Movin' on up

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/7325409/?claim=udv8jm77dx6">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

play and follow along

I picture this boy waking up in the middle of the night to a phone call from his girlfriend. It's probably 3 in the morning. He answers it half alive and her high pitch voice is hurting his ears. Hello? She starts; "Now I know how late it is, but I've been up all night giving this a lot of thought and do not feel this is going anywhere. . . are you there?" He wakes up again from falling asleep on her; "Huh? Yeah, I'm here." She continues to say that it's "over" and that she was secretly dating someone else behind his back anyway and that she only dated him because of social status, and that it was a dare. "OK," He passes out back to sleep not even fully hanging up the phone. He wakes up the next day. Goes to work early in the morning washing dishes then gets picked up by his friends. They are cruising in a galaxy. They go all throughout town. They shoot old toilets and rusted cans in a junkyard with 22's, hop on rooftops, and ride dirt bikes in the mud. They go to some Chinese buffet place then end up getting kicked out for throwing fortune cookies at each other. The night fast approaches and they are driving up to a red light. (Right at marker 1:56) They're laughing and being crazy as ever until the kid looks over and sees a girl waiting at the light ready to cross. She runs her hand through her hair then slowly looks over to him. Everything is all in slow motion while the craziness is continuing on with his friends in the background while he breaks a smile at her. She smiles back at him. He mouths the words 'hi' to her, and she responds back the same way. He then tries to get out of the car while she approaches him. (Right at marker 2:30) Then the light goes green and the car's front lifts as the driver jack rabbits slamming down the gas, he is about to jump out after her while half way out of the car and almost attempts to get the other leg out but is caught on something. His upper body bends over with his hands nearly touching the road. His foot gets free and is almost out, but his stupid crazy friends pull him back in. As the singer shouts out "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" is when he mouths those words. He holds his hand out for her as they separate. His buddies start punching at him laughing not even aware of what just happened between him and this "new-found-love". He fights to get free but they enter the highway. Then the solo goes off as they drive off into the night.

listen to your parents

Once again in the country town of 5,000 peeps how could you not resist the urge to be more trustworthy to those around you unlike the overpowering shadiness of the Goliath cities were "you're getting shot while you're getting shot". I developed this habit of hitch hiking in Wyoming. I would often use my best friend's bike to get around. On scattered occasions however, I would fancy a walk which would usually be 5 miles worth to and fro where I needed to get to. I have met some of the most interesting people through riding shotgun with these fellow citizens. Some had huge plans, others where just living the simpler life. I always knew that this was dangerous but it never occured to me just how LIFE THREATENING it could be until one night I was trying to get home in a timely manner. It was all the way from downtown to a ranch neighborhood maybe 6 miles out. I was walking and decided to go inside a gas station to ask if anyone was heading south. One guy said he would've been glad to but wanted to see a movie. So I continued by foot for maybe a hundred meters or so until he showed up and mentioned how he already missed the previews and it wasn't worth it to see it. So I hopped in and we were on our way. He seemed somewhat a straight edge guy. His hair was a little overgrown. Some Metallica was playing on the radio and he was a talker. He went on about his family, the "conspiracy", the tax dollars being used to purchase all the bars of soap in America - EVERYTHING. Lastly, he mentioned how I was a nice guy mostly because I was not drunk or crazy. He related this story to me about a man he picked on the road and started to gripe about how much the hitch hiker pissed him off. He said he was throwing up and swearing at him. The driver then re-enacted how he shouted at the passenger by shouting at me. He then turned on the cab light and turned his head and verbatim shouted at me like I was that passenger. I knew that he was acting out the moment to show me what he said to the guy, but part of my imagination was thinking; "What if he is straight up nuts. You might have to open the door and jump out, because there is no telling what he might do." As he was acting out, I slowly slid my hand near the handle ready to eject and tuck and roll. He finished his angry monologue and then laughed about it. I faintly broke a smile then asked to be let out. "Are you sure?" "Oh positive! Yeah, yeah, yeah, just right here.", "Alright man, you take care of yourself." He takes off into the open dark of the night as I still have 3 miles to go. I was alive though. Never again.

