Skip at 18

Skip's mom visited several months ago. For me it was kind of a shock to meet her. Why? You ask. Well, I guess because ever since I have known him, he's been outside the norms of anyone I'd ever met. Skip's mom's name is Jane. She was very down to earth, sweet and totally normal. I guess it's hard to picture Skip having a normal family or even a human family at that. He's just so damn wild. Most of you know that he has been living in domiciles of his own creation for over 20 years now. He lives on Doctor Skipper (a soda) and eats at a Mexican restaurant (Antonio's) every day and night that he's home in Ojai.

A month or 2 ago, I informed the world with my microscopic blog voice that Bill had been doing a lot of talking about Skip moving off the land. This is an annual event. As annual as Skip going to NY for 3 months. This time though, Bill had Millennium deconstruct Skip's latest addition to his hovel. The latest update as of tonight is that Skip will be back living here once again. In fact, I'll be picking him up from LAX tomorrow evening. We'll probably make it back to town in time for Skip to eat dinner at Antonio's.

Jane, (Skip's mom), must have caught wind of Bill's eviction inclination because she sent a letter about Skip along with some photos of Skip in high school, family in front of X-mas tree, Skip as a baby, Skip as a 9 year old and an article about Skip when he was 18. I have to confess that I am still in shock at these revelations concerning Skip's formative years.

Without further ado, I shall give you the shortlist on these shockingly unprovocative pieces of history from one of the most enigmatic people I have ever met. [Taken from the article written in 1963 with permission from no one]

#1: {The picture of Skip in the local paper blew me away. He looks like he could have been a movie star. Great smile, very good looking and his hair... his hair is combed, parted on the side, short and clean-cut with a wave.}

#2: "Skip excels at swimming and ice skating." {What! you gotta be kidding me!}

#3: "I love music too," he said "I like different groups depending on my mood. I enjoy the Smother's Brothers, Peter, Paul and Mary, and the Kingston Trio." {Whoa, hold on a sec... slow down, I'm getting dizzy.}

#4: He also likes to sing, though "just fooling around as he puts it, not professionally. Reading is a good occupation too. He enjoys novels such as "Brave New World" but prefers books with theological ideology and is interested in the history of the Greeks and Romans. "I also have a model railroad," he added. {Model railroad?!}

#5: Always interested in outdoor activities, Skip loves hunting and fishing. His love of animals and birds is indicated by his interest in the ducks he raises. He would like to go somewhere like Alaska where he could be self-sufficient. "I think most teen-agers are afraid to be alone, but I'm not. I feel I am equipped to survive." {Ahh... the seedling is sprouting}

#6: In addition to his other interests he is an excellent cook and even bakes bread for his family. {Wait a second, who the heck are you talking about? This aint Skip, say it aint so. The Skip I know never eats anywhere except Antonio's. Got it?}

#7: Skip will be attending C.S.U. this fall and he plans to study Wildlife Management, "I will probably be in the forest service only I will be interested in animals rather that trees."

#8: "I don't go steady with any girl right now," he stated, "but I have been dating one girl pretty regularly." Skip does not wish to become seriously involved romantically. "I don't believe in young marriage. Before you marry you should be financially secure. It should come after college and the service. As soon as you have found your niche in life."

#9 In discussing morals, Skip said that though out history there have been periods of moral decline and he feels that this is one. "It is kind of like and earthquake. You feel it but you can't stop it. I would say that only 10 of every 150 teen-agers are morally loose but these are the ones seen in public and the criteria by which the others are judged."

So there you have it, a small slice of Skip-apple pie, baked over 40 years ago. We are able to see some of the traits and interests that influenced the direction of his life. But how did he get from there to here? Hmm, I may have a few questions for Skip as we cruise back to Ojai on the PCH.