We left Las Vegas up 400 dollars on the blackjack table and in possession of a fresh Marriage Certificate. Riding that high my wife and I set out for a road trip that would include a blizzard, a flat, and lonely cash only bars featuring “the great unifier.” Commonly, by me, referred to as the pool table. A fine table like that is a great equalizer. It does not know age or status. It’s the common ground a newcomer needs to defuse the tension of entering the local dive. The biggest hurdle I’ve come to know in these situations is ordering a soda water.
“This guy doesn’t even drink?”
“What happened son? You leave your balls in your purse?”
This was my welcome to this dusty and desolate bar in western Arizona as dusk was approaching from a “man's man” adorned with a JESUS CHRIST IS LORD trucker hat. He examined the quarter I had placed on the rail with uneasy glances towards me, undoubtedly giving me the once over.
Square up. Firm base. A light hold. Trust your gut. My tenets for keeping cool under pressure when you find yourself in the warm yellow light of a dive bar pool table. But, the song remains the same. Get what I'm saying? The locals get to see a snapshot of who you are as a shooter.
“Hmm nice bank.”
“You gon’ walk that dog or what?”
Whether you win or lose, and I don't lose, your opponent and the locals inevitably find the silver lining in the out of towner who might not have all that much in common with them.
To circle back to where I started earlier in this letter, yes we hit a blizzard. It's featured in the video we made for our collaboration with Guess. My wife and I actually didn’t get to see more than 5 minutes of the Grand Canyon, expecting to go hiking in it the following morning. We woke up to sideways snow and wind that could strip paint.
The other highlight I want to clue you in on was the wild dogs we saw. We emerged from the blizzard with a gradual increase in sunshine and temperature. Hightailing it out of the Grand Canyon National Park like a bat out of hell early that morning. It’s while we were pulled over to soak up the sun and for me to crack a beer for my passenger princess that in the middle of honest to god nowhere that 4 porcelain white dogs emerged from the brush like mythical wizards. One knowing how you die, one when you’ll die. And the other two to bestow judgement. We enjoyed some real salt-of-the-earth analogue dog therapy mid-road trip marathon.
I’d share more of the honeymoon roadtrip but this isn’t a love story. Turns coming up and I feel the back end sliding. Till next time,
-Brady
