Day after day people go about their usual business of getting up in the morning, doing their usual rituals, spending the day out in their world, and coming home to catch the news for reassurance their day didn\u2019t suck as bad as someone else\u2019s before gorging on whatever corporate America has decided is entertainment. It\u2019s called the routine, and while it gives us order and stability, it robs us of the excitement of spontaneity and abandon, the stuff that keeps us young. When we lose that, we lose ourselves.<\/p>\n
I remember the day our family left Saudi Arabia for the last time. Dhahran International crawled with police armed with machine guns, like usual, waiting to pounce at any hint of suspicion. I\u2019d seen that before \u2013 a fellow got caught bringing in liqueur chocolates and the police dragged him away kicking and screaming. I\u2019ve no idea what happened to him after that but could imagine it wasn\u2019t pleasant. What else would it be in a country ruled by draconian laws and regulations?<\/p>\n
Everything went just fine until the security guard stopped the baggage conveyor to scrutinize my mom\u2019s carry-on with the x-ray scanner.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhiskey!\u201d he shouted.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat? No,\u201d Mom said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, whiskey!\u201d The guy restarted the conveyor. As soon as the bag cleared the scanner, he pulled it off and tore the zipper open. He reached in and pulled out a brown jar. \u201cWhiskey! Whiskey!\u201d he shouted.<\/p>\n
Nearby police officers looked our way and gripped their machine guns at the ready, and I began thinking of Billy Hayes from Midnight Express. We were heartbeats away from the nightmare of a Saudi jail.<\/p>\n
Mom stood her ground and kept her cool. \u201cIt isn\u2019t,\u201d she said, her voice as regal as ever. \u201cI assure you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The security guy opened the jar and sniffed. \u201cWh-what is this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOlive oil,\u201d Mom said sternly. \u201cIt\u2019s very good actually. Would have brought more but didn\u2019t have room.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sweat dripped from me and I trembled as the security guy studied us intently. Suddenly he jerked his head as his way of saying, \u201cyou can go.\u201d<\/p>\n
We headed for the airport restaurant for much-needed refreshment. Dad ordered a Pepsi for me, two tonics, and two glasses with ice and a twist of lemon each.<\/p>\n
Mom pulled out a brown jar, poured some of its contents into the two glasses, and added the tonic.<\/p>\n
\u201cB-but I thought the guard checked that?\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
Mom smiled. \u201cAch not at all. Not this one.\u201d She and Dad sat back, sipped their drinks of my brother\u2019s Five Star Saudka and tonic, and laughed at the world they were leaving behind.<\/p>\n
All these years later I smile every time I think of Jamie Lee Curtis saying, \u201cSee, I did that, that was me, I was reckless and I was wild, and I fucking did it!\u201d Everyone, from time to time, needs to cast off the cloak of conformity and just say, “Fuck it!”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Day after day people go about their usual business of getting up in the morning, doing their usual rituals, spending the day out in their world, and coming home to catch the news for reassurance their day didn\u2019t suck as … Continue reading