Of Caves and Cavemen: Stream of Consciousness Saturday #SoCS

“CAPTAIN, CAAAAAAVVVVVVVEEEEMAAAAANNNNNNNNN!”

Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday from Linda G. Hill is “cave.” Use it as a subject, verb, or whatever.

I have vague memories of watching Captain Caveman as a kid. Always liked how he rummaged around in his beard/hair and would come out with whatever was needed.

There was always something special about Saturday Morning Cartoons. I love that you can watch anything, anywhere, anytime these days, but the joy of Saturday morning cartoons — followed by Mid-South Wrestling, JYD, Jake the Snake, Hacksaw Jim Dugan, The Iron Sheik — ah, lovely memories.

Of course, “man cave” popped into my head. Or, as they used to be known, “basement.” I have a “man alcove” or “man hole,” where I do a lot of my writing (not today, today in the kitchen alcove). My prefered man cave would be something like what Henry Higgins (just you wait, ‘enry ‘iggins; just you wait) had in My Fair Lady (love that movie). Giant room, comfy, leather chairs, so many books you need a ladder to reach all of them.

Me likey. Me wanty. Maybe one day.

And now I’m thinking “Clan of the Cave Bear,” which I vaguely recall watching some of when I was 11ish. Because of the way my mind works, I remember Darrell Hannah and the sex scene. Year later, I read the book because I found it in the sale bin at the dearly departed Crown Books (a local chain that shuttered around 1998/99 — I still have books from the store closing sales with the stickers on, memories of bookstores gone by. Borders and Daedalus too).

Anyway. The book was better than I expected it to be. Bought the next two or three, whatever it is. The second one, also good. By about half-way through the third one I couldn’t help thinking, “Is she going to invent every fucking thing by the end of the series?” The depictions of possible life back then was initially intriguing, but I just lost interest as SHE DID EVERYTHING RIGHT. Got dull.

That’s all I’ve got on caves.

Oh, one last thing, well two last things.

My brother and his then girlfriend went to Luray and then Endless Caverns about 25 years ago, give or take a year. We were the only three in the final tour of the day for Endless Caverns (in the Shenandoah Valley). You know the drill, about half-way through the tour of any cave, they turn the lights off so you can experience total darkness, which is always cool/fucking terrifying. We talked the girl into leaving the lights off and doing the rest of the tour with just her flashlight. One of the coolest things I’ve ever done. Looking behind at complete darkness and being led with this tiny beacon of light made me realize how lucky we are to have light at the click of button — anytime, anywhere.

Last of the two things, regarding “hole.” Watching American Idol 12 years ago with Lauren, Casey, and George; they had a George Michael night. Somewhere in the conversation, it came up that he was gay (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Lauren looked mystified and was like “what about sex.” To which George and I mumbled something appropriate and non-commital. After going quiet for a few minutes, suddenly she piped up: “You mean there’s a man-hole?!?!?!”

And, scene.