Today I took my family on a snorkeling cruise off the Kona coast in Hawaii. The cove we anchored in is called "Coral Gardens". The boat captain told us that Jerry logged over 500 scuba hours here (it's easy to see why) and in addition donated much of his money so the island could sink moorings into the ocean floor for boats to "anchor" to. This is important because traditional anchors would destroy the coral when they hit and scraped bottom.
Jerry loved this particular spot and would scuba here often in order to get away on vacation and relax from the pressures of the Grateful Dead. The cove is a reminder of Jerry's love of life, generosity, thoughtfulness, and caring nature.
I thought to myself what if Jerry just called it quits when the pressure of touring got to be too much (especially early 1990's after Brent died). He may still be with us (although not touring at the insane rate he did) and enjoying life like he should. This island is so magical, peaceful, and wonderful it may have been the perfect place to retire and enjoy life instead of carrying the weight of Grateful Dead "Incorporated" on his shoulders.
So today just gave me a chance to pause and think "what if". What if Jerry just said "fuck it, this shit ain't worth killing myself for" and devoted more time to taking care of himself than trying to keep the juggernaut of the Grateful Dead going. I wish he would have. The scene at the end sucked, the mobs of ticketless "miracle seekers", the gate crashers, the violence, the fake Deadheads, and the overall ugliness of the scene at the end just sucked the life out of the man and the band.
"What if" indeed.
Jerry loved this particular spot and would scuba here often in order to get away on vacation and relax from the pressures of the Grateful Dead. The cove is a reminder of Jerry's love of life, generosity, thoughtfulness, and caring nature.
I thought to myself what if Jerry just called it quits when the pressure of touring got to be too much (especially early 1990's after Brent died). He may still be with us (although not touring at the insane rate he did) and enjoying life like he should. This island is so magical, peaceful, and wonderful it may have been the perfect place to retire and enjoy life instead of carrying the weight of Grateful Dead "Incorporated" on his shoulders.
So today just gave me a chance to pause and think "what if". What if Jerry just said "fuck it, this shit ain't worth killing myself for" and devoted more time to taking care of himself than trying to keep the juggernaut of the Grateful Dead going. I wish he would have. The scene at the end sucked, the mobs of ticketless "miracle seekers", the gate crashers, the violence, the fake Deadheads, and the overall ugliness of the scene at the end just sucked the life out of the man and the band.
"What if" indeed.
