Mike reached out to an old college friend recently, to update him about some of his activities. He received an almost immediate reply, but with no words and just the attached photo at right. Words weren't necessary, the photo said it all -- a captured moment of carefree abandon, of youth knowing no boundaries, free spirits and the assumption or ignorance that actions would have no consequences, a groovy time in a sunny place with excellent friends... Yes, that's Mike in the middle... and yes, that is indeed a multi-colored Dirty Harry-like Mexican poncho that he is wearing... and, yes, that does appear to be a liter of Ronrico Rum in his left hand... and yes, that is a fine crop of hair on his head... and yes, those are palm trees in the background, left, as this photo was shot in Florida, at the University of Southern Florida (USF) Sundome in Tampa... prior to a Grateful Dead concert the trio was attending.
From left, Steven (last names omitted to protect the guilty) or "Greenie" as he was commonly known, Mike, and John. The three attended Rollins College together as freshmen, Sept 1983 to May 1984. Away from the watchful eyes of their parents and collectively inspired to experiment with all that they could and with everything and everyone they could, they manufactured some priceless memories together -- of their time spent living commune-style in "The Pit" of Elizabeth Hall dormitory, attending campus keg parties, exploring alternate realities, air-jamming to classic rock tunes, taking spontaneous road trips and muddling through school the best they could while dialing up their social skills.
They survived this period... and flourished. Steven is now a prominent lawyer in Boca Raton, Florida. John is an independent business owner based outside of Miami, Florida. And, Mike (or "Spike" as he was known back then), well, if you're on this blog you know how he turned out!
Good times, good friends, good vibes. Long live The Pit.
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