Life Imitates Art but Only to a Point

A FB friend from damals when we were both flesh and blood, Wolfgang K, shared a story with me on the surviving Beach Boys decision after nearly four and half decades to release "Smile" which came as a bit of surprise since I enjoyed the recent offerings by Brian Wilson because they were so evocative (to my ears) of a very exciting time in his career without being a throwback of those times.

What I failed to appreciate is how tough times have been for the Boys, especially the ones who didn't write a whole lot of my generation's Endless Summer soundtrack (I didn't see Rich T dancing in the audience, like 37 years on I'd recognize him). Anyway, I wish the survivors well but still miss Carl and Dennis and hope no one does anything foolish like organize a reunion, reconciliation and major tour. The California I've never known, except through their songs, is a beautiful place and I'd sure like to keep it that way.

Speaking of which I almost was kidnapped by a California Girl that same afternoon. A long, lanky woman with ash-blonde hair to her oh so-slender waist was exiting a grocery store with her purchases about six paces in front of me. I am not a leerer or a looker by any means but in my Surfer Girl frame of mind I decided she could well be Gwyneth Paltrow, to whom, I convinced myself, she bore a strong resemblance (do NOT ask me to explain my reasons or perspective for that conclusion).

Luckily for my bum knees, I didn't have to walk half way across the state to satisfy my own curiosity, because I think I might have, as she halted at a car parked just a few paces down the row and turned to her left to unload her grocery cart and better allow me to satisfy my curiosity as I continued to walk past her. Imagine my surprise at discovering I was thisclose to being right about her actually being Gwyneth Paltrow.

Except for the part that the resemblance was a LOT closer to Gwyneth Paltrow's husband than the actress herself. I was a skosh crestfallen but bravely walked on, shaking my head over what had nearly been "but reality, it's not for me and it makes me laugh-fantasy world and Disney Girls, I'm goin' back."
-bill kenny