missing persons

You can’t go home again is the title of a legendary tome by Thomas Wolfe. In the novel, a writer publishes a roman a clef about his hometown. Family and friends feel naked and exposed by the truths they have seen in his book, and their fury drives him from his home. This theme has been plagiarized by countless movies and television shows. Most recently, October Road updated this chestnut with a classic rock soundtrack. So when I returned to Long Island in 1994, it was a surreal experience. I had crashed and burned living “life in the fast lane” in Manhattan. I was looking for an escape clause and Port Jefferson seemed like the ticket. Don’t get me wrong, I hated growing up in the boondocks of Suffolk County. But there is something oddly comforting about going “back to your roots” And after starring in my own freak show, I had to learn how to relate to normal people again. So it was strange to return to the scene of the crime that passed for my teenage years. Walking the streets of my misspent youth, I felt like a ghost from another time period. But it had only been ten years since I left town. I can’t say I connected with any of my former partners in crime. After the forced socialization of high school, the student bodies go their separate ways. Thankfully, I am a resilient personality and I was able to adapt to my new surroundings. Although I was not in sync with my fellow citizens, I know how to build bridges with another tribe. I found myself getting friendly with bored middle-aged housewives and disaffected teenage boys. I was in the midst of an identity crisis and it was nice to have a new network of support. My stint in the backwoods didn’t last long, however. Two years later, the urban landscape started calling my name again. But I don’t regret taking the “time out” from the rat race. The vibe of the city can make you high, but it can also leave you drained. It was pleasant to abscond to a resort destination for 24 months. But ultimately a little dull. Although I found suburbia crawling with critters who are every bit as highly strung as their city cousins. I guess desperation is an universal condition. This is my roundabout way of introducing my next video. This Austrian musician doesn’t get a lot of respect in critical circles. It is easy to mock the exaggerated antics of this cartoon character. But he certainly makes an effort to entertain. This song is actually the sequel to his controversial track Jeanny. That song told a bizarre story about a twisted relationship between a serial killer and a dead runaway. I assume the accused was misunderstood and they were really in love! In any case, I love to watch a video with a refined narrative, no matter how absurd. Falco finds his expectations are dashed and he finds himself hooked up to a machine. There’s nothing like shock treatment to ease your transition into the real world…  It makes my homecoming seem like a smooth ride.