On Tuesday November 1, 1988 I went to a Van Halen concert in Ames, Iowa with a few college friends. That much is true.
The concert was not very memorable. I do recall that Alex Van Halen’s drum kit was HUGE and rose up and down about 30 feet on a mechanical lift. And I remember getting hit in the head with a lighter that someone hurled across the coliseum. I pocketed that lighter and kept it for years.
On the drive back to Grinnell, we did not wait out a hail storm in a 7-11 parking lot. But we could have. I can almost see it. Selective memory. Recombinant recall. Phantom nostalgia. Fictional nonfiction.
This hail storm photo I found in the Atmospheric Sciences recycling bin turned into a postcard that evoked that Van Hagar concert. I sent it to Professor David Gerard in Appleton, Wisconsin. He sent it back as a component of a care package. Long story short, there was no postmark or cancellation on the stamp, so I silkscreened some more features on the front and mailed it back to Appleton. Round trip and a half. Out & back & out again.
A second chance to make a first impression.
Add Comment