf green (with white trim) for the longest time.

“I agree, Mom, it’s time for a change.”
I suggested white with black trim.   She liked the idea.   I explained how I would accentuate the door with the black trim and she’s all FOR my creative plan.   I’m looking forward to doing the work for her.  It will be done by the end of this month.

June 27, 1988
I have some new postcards from Paloma.   She finds great cards for me.   This photo of three young stewardesses must have really caught her eye, knowing that she has wanted to be a flight-attendant for AIR FRANCE for so long.   On this card she wrote with encouragement about my doing more original painting on canvas.  I do enjoy the calm, creativity while I am holding a paint brush.  Paloma wrote:

...I’ve seen CHER has a perfume in the American COSMOPOLITAN magazine.  

You can do some more paintings.  They look really good.   You’ve always had such great taste (that’s why you liked me!).   Aren’t you glad we have each other to tell the other one once in a while how beautiful, smart and EVERYTHING we are?

You didn’t tell me how and where you got the perfume samples.   Did you have to pay with your body?  I’m really happy.   That proves you think about me.   I miss you very much.  
Well, I have to go to bed.   I get up at 6:30AM now but I’ll write again soon.  You know that!   Write me a long, long letter.  
Love You, Paloma

Everyone is talking about Mike Tyson, the fighter who knocked out Michael Spink in ninety-one seconds in Atlantic City, NJ.  Ouch…I imagine Spink didn’t know what hit him.  

I also found an older letter from Paloma that I re-read.    She wrote it at the time that she initially met her husband, Alexandre, while they were working at CLUB MED.   She wrote:

….this is NOT the worse part.   Before that I’ve got to stand up on Alexandre’s shoulders with my arms up in the air.   Let me tell you that it’s pretty scary.   Alexandre is—I guess---about six feet two inches tall, plus we’re on a pretty high stage and we’ve got about one-thousand people watching us.   That’s a nightmare.   I’ve got to do it every two weeks.

I knew you’d like the third photo I sent you.   I took it especially for you.

You’ve got no idea the things they make me do here.   My image is in bad shape!   My favorite part is when I do Donna Summer’s playback to MACARTHUR PARK:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV1oafB3grM  That’s pretty funny.

Talking about your last picture…was that an underwear commercial?  I thought that was a wrist watch commercial.
PHOTO:  Michael Joe Armijo

What happened with that girl named JOYCE?  Did you go out with her?  You start a story and then you don’t finish it.   Now you’re telling me about Sue…pretty confusing!   Take a break sometimes!

I won’t go to the States with CLUB MED since for the moment there is only one there in Copper Mountain, Colorado and I’m not very attracted by a mountain village.   I’d rather go to a beach but I could go to a village in what we call the American zone like Mexico, the Bahamas or places like that.   We (European staff) have to speak English very well to go to the American zone.   No problem for me, right?   DON’T YOU LAUGH!   The problem is that Alexandre doesn’t speak English, so I don’t think I’ll go for a while.   When he is Chief of SPORTS then maybe we’ll get to go.  CLUB MED already asked me if I wanted to go to Playa Blanca, Mexico next winter but I won’t without him.  

My family is fine.   Thank you.   Except I heard my brother (Luis) and Bernadette are NOT together anymore.   I don’t exactly know what happened.   After ten years that’s pretty sad!

I think Reggie, Coco and ZonZon are in SPAIN these days and it is not very far from here.   I’m afraid they might show up one of these days with their Mohawk haircuts and stuff!   How do you think my boss is going to like it?  (HuH?  …as you would say).

You said you’ve got no real ties.  You’ve got to be kidding.  What about the millions of dollars you owe your bank because of your credit cards?   Those are called chains.   Come on, Michael, I’m just kidding.

I showed your last picture to some of my friends who happened to be around when I got it.   They asked when you were coming.

I would have loved to see you running the marathon with your ‘too small’ tennis shoes.   I bet that was something!   Michael, you are just too FUNNY…just thinking about you makes me smile!

How is your family?  I guess your niece is pretty big now.   You’re going to be able to date her pretty soon.   Are you still putting bows with glue on her head?

Well, I better stop this letter now.   Keep sending me pictures.   I love it.  I will too.  I promise.  Hope to read you soon.   Love You, Paloma

After I read that I asked myself, "Who in the hell is JOYCE?"   I guess she was one of those quick introductions at a dance club that never amounted to much of anything.   Now fast-forward to recent times as I have received a scenic postcard from Paloma’s town of AGDE in the South of France with these latest words:

…a big hug from Jonathan to his Uncle Michael   I don’t think I could get along with a 22-year old boy.   My brother in law is twenty-one.   That IS really young!   I think he is really a lot of fun and he reminds me of lots of good memories but I couldn’t imagine having a date with him (even if I think he is really cute).  Maybe it’s different with him though.   They mature earlier.   I don’t know. 

I saw Didier in Paris.  He is getting a divorce.   That’s really too bad for their little boy.
Here is a view of my town.   I like it around here but not right now.   It is so crowded.  You can’t even imagine people from all over Europe and even the States come here.   Well, Michael, hope to read you soon!  Love Paloma
By the way…you look really good on your picture.  I know you were expecting that!

And so…reading old letters or new letters always make me homesick for the fun and laughter of Paloma and the feeling of France.  

I suppose I can pick up the phone now and call Amy Platt; however, it’s not as exciting.   She has issues.  Or is it me that has them?  A part of me tends to see all of life’s experiences as a dream; however, there is more to life than just dreams.   I’m still searching for reality in everything.

“Should we be mindful of dreams?   Can we interpret them?”

The Master looked into his eyes and said tersely, “We should be mindful of EVERYTHING, for we can interpret EVERTHING.”
-THE GLASS BEAD GAME, a novel by Hermann Hesse
(A General Introduction)