A Million Ways To Spend Our Time

Part 8: We Want The World And We Want It Now

Aurora and I pulled up to The Hollywood Bowl on July 5th, not believing the crowd and the cameras. We made our way towards the front gates, and I was very happy to see the same security guard they had had before since he would recognize us. We informed him that the band had wanted us to come see them perform, so he went backstage to confirm it with them while we waited. Moments later, the security guard returned to let us in, giving us front row seats. I pinched myself while walking towards them, and even Aurora was acting giddy like a child on Christmas.

What took place next was pure musical bliss and spiritual magic. Jim behaved professionally, with grace and poise, and I could see his inner shaman coming out again. The music brought it out of him, and if he was currently on anything it didn't show. He didn't seem too into antics, except for teasing and torturing the crowd a bit with long pauses. I looked over and saw Mick Jagger in the audience, nearly slapping Aurora to let her know by accident. We tried not to stare at Mick, completely bewildered as his surprise appearance. He started to gaze in our direction, and in response we glued our eyes to Jim, pretending to not notice. How could Pamela ask him not to do this?, I wondered. It brought an alter ego in him, a completely different persona. I was sure she wanted a simple, realistic, faithful man who was home for dinner every night and only went to and from work everyday, but this was just...Dionysus and a shaman in the flesh. Something that could not be ignored once it has raised its head from the water. Something that could not be turned off once it was turned on. I could understand the need for him to be tamed or reined in somewhat and kept in check, but to put out the fire completely? No way, I thought to myself. Even if he just recited his poetry to the music of Ray, John and Robby, that would be better than quitting altogether. He wasn't the type of man to have a typical job, such as a doctor, a lawyer or a salesman. He seemed to know the power he had over the audience, or when he was being ignored. Regardless, at the end of the day, he seemed to want his poetry listened to over anything. He recited some of it during this concert, and I was very glad it was recorded. "Can you believe all the people that are here?! Not to mention Mick Jagger?!" Aurora's face was bright as she exclaimed this to me. "I know, right?! And, the fact that we got to be here too!" I looked around once again, my eyes automatically going over to Mick. "Wait a minute...Aurora, look! Is that who I think it is?" Aurora looked over where I was looking. "Yep. Oh my God." We shook our heads upon seeing that Pamela was sitting on Mick's lap and that Mick was flirting with her. "Seriously?! How low class is that?! Does she not know who her boyfriend is?!" "I mean, I would be sitting on Jagger's lap too if I was asked and if I didn't have anybody, but not in front of my boyfriend who is Jim Morrison. Especially while he was up there performing his art, not to mention making the money that feeds me. Selfish." "Not saying it excuses him, but Mick Jagger is Mick Jagger and is gonna think he can do whatever he wants and have who he wants. Of course he's not gonna care about Jim possibly seeing this. He's just on a conquest for whatever, whenever." "Right. It's not like they all agreed to some drug-fueled threesome beforehand." Poor Jim, I thought, hoping he didn't see this. I followed the band into their musical circle or trance throughout the last few songs, still musically high even after the band left the stage. "That was beyond exhilarating," I said to Aurora as we began to make our way back towards the door. "Like a musical acid trip," she replied. "He had that crowd in the palm of his hand." "Sure did. With on-point musicians to back him up." "What a great night," I smiled, on top of the world. Aurora was smiling as well. "Yeah." I wished that there was a way for me to talk to them and congratulate them, but I didn't think there was. Plus, I did not feel like dealing with Pamela. On one hand I felt inferior and shut out by her, yet on the other I wanted to protect him from her. We made our way back to Aurora's car and got inside. I had previously told her about my last conversation with Jim and about his generous donation he made to me several days ago. She believed he had an extremely messed up situation, but was at least trying to be kind to and honest with me. "Well, that was entertaining. I wonder if Jim will find out about her and Mick." "Me too." We rode in silence for a while, contemplating what we had just witnessed.