another excerpt from George Floyd and the Pursuit of Happiness

 The day before I was to leave for Minneapolis I began hearing reports both on the news and from friends that a man named George Floyd was killed while under the custody of Minneapolis Police. Nothing surprised me about the behavior of the Minneapolis Police. Over the years I had my share of run ins with the Minneapolis Police..walking while black mostly and once for leaving my apartment while black. I also knew Minneapolis to be a very politically active town. I had participated in a number of anti police brutality rallies in my time there and I thought to myself "There's going to be some response to this"

People still weren't flying much when I left for Minneapolis. DIA felt like a Ghost Town. I was the only person seated on my entire row on the plane. I dont think there were more than 10 people on the entire flight and Humphrey Airport in Minneapolis known by the locals as Terminal 2 felt like a completely abandoned building. 

The Twisted Groove is a small shop located in South Minneapolis. It specializes in selling tye dye wear and other items one might readily see at a Dead show. It had also become like a community center for Minneapolis' counterculture particularly after the demise of the ''Biomagnetic Center of the Universe". "The Groove" as we liked to call it was the home of potluck meals and parties as well as many a drumming session that would last until the wee hours of the morning. It was at the Groove where I was to meet my buddy Dhanny , his girlfriend Felicia and the friends who knew I was in town for a barbeque. It was just like old times being at the Groove, food, conversation and lots of weed to smoke..well not quite like old times. Now everyone had their own smoking device or joint. The traditional pass the joint around thing was dead.

We had just finished the barbeque when Felicia announced she was leaving to attend a march to protest George Floyd's murder. This was new and different and an early sign something different was in the air. Felicia was known for hanging at music festivals and pot rallies. George Floyd's murder was just the latest incident regarding the Minneapolis Police. Situations that contained the possibility of confrontation was not usually Felicia's thing ,but she was on her way

The impromptu music jam that followed was fun but Dhanny had to work the next day and I had an hour and a half trip to Dara's Farm coming up  Dhanny was my ride back to the home where I was staying.

Dhanny " So you're going Up North to help garden? Up North is a common Minnesotan term particularly used in the Twin Cities area for any spot North of Minneapolis and St Paul "When are you coming back to the Cities?" 

"I'm not sure yet" I tell him.

Normally by car a trip from the Twisted Groove to the house where I was staying would take 10 minutes max. Something was taking place however every street Dhanny tried to cut over was blocked. I had seen and had been part of many a protest in Minneapolis but this was larger than anything I'd ever experienced! . 37th St Dhanny tries to cross..Not gonna happen  35 St Dhanny tries again No luck in crossing over. We're nearly to Cedar Avenue when a frustrated Dhanny pulls over "Sorry Dude you're going to have to walk I cant bring you any closer"

I did encounter the march on my walk and decided to wait till the march passed before crossing the street. While waiting for the march to pass an anarchist acquaintance of mine saw me on the street and broke from the march to give me a hug

"When did you get back into town?" she said

I replied "Just today"

Oh man the shits about to fly..we're headed towards the Third Precient headquarters!" She handed me an N-95 mask as she rejoined the protest

When I'd go to Minneapolis I would stay at the house of my former roommate which is located within a few blocks from the Third Precient  Police Headquarters

While laying in my old room instead of the usual quiet what I heard was the sound of helicopters hovering sometimes beaming their lights so I could see my roommate's backyard. There was the sound pop pop pop! and at moments the noises of the chants of the protesting crowd would wash into my open window

It was clear from my first 24 hours that this was not going to be my typical visit to Minnesota

Helicopters hovering and beaming their lights down notwithstanding there was something comforting about being back in my room at my old roommates house. We call her Jude. There's a sign facing out Jude's front window

                                   "Hippies Are Welcomed"

Jude was my roommate prior to my moving in with my girlfriend and after we split up Jude made a pitch for me to return to the house By then I had decided my future was in Colorado with Rose and the Grandkids so I turned her down. Nevertheless Jude has always kept a space open for me whenever I've returned to Minneapolis.

Living with Jude meant moments of long conversations.. usually around a pot of coffee and a few puffs of ganja smoke. Topics would range from  Rainbow Gatherings past present and future,to Grateful Dead talk or the latest book she was reading.  Our conversations would last till one or both of us had things to do.

This was a time when people were still cautious about having visitors and visiting. Some people were still not visiting. Others were requiring proof of vaccination status before having anything to do with another and it didnt matter if you were a family member or longtime friend. With many the mere subject was splitting family and friends apart.

