Letter to John

Dear John,

I wanted to write to you about a couple of the meetings that you had with people while you were out there traveling. They seemed like they were the sort of thing that you were searching for the entire book but could only rarely find. Why do you think that is? Is it because you weren't looking well enough for things, and by that I mean looking in the right places, or do you think it's more that it's just a challenge to find the sort of authenticity out there in the world that you wanted for the book?

The first part that I wanted to write and ask about is the meeting with the actor. I can't remember if it was in North Dakota or Montana or quite where it was but I'm sure you'll remember the man I'm talking about because you seemed to like the guy quite a lot. Do you ever wish that you had gotten more information about the man? He seemed like a mystery to me. I guess that's because he was trying to make an exit at the proper time, but nonetheless it seems like you weren't able to get everything that you wanted from your encounter with him. Did you feel that way as well? Or were you pleased with how things went with your encounter, because to me it just had the sense of being unfulfilling and kind of inauthentic. He seemed like a real person, but it didn't appear to me as if you had much genuine conversation with him.

Another moment that I wanted to raise with you is the point again in that sort of area, the mid-North, though that's not actually a place, again I will depend on you to remember precisely where it occurred. The place I am referring to is the hotel with the boy who was looking East. The one who you gave a lovely speech about the virtues of being a hairdresser for. Did you think you made the right choice supporting him? It's certainly what he wanted, he seemed extraordinarily dedicated to making it away from where he was now into New York I think it was, or if not specifically New York at least away into some city. It seemed like he didn't have a bad life set for himself there, and I don't think it's fair of you to recommend travel as a solution to the problems that he was having there. I meant I think it could certainly be a solution, but there were times in your own travels when you seemed unfulfilled and kind of lonely. Like back in Monterey, it is home but it isn't any longer and that's something which you lose when you go away. I don't know. The third encounter I wanted to raise connects to this I guess. Again it's about happiness, and it comes from the happiness of staying put and being contented with what's at home. It was the man at the beginning with the dairy form and the phD. He wasn't going anywhere, and he's the only person that I can remember you particularly mentioning for being happy throughout the whole story. I guess what I'm saying is perhaps you should have just recommended to the boy that he's just as likely to find happiness if he stays put rather than giving pretty much unequivocal support to him moving away to try to find happiness. I don't disagree with what you did, but I think it's worth mentioning.