While reading former Rolling Stone magazine writer Jancee Dunn’s book, But Enough About Me, she mentioned Scritti Politti playing on her date’s car radio. I put down my book and went to remind myself of Scritti Politti’s songs. Below the video of “Perfect Way,” a guy commented, “Hot Tub Time Machine brought me here.” So that’s why I watched Hot Tub Machine, last night.
Goofy as it is, the movie Hot Tub Time Machine got me thinking about things I did in the past that changed my destiny, resulting in my present day life. Many of those moments were silly. I began thinking: What if I didn’t do (fill in the blank)? Would I be where I am today?
One of my “What ifs” involved John Cusack, in 1987. In Hot Tub Time Machine, John Cusack gets blasted back to 1986.
So, without any explanation, here are some of my sillier what ifs. To find out what they mean you’ll have to read my book Craving Normal and the chapter, “What the Hell Just Happened?”
*What if I never annoyed John Cusack as we sat together in a red booth at Damiano’s Pizza on Fairfax?
*What if my roommate’s boyfriend didn’t eat all my kung pao shrimp?
*What if I never became an aerobics instructor?
*What if I allowed that car thief to move into my Reseda apartment?
Answer: Nothing about my life would be the same.
Little did I know my goofy antics with John Cusack in that red booth at Damiano’s Pizza changed what I would do that following week, which brought me where I am today. That pizza booth was my destiny-changing time machine, catapulting me to the future.
King Cotton, doing Roscoe’s wrap from John Cusack’s movie “Tapeheads,” then set my future into an entirely different direction.
What silly, seemingly inconsequential, moments changed the path to your future?
1) getting divorced 6 months into first marriage
2) what would’ve happened had I not hooked up up with my bosses mistress, who in turn became a Scientologist after an unsuccessful suicide attempt that I spent 48 hrs helping her get through.
3) what if I’d taken the deal from Bug Music for a few of my songs.
4) Jennifer Warnes caught my band at the Troub and seemed to like my songs. She proceeded to invite us to her house nearby , plying us with snacks and lite weight beveridges. I acted like a stand offish egotistical bastard. She seemed nice enough. Coulda placed a song or opened a door or to. Ah well.
Thanks David,
All fascinating what ifs involving Scientology and snacks, even. I think Jennifer needed better snacks.
What if I’d never seen your hot ass splitting out th’ door at th’ Tapeheads wrap party with a greasy Roscoe’s chicken wing in your hand & jumped off th’ stage whilst in th’ middle of a tune to snatch your ass back in & turned you around & fliked my nasty toung in your face thru th’ mouth hole in th’ Meskin’ wrestling mask that I was wearin’ & told you to hang on & stay awhile & shove you into th’ arms of my producer & said he’ll take good care of you till I finish playing. Let’s see now what was his name I can’t quiet recall? Knoonuk I think he was.
All Love as always,
Roscoe
Kiiiiiinnnnnnnng! I’d be back home in the Bay Area banging my head on a typewriter in a cubicle. (My nightmare).