Competing Bungalow Colonies

The summertime was used for creating, joining in group activities and calming down from the school year. When my mom dropped my sister and I off at grandma and grandpa's bungalow colony for the summer, I was particularly thrilled. It was 593 miles away from where school dysfunction, social & personal chaos and home-life problems could get tossed into the wind, sun, sand and small surf. Well very small surf.

There is a cluster of bungalow colonies nestled at the top of Ulster Heights road that surround Ulster Heights lake. My grandparents' and family own one of those said bungalow colonies; such glorious summer-time growing occurred in that rural but blissful town. The kids I associated with were of a few different backgrounds, likes and dislikes, but especially having one thing in common: love of music, we all bonded through the 'universal language'. Therapy for the socially in-adept.

Now there was competetive-blood running through each of our veins in some fashion as our group from Tamara Bungalow Colony had some dancers, vocalists, guitarists and painters; the other side of the lake residing at Lakeside Colony had eclectic individuals who didn't specify in one talent, but several. Some newcomers came into our colony last night and some newcomers across the lake as well. This night was going to be alittle different. It was not going to be about diving, staying in the water longest, swimming fastest or anything. No, this was going to be like a revolution, of sorts.

George Harrison would almost materialize as all of us in unison, and that had to be about 25 teenagers, four of them playing acoustic guitars with such exuberance, it was as if we were blessed with the very creator of the tune himself. The guy who started strumming was first on the other side of the lake, our group could barely hear. I think I encouraged my bunch which was about eight members full, to do something a capella. We wanted the other bunch across the lake to come over but they insisted on delivering a neat fireworks show instead.

After a few rounds were shot off the rowboats filled with a couple persons and they came paddling over, instruments and all. Beer, kegs of wine, moroccas, a drum and some very down-to-earth kids who loved to jam ! The riff started and both groups  started coming in a little later at a time and soon it was as if the weight of each performers voice resounding from the vocal cord, lifted its darkness and the sky opened up in song and light . . . we had jammed the sunrise in ! All guitars gently weeped in rejoice for seeing their maker shine and the fingers of their strummers deliver peace, harmony and colony competetion at its finest !