Tommy

Tommy's RG Board

I know that I am an incessant name dropper but I need to share this anyway.

One of the great joys of my life was developing a close relationship with one of my artistic heroes, the late Rick Griffin. Rick was brilliant and like a god to me, a keeper of secrets deep and vast who had a higher alignment with the cosmos than I could even conceive.

Our relationship had ups and downs, dangerous to get to know your heroes, but I loved and respected the man.

Fast forward to yesterday. I'm at the show and a friend walked up, an ex girlfriend to another old friend.
"This is Tom, Robert." "Hi Tom." I looked at a guy about my age or a bit younger, straight, white hair, an older guy. Seasoned the way Encinitas surfers tend to season. "You guys have something in common. Tommy is a deadhead. He's gone to over a hundred shows." I grumbled something nasty about not gaining entry into deadheaddom until at least 200. Tom volunteered that he was friend's with one of the artists. "Which one," I asked, rather slowly? "Rick Griffin," he says. I said that we had that in common and we tried to sound each other out on the when's and where's. Pre Miles, christmas tree. Aurora. Check.

It was at that point that I looked at him and something sort of clicked. "Tommy," I asked? He looks at Deb sheepishly, "They used to call me Tommy." Tommy, the little brown haired grommett who hung out with Jose and rode waves with Rick and was always around Rick's scene. "Tommy, I says, you were this kid man, look at your silver hair now, talking about your grandkids." He said, "Look at you, you put on a lot of weight man. I remember you in the fancy BMW."

We both shared a laugh. It is strange running into somebody that you haven't seen since you were a kid. Things change. Great to see Tommy and hope to see him again.

© Rick Griffin