[AK Infinity]

I spent that morning relocating from my old hotel to my new apartment, the room wasn't actually ready so I stored my bags there and hit the streets again walking around Amsterdam. I visited just one Coffeeshop that morning, I was more interested in putting things into perspective with as much clarity as possible. As I made my way around the city with bicyclists whizzing by me, I wondered if anything that human beings touch could remain pure and good? We are such beautiful creatures but our arrogance is commensurate with that beauty. We have come from amazing traditions of struggle, blood, and constant change. In some ways I truly understand that arrogance while in other moments I'm fucking repulsed by it.

Marijuana has helped me in ways that I'm unable to quantify into medicinal terms. I don't feel like I should have to justify living my life but I must, and not because of something that I've done but because people feel like they can do whatever the fuck they want to without repercussions--I mean stoners. I just hate how people sometimes delve into themselves for selfish purposes and believe that the world operates on their terms. We are the smokers of the sacred plant, and that plant in under siege around the world, so it would behoove us to act as if that means something.

I'm sick of living in the shadows and in the shallow judgments of others, aren't you?

Electro Grow
Haarlemmerplein 23

Those thoughts were pounding around in my head like drums - BAM - BAM - BAM - like BAM man - looking into the mirror is like looking at actual life. I eventually happened upon "Electro Grow." I'd been in the Dam for a week and I hadn't been in one single grow shop. I happened upon this one by chance and walked inside, heh, like I was just going to walk passed it and say, "Whatever." I love how some of the storefronts in Amsterdam were just exposed to the elements. You go into the store hoping to escape from outside and your balls are the size of almonds because its so fucking cold, but its awesome that their shops aren't disguised as "general grow shops." [Note: What tripped me out is the fact that growing in Amsterdam is illegal but there was this shop, it made me wonder if the marijuana debate in Amsterdam was a microcosm of Dutch pragmatism and International pressure? Hmmmmm.... ]

Anyway...

I browsed around the store before two older looking store keepers appeared. I swear I got a tear in my eye. They looked liked people that should be exploring their golden years in a sinkhole of needless tourism. The woman was very sweet looking with her white hair and shapely body and the man looked like he could easily blend into a retirement community run by and for facemen. I asked a question or two before I left the store, and I was feeling so good that at least there was some place on this planet where common sense could be found.

I took a picture and headed back out into the city.