I limited the number of people I told about my upcoming trip and didn't dare post on social media that I was at the airport knowing that if I did I'd receive passionate comments by some friends questioning my decision to travel at this time in the first place and other friends pushing me to make a political statement by giving the middle finger to the TSA and refusing to wear a mask  

Jude's requirements for visitation?  Change out of the airport clothes when I arrive at the house and take a bath right away.

The Blue Line Light Rail train that I hopped on at the airport was unusually empty. Jude told me it would be this way. Still it was strange seeing the Blue Line train whose route originates from the famous Mall of America which before the lockdown was drawing International Travelers to it.. quiet and virtually empty. 

Perhaps it was the relative quiet of the light rail ride that allowed me to take in the sights and familiar landmarks before coming to the stop which would allow me to transfer to a bus that would take virtually in front of Jude's Front yard

 50th and Hiawatha/Minnehaha Falls  Ahh.. Minnehaha Falls one of my favorite places in the city to get away from the city.  When one was at either Minnehaha Falls or the Eloise Butler Wildflower garden you'd forget for a moment that you were within city limits. When I lived in Minnesota I would make a visit once a year to the Eloise Butler Wildflower garden to honor my friend Caroline Saunders whose ashes were scattered amongst the scenery. Minnehaha Falls was closer to me however.  I'd be like hypnotized by the sight and sound of the rushing waterfall Seeing those same falls completely frozen in the winter was a sight that could even draw cold averse me outdoors when it would be minus 20 

Next stop : 46th St Station I'd see a Holiday Store the Midwest version of 7-11 and the Walgreens across the street from it. Those would be the landmarks that would tell me to pay attention because the next stop,the 38th St station is where I needed to get off in order to catch the 22H  which would take me to Jude's

My visits with Jude was short this time..part due to the fact that I had friends waiting for me at the Twisted Groove and also I needed to catch a bus the next morning to Dara's farm. 

When I made the decision to visit Dara at her farm Covid had not yet made its global impact but now it was and all of us were finding our ways to deal with it Dara and I would joke that we were making Zoom Calls and other types of video chats long before it became a regular feature in many people's lives. At least we had that to joke about. For months the questions were like "Will we be allowed to fly again?" "What will the requirements be?"  Dara's job was originally set up to where she would travel from time to time. That was now off the table and while anger was erupting in Minneapolis over George Floyd, a different type of anger was bubbling up in Rural Minnesota.

Dara was looking forward to taking me to a place called the Harding Inn in the nearby town of Pierz Minnesota. Dara described the Harding Inn as a dive similar to Palmer's Bar my favorite dive in Minneapolis but with a couple of important caveats..The Harding Inn served food and most importantly she could chill with a couple beers and have her two boys with her as she did so. The Harding Inn lasted only a few months into the lockdown.

                       " Fuck Gov Walz" cried Dara's Dad Tim Walz is the name of Minnesota's Governor Dara's Dad was just a few years older than me but somehow he wasnt concerned that I was about to visit with his daughter 25 years younger than myself in fact he seemed to enjoy the notion..maybe it was the marijuana products I'd send him through the mail. He liked to call me "Colorado" You might describe him as a survivalist. For him the lockdowns were the first signs of the upcoming Apocalypse. He'd tell Dara "When Colorado comes up here we'll all have to get together and build a setup in the barn for chickens..they'll come in handy for food next time the Government tries to pull this off!" "Does he know how to fish and hunt?"

I wasnt ignorant of the general vibe surrounding that part of the state. For a short time I lived in a town called Little Falls Minnesota not far from the location of Dara's farm and where the bus from Minneapolis was going to drop me off. I once did a spoken word/storytelling performance in Little Falls. As a prop I had a Bible with a Peace Sign scribbled on the front and the words Caution Contains Violence and other Graphic Material on the back. Immediately after my performance I was surrounded by a couple folks wishing to convert me to Jesus and the others telling me they hoped I'd never bring such offensive filth to Little Falls again. I didnt need the news to tell me this part of the state was angry.

Dara herself was angry "I better not see you with a fucking mask on when you get off the bus!" Once lockdowns and mask mandates went into effect Dara refused to go inside any institution that enforced them. She would have all her groceries delivered and luckily for her there were small shops that defied Gov Walz's orders.

On the morning I left for Dara's Farm I got word that the Target store on Lake St across from the Third Police Precient had been looted empty The Auto Zone store on Lake Street a block away from the Target store was no more..completely up in flames and that Holiday Store that Midwestern 7-11 near the Twisted Groove along with the Walgreens across the street was burned to a crisp