Back in spring of '83 I shot a photo of a 23 year old UCLA coed named Debbie, who grew up with her two younger brothers and four younger sisters in San Fernando Valley. Debbie is sitting on top of the sculpture in the background, I am on the ground shooting up at her, face framed by dishwater blonde hair, she's smiling down at me in her Ray Bans. I thought it apropos that when I visited again in 2013, I found the sculpture as depicted, fenced off. Back in '83 I had no idea the name of the sculpture is Experience, and shortly thereafter I had an unforgettable expereince with that girl. In short Debbie used her vagina as a means to an end, seducing me and using it to break up with a boyfriend that was cheating on her. Her acts of deception had a detrimental effect on my life, ruining a budding friendship and potential love story which might have been with a younger sister she knew had a crush on me. Decades later when my mind finally expanded out of a protective shell I had wrapped it in, and I understood what had happened, I had to relive the pain I felt decades ago regarding losing the light that shone in her sister's eyes. Four years after that awakening, I still harbored a final bit of doubt in my mind that I fully understood what had happened. This final bit of doubt about was cast from my mind by a chance encounter with a woman name Laura on a flight to Seattle, who knew us both very well at the time. When I told her a brief version of what had happened, she said that had been her impression of Debbie, she used sex to get what she wanted from men. No doubt left, what I understand is the truth and so closes a very long chapter and quest for understanding.
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