bad medicine

Enjoy this trip…. and it is a trip. That is a drug slogan from an old house music song. One of the things I miss about indulging in illegal substance is the wicked sense of adventure. There were many nights that I embarked on an odd journey through the nocturnal jungle. But not all of my shenanigans were pleasant. In fact, I would say the majority of these situations were downright nasty. Every so often, I did experience better living through chemistry. Or at least a night to remember with an amazing buzz. One evening stands out in my scattered memory. I was drinking this strange brew that we referred to as Crystal Lite. But it was enhanced with an illicit ingredient. I was attending the “rock and roll” night at Limelight called Sanctuary. I had a vague recollection that Missing Persons were scheduled to appear. I was a huge Dale Bozzio fan, but the thought of meeting her in person didn’t really phase me. I had had introductions to numerous D-List celebrities at this point. The brief encounters were almost always a disappointment. Pop idols usually have feet of clay. As I was getting ready for my nightlife sojourn, I was becoming increasingly agitated. The amphetamines had hijacked my system and had turned me into a speed demon. But I felt like I was ready to conquer the world! So I don’t recall the actual introduction to the new wave diva. But I do have a vivid memory of pouring my heart out to her. I believe our impromptu therapy session lasted hours. I had hit a “rough patch” in my urban life and I found Dale to be a maternal figure. You’d have never guessed it with her outrageous makeup and her flamboyant fashion sense. But she had the persona of a suburban soccer mom! Before I knew it, I was in the fetal position relaying the sorry state of my existence. DB had a soothing presence, and we shared a spontaneous bonding session. In fact, she gave me her home telephone number if I ever needed to talk. Like I said, I probably never would have had this unique “meeting of the minds” without my party favors. Inhibitions were disposed of, along with any shred of self-respect. God only knows what I was babbling about to this punk rock mama. I don’t recommend making a fool of yourself in front of an MTV legend. But the bizarre memories of our heart-to-heart will last a lifetime. We did not keep in touch, but I still have her digits in Boston. And I did meet a cute blond twink named Sprite. I guess drugs do bring people together after all. If I didn’t have such a low tolerance for pain and suffering, I might indulge again. Hello, hangover! This clip was always Missing Person’s best song. You might consider it a serious serenade to selflessness with a dynamic rock production. There was a minor trend of pop songs in the 80’s that extolled the virtues of the road less traveled. Altruism was back in style as long as you were dressed to kill. Dale looked drop dead sexy on the single picture sleeve. But she showed true integrity by taking care of a clueless club kid back in 1994. “When the going gets a little bit tough, you’ve got to give a little bit more!”