Monday, April 23, 2012

Roadkill


I’m home. I’m tired. I’m roadkill.

No. Not just roadkill. I’m south Texas salt flats roadkill. Sun-baked, mud-caked, wind-blown, sand-in-every-orifice, plastered-to-the-pavement, buzzard bait roadkill. My duffle (and probably my hide) smells like the back of the truck where the flats boots have been left to ferment each night. It ain’t pretty.

And I’m good with that.

So let me grab a nap and then I’ll catch you up. I’m no storyteller so I’ll simply give you some snippets, some images, some vignettes of our redfish excursion - the essence rather than the substance. The details are unimportant. It’s the impressions that come home with me, not the timeline.

It’s the moment that sticks.

Sticks like boots in the tidal mud. Sticks like red brisket to the pit of my stomach.

Sticks like roadkill to the steaming Texas pavement.

10 comments:

Clif said...

There is a sweet spot where you've mentally written a rough draft and the ego has embellished the fish size a proper amount...but make sure to write it all down before memory dulls the details.

Mike Sepelak said...

You are absolutely correct, Clif. A great observation on the nature of writing and recollection. But my memory is dull from the git-go and I never embellish... too much. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Plus he was jotting stuff down the entire trip.

Mike Sepelak said...

Shhhhh... That's our little secret, Anon. Now, where did I pack that notebook? Probably with my wallet.

cofisher said...

One more accurate description of what roadkill looks and smells like and you'll need deodorizer and blinds before you have guests over.

Mike Sepelak said...

Howard, you're assumption is that such things aren't already necessary. I'm not so sure...

Anonymous said...

Good thing Howard and I live out west in that Rocky Mountain air. Haven't notice the smell yet!

Mike Sepelak said...

You've got that easterly flowing jet-stream to thank, Mel. Count your blessings.

Fontinalis Rising said...

I'm looking forward to your vignettes.

OneBugIsFake said...

Touche on the wallet dig. Well played sir.