Johnny G.
Your post brought back many memories - Stay Cool roofing, J.T. Reese, and some good times, too. I remember that brief period of almost freedom as a time when the Seed staff was trying to figure out what to do with the graduates who were sticking around, especially when we weren't at work or in the group. Most of us got assigned to tasks - watching Art's house, working on his boat, cutting grass, fixing cars. We were glad to do it too - we were working together, and having a blast sometimes. We also had a bit more free time on the weekends, once the regular weekend raps were shortened, then eliminated. I drove down to the Keys with Jim H. and a couple of other guys - we drove 70 miles an hour on the wrong side of the road, poached lobsters from the bay, and laughed our asses off - all the fun you can have sober and celebate at age 20! We did a midnight fishing trip in the everglades, and a couple of other things, until staff came upon a solution - endless weekend games of football and baseball! And I do mean endless - starting at 11:00 am or so and going on until 1:00 am or so at first, plus digging out the drainage ditches in the back field and making a baseball diamond by hand. And let me tell you what - I am a particulary bad and uninterested ball player. I would rather get a root canal. And since that became our only weekend option for some years after you left, my life was hell - OK, not as bad as prison or death, but certainly torture. Plus, the jealous feelings for those who were gifted at sports, because of the attention they got and because they were actually having fun doing something that I couldn't stand - it was like a never ending 7th grade PE class of dodgeball.
I'm still bitter, can you tell?
Anyway, after I left, freedom tasted so, so, so sweet. Of course, I was lonely and confused at times too, and made many mistakes but - I think I made the most of my freedom.
And Greg, yes, it's crazy that there is a group of us who volunteered for 5-7-10 years to be a part of this small small group - but Johnny G. remeinded me of why I stayed, and why I left, too.