Club Oasis

God, I was dumb in college. And before then too. And after. And right now, actually, which I will realize when I eventually think about this moment sometime in the future. We are always dumb in retrospect, are we not? I am dumb in the past and I am dumb in the present. I am only wise in the future, but the future never happens, because it always becomes the present first. I never get to the future, so I push the boulder up the hill, my reach exceeding my grasp, forever dumb.

These are the thoughts that came to me in a dark booth in Club Oasis, a fascinating Midland dive that hit me with nostalgia like a kick in the tangerines. The name reminded me of one of my college hangouts, The Oasis, a dim 4AM dive with a memorable unofficial slogan: "Where Dreams Go to Die." The Oasis had lots of dart boards and big, ice-filled urinals and packaged booze to-go. But it was also run by a weirdly adversarial staff that would kick you out for standing in the wrong spot or blacking out on ouzo or practicing karate moves or whatever totally arbitrary reason they cooked up that night.

In retrospect, I spent way too much time at not-so-good bars around campus (like The Oasis) and not enough time at the multiple very good bars around campus. Because I was dumb back then.

But now I sat at Club Oasis, which is connected to a not-so-luxury inn hilariously named the Luxury Inn, wondering if I was making the same mistake. Luckily, I don't think I was. Club Oasis looks as welcoming as an exposed live wire from the outside, but it's a hoot on the inside.

The bartender was friendly and the decor was a cross between Midwestern dive, Texas honky tonk, and Los Angeles lounge. There was a diverse crowd, age-wise, and several pristine Stetsons poking through the cloud of cigarette smoke. A small, shaggy dog ran around, imposing a belly-rub tax on new patrons. The booths were comfortable and hole-free. Good vibes all around.

Going to The Oasis was a bad decision I made again and again. But going to Club Oasis was a good decision, which feels like a redemptive story arc that I was not expecting.

The future is bright.