Shooting Stars, Part Fifteen
“All who would win joy, must share it; happiness was born a twin.” Lord Byron
It’s gonna take me a few posts to complete “Shooting Stars, Epilogue”. I’m having difficulty getting used to the new Board and that’s not a complaint. I think that what Emma has done, and continues to do, is one of the most remarkable accomplishments of and testaments to the grace, dignity and determination of Humankind I have ever seen. My problem is, in part, my scramble brain and the difficulty I have with dealing with inorganic symbolic notation constructs and learning something new thereto.
Also, I have some very important things IRL that are and will continue to consume my attention and capabilities, as they are, for the next 6 weeks or so. So, finishing what I set out to do with this Thread will be dribbled out over the next couple months. I’ll probably get redundant--probably have been redundant already--but I’ve got a few more things I want to say and reflect on.
IMHO, some of the best “stuff” that’s been put up on ESMB has been in the last few weeks. I love ESMB and being here with All Y’all. Every day posts are put up that I and my Life are bettered for having read.
Shooting Stars, Part Fifteen
"Epilogue"
“Treat others as you would have yourself be treated.” L. Ron Hubbard, “The Way To Happiness”.
"Unless, of course, you're 'Source'." Face's Sixth Caveat.
During the rise--or as Hisself would have Us believe the reprise--of El Ron the Producer, Director, Master Sound Engineer, Photographer following the “Success” of the “Power of Source” album the CMO was “organized” into ‘Specialist” groups of Messengers. Each of El Ron’s “Professional Disciplines” (Hobby Horses) had several Messengers that were “Specialists” in assisting Hisself in that particular activity. During this era nearly all of the Messengers were pubescent or recently post pubescent adolescent females and, as we all know, El Ron was old enough to their grandfather.
Of all my moments in interaction with El Ron or being an attendant or prop whilst El Ron was riding one of Hisself’s Hobby Horses, there is one that is so seemingly mundane and yet the most profound in my memory. It is revelatory of El Ron, the “OT de OT’s” in interaction with an adolescent.
El Ron had on Hisself’s “El Ron, Master Recording Engineer” hat and costume and riding one of Hisself’s favorite hobby horses…Hisself’s custom made Studor multi-track “portable” State of the Art, Studio Quality tape recorder and mixing board. In addition to El Ron and Hisself’s toys the venue included the subject “talent” and a small cadre of invited vassals. As in all such hobby horse work-outs, hours had been spent ahead of time by “Specialist” Messengers and Supporting Vassals ensuring that all was ready for Hisself’s entrance.
Equipment performance and sound checks had been done, three times through the “Checklist”. “Dry run” tests had been exhaustively performed and the venue repeatedly cleaned and “White Gloved”. Every implement, pen, paper and auxiliary device that El Ron could possibly need was cleaned, tested and placed just so. As in all things “El Ron” the stress of the Messengers and Supporting Vassals was palpable and El Ron’s “grandchildren”--dressed in white cotton hot pants, halter tops and white patent leather, platform calf-boots--took everything more serious than the “lower in station” adults. The adults were there to do their performance as best they could, somehow get through it and go on coping with their meager lives as SO Crew.
For the budding “Children of the Corn”, their moment was upon them--a continuing day in, day out moment that I understood from my childhood and my years of interaction with El Ron was probably coming. I knew from experience that these impressionable and so “wanting to please” young girls were about to be judged and their every breath was heavy with the prospect that they might have somehow inadvertently done something “wrong”.
The door to the venue flew open and El Ron, the “OT de OT’s”, strolled in replete in custom tailored white tropical uniform “whites”, blue ascot and polished hand made, black Wellington Boots and Director’s Beret with two white cotton hot pant, halter topped, white patent leather platform boots outfitted nubile “Duty Messengers” in tow. The room was silent as El Ron sat down in Hisself’s Director’s Chair, which was appropriately monogrammed “DIRECTOR” across the back.
El Ron, seated with Hisself’s back to the silent and anticipatory performing talent and facing an array of knobs, lights, analog displays (this was the ‘70’s) and mixing board slide dials launched into a rapid--dare I say frenetic--furtive and “fiddling” examination of the “set-up”. Looking over El Ron’s left shoulder was the silky blond haired nubile “Specialist” Messenger that had spent hours going through a “Checklist” and testing, again and again, the “Settings” Hisself had “CSed” for this “Session”. She was someone’s lovely child and her breathing was chopped, short and shallow and I could sense her heart pounding and racing like a trapped bird held in the palms of a hand.
“Whhaaaa!!!” whined El Ron. The “Bird” waited, I waited, everyone in the room waited as to what would come next. I had heard that admonition before and my heart and eyes went to the “Bird” as her shoulders slumped and her trembling fingers and glazed adolescent eyes searched over the checklist.
“Whhaaat did you do!” whined the OT de OT’s yet again.
“Sir,” the Bird subserviently replied, her mouth dry with fear, “I set everything by the checklist.”
“No you did not!” El Ron whined.
“But I did, Sir,” answered the Bird, her eyes welling with tears. She held the checklist clipboard out for Hisself to see and started to call off each setting.
El Ron pushed the clipboard away and with flitting eyes and fingers fiddled with Hisself’s toy. “There!" Hisself, once again triumphant, announced. From my vantage point it appeared that every knob and dial El Ron had moved around was pretty much back in the same position.
Over the next hour or so a number of “Takes” were recorded and, near the end of the session, the subject talent made a mistake.
“Cut, cut, cut,” snapped El Ron. The take was started over and the talent flubbed again at the same place as before.
“Cut!” boomed El Ron, snapping off Hisself’s headphones and looking around until his eyes found the Bird.
“Whhaaat are you doing?” El Ron blustered at the Bird.
“I didn’t do anything, Sir,” protested the Bird. All of the talent and entourage knew to stay quiet.
The take was started over, and as all of Us have been through before, the talent again blew it at the same point as in the earlier takes. El Ron, The Producer, Director, Master Sound Engineer didn’t even say “cut” this time, slumped Hisself’s shoulders and glared at Hisself’s toy.
“You’re doing something to mess them up.” El Ron pronounced with certainty. “Stop it!”
The Bird stared down her feet. “Yes, Sir,” she answered.
One of the talent suggested a short break be taken to “retune”, the request was granted and after the brilliantly requested break the talent nailed the next take. In my heart I know that the talent didn’t get it “right” for El Ron…they got it “right” for the Bird.
Over 30 years later my Heart is still with that child. I shoulda called that sumbitch El Ron down on the spot. I didn’t do it then…I was afraid for my “Bridge” and was still in “awe” of the “Tech” and trapped and bound by the chains of my self perceived “ignorance” of “OT”.
In a week, hopefully,
Shooting Stars, Part Sixteen (cont)
"Epilogue."
Peace.
Face
