Mark Allen Frost
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Seth Returns Back Story - Episode 6

Seth Returns Back Story - Episode 7

A Tale of the Return to Normalcy for Our Hero, pretty much.

Mark Allen Frost

The Wages of Sin

This is a picture of me after a few drinks. Actually I'm just kidding. This is me after QUITE a few drinks. Waiting for my taxi.

Bacchus

The Minimum Wages of Sin

And this is me, Bacchus, in the good old days, overseeing the crushing of the grapes by my satyrs. That's what we did. Interestingly enough, that is also the title of this painting by Mola - Bacchus Overseeing the Crushing of Grapes by His Satyrs 1648-49 Oil on canvas, 195 x 232 cm Private collection.

Bacchus

Psychopsychedelicsatyricon

But that brings up an interesting point. Is there satyr, or in this case, is there satire, good satire, after sobriety? Does it exist? I used to believe that the writer had to be on some psychoactive substances to create good writing. Then I discovered that all you need is a good cup of coffee. Admittedly, coffee is a drug, but I choose to partake of a cup or two daily. It used to help my process to have a cigarette or twenty, too, but then I discovered that the nicotine creates a wall between me and everybody else. Plus it'll kill ya. So I quit cigarettes too. That was more difficult by a factor of 12 gigabillions.

psychedelics

Bye Bye Happiness?

But what about psychedelics? Well, psychedelics are pretty much non-addictive. That's because they lose their potency when you take them day after day. It's hard to abuse those drugs, though Lord knows I tried. Long story short, I believe I sacrificed the drug I couldn't do without. Now I can live a life to its natural end. But psychedelics? To each their own. That's what I say.

cannabis or beer

Bye Bye Happiness?

And cannabis? That stuff is so common and available now, I mean, cannabis toothpaste? Anyway, to each their own applies here also.

No More Wackiness?

This is me when I stopped drinking. No, really.

Angel

Image courtesy of fanpop.com
The big issue after stopping was this: Was it possible to be creative, to be a writer without alcohol? Let me flashback for just a second... I was living in a little boarding house in San Rafael, run by this cool and peculiar guy named Walker, an ex rocket scientist. The house was just across the street from the library. Perfect. And next door to the fire station. Imperfect. And this place was already occupied by my future wife Carol Joy and her son. Carol and I met there in 1992 when I rented a room next to hers. To pay the rent I was working at a shop called San Rafael Book and News. We sold books, newspapers and magazines. We were sort of the political center of San Rafael. Folks would come by and read the papers and magazines and discuss the issues of the day with us. I was not writing at the time. I thought I had writer's block. I found out later that I was just doing research.

No More Wackiness?

Then I got a gig as a counselor at Marin Center for Independent Living, assisting the disabled. ‭This job helped me fund a project that I was planning for several years. I started a humor therapy business called the Discount House of Healing, rented a little office just up the street from the Grateful Dead office in San Rafael and set up shop.

fini

Will Mark ever write again? Well, the answer is obvious, because I am writing this series of flashbacks. But anyway Tune in next month for Episode 8 of The Seth Returns Back Story.
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