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Secret Places and Hiding Spaces
We all need somewhere to escape
In almost every aspect, Abilene, Texas and Ventura, California are totally incomparable. The former is my hometown, and the latter my adopted hometown.
As kids in Abilene (proclaimed “the most boring city in America” by comedian Steve Martin) , our most exciting pastime was hunting for horny toads. I caught and released. I loved them, but I wonder if my displacement of them helped lead them to near-endangered species status.
I know — I am the reason for all the world’s problems. Only once did a horny toad shoot blood at me (it is a unique defense mechanism). But it was at that point that I decided to move on to other pastimes.
“The creek” was our hiding place. There was no running water 95% of the time, but when there had been, small pools would form, creating a culture for tadpoles to emerge. To get there, we had to cross a vacant lot full of mesquite trees which, in turn, were full of 4–6" thorns. Once one went through my shoe into my foot so deep that the shoe had to be cut away. West Texas is harsh.
Mom and my first stepfather divorced in 1968. I was still pre-pubescent and it was…
