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Lets see, where was I? Oh yeah, I was beginning my stint as a volunteer at the state school. Travis state school was a sprawling place, some of the dorms had been dedicated in 1916 and there were buildings added over the years that gave it a mish mash of architectural styles. The older buildings were kind of spooky.
It has long since been closed and abandoned, I went out there a couple of years ago and it was a ghost town. Long strands of johnson grass pushing through the cracks in the roads that snaked through the campus made it even more spooky. Even when it was in operation it felt haunted, but on this visit I was sure it was.
Anyway, I spent my first summer at the recreation complex, playing with the residents. We played with blocks and clay, I pulled the non ambulatory ones around the pool. Later I would drive the train, brightly colored open cars pulled by a tractor.
But probably the most important thing I learned that first summer was that I liked it. I liked the sense that I was helping make what had to be a dismal life a little bit better.
The second most important thing I learned was that it wasn't a good idea to get high and be around the residents...it freaked me out. I only did it once and never again.
That first summer turned into every summer until I graduated and when I turned 18 I went to work there as an MHMR Aide to the tune of $584.00 a month, which amounted to $477.00 take home.
More on that later.
When I wasn't at the school, I was at the armadillo world headquarters. For shows, for foosball, for chicks. It was our hang out. We never got carded so we could drink beer freely in the open ( they smoked weed freely in the open there for cryin' out loud! ) without fear of getting busted. I was exposed to the "counter culture" there, adult hippies who had no problem with us teenagers hanging around soaking up the "culture".
There were lots of interesting people there, but one stands out in my memory. He was probably in his fifties and we all called him "dad". We didn't know his real name, it didn't matter. He had a single braid down to the middle of his back and a salt and pepper beard and a can of lone star beer permanently attached to his hand. He was cool. He looked out for us. I don't know if he was really someone's dad, but he was always kind to us, like we were his children. If he was really someone's dad, they lucked out and got a cool one in our estimation.
I saw lots of bands there...Thin Lizzy, Rush, Ted Nugent, Budgie, The Outlaws, Trapeze, AC/DC, Frank Zappa, The Ramones...the list goes on and on. It was a very cool place to grow up.
When I wasn't at the dillo, I was at barton springs hanging out in the sun, and diving into water so cold you would seize up for a second when you hit it.The burgers at the concession stand were old school delicious and cheap. It was a glorious time.
Then there was school...