take me with you

Our world is huge! Let me repeat that, no I'm kidding. Seriously though, I do not know if it would be possible to visit every single place all in one lifetime no matter the jet travel one could do to save time. Certain feelings arise in a nice place. A gradual calm and rest from everything else could come up. A refuge. Somewhere to clear your head and reflect inside. A place that betters you, silences your troubles. Where you can do some true spirit-animal-searching-from-within and find what you lack. The world is constantly competing for our attention. There's computers, kids, cell phones, commutes, work, honking, texting, dogs barking and so on. Our days and lifestyles have dramatically shot up on the craziness scale that there are laws trying to protect ourselves from ourselves. Like Toni Braxton; "I shall never breathe again" without taking time to slow down and go somewhere that is inviting tranquility to my well-being. I remembered traveling to my hometown in California maybe 10 years back. The places I went to as a child seemed more sacred to me on my reunion visit. I walked more slowly with reverence approaching the playgrounds, the classrooms, the neighborhoods. It would almost feel as though I went to the past in a time machine. Other places that are great can be ones you go to for the very first time. In the San Juan de Fuca Islands, Pender Island in B.C. Canada I discovered a cove beach on the southern tip on one of the islands. I sat there pondering "how I was doing" as I watched an ocean freighter embarking through the strait towards the open Pacific. What a sight it was. There are places that you can long for and save up to go to. Like Sri Lanka or the islands of the Mediterranean. I don't know, anywhere.

which way did he go George?

Do you ever wonder where your money has been before you got it? Let's take a dollar bill for instance and comes from a bank in Arizona and they send a cash shipment to a restaurant in Savannah, GA. The restaurant receives the deposit and out comes the bill. They cycle it through their tips which becomes someone's change in their wallet. They were on a business trip flying back to Washington where she pays for parking. The booth guy then uses it at the vending machine. Which at the same time is collected by the vendor. He puts that in with the purse of change. Drives it over to his work. Cycles it through the other revenues. On its way to the bank, the back doors of the armored car's open up and there happens to be a high wind blowing the bill among other ones in the wind. This bill lands on a balcony of an art museum. One of the cleaners picks it up and keeps it as a tip. At the end of the day he gets home and sends it to his son in New York City. The mail trucks picks up the envelope, sends it to the kid's address. He gets it, opens it, takes out the cash. Later that night orders takeout. The delivery boy comes by with the goods. He tips him. The delivery gets done with his shift, pays back someone he owes. The creditor takes the cash then uses some on a hot dog stand. The hot dog stand gets robbed and the robber is being chased by the police. He throws out all the cash on him leaving all evidence behind. A city dog comes up to the dollar bill which has hot dog juice on it and the dog fully consumes it. Later, he poops it out and then a storm hits washing the bill through the storm drain leading to the Hudson. A fisherman finds it then pockets the bill. He then hitches a ride to Arizona to visit his parents for the weekend and at a gas station he blows it on a Moon Pie. So there you have it. The journey of George.  

sing it Bonnie Tyler!

here

Everybody needs something. We love that feeling of comfort and security knowing we are protected - A HERO to be precise! There are so many to choose from. Bruce Lee to me has been a source of fierce power. It just felt right to say that considering he invented the "one inch punch" and could muster the internal energies of the human body to kick whomever's trash. I particularly loved the showdown with Chuck Norris and how they stare each other down with the Colosseum backdrop until the kitten sounded the start bell through it's cute little mew (which was dubbed in English).

here

Also batman played the greatest role of mystery and unharness badness. He didn't need words. He had the grin that could say "when this is all said and done, I'm taking you out. . . and I don't mean on a date". He doesn't need a huge ad campaign to spread throughout Gotham airing on T.V. saying; "Come see just how intimidating this guy is, he is crime's worst nightmare" No. He simply will grab the dude and ask for a favor along the lines of; "I want you to do me a favor, I want you to tell all your friends about me" then drops him like third period French. Classic. "I'm Batman".

Then there's my sister. She's incredible. You better think twice about crossing her. My friend was over at my house once all reclined with his legs on the arm rest and she walks in and goes; "Spread your damn legs over the couch why donchuh." He within a few seconds sat up, stood to attention then saluted. At the same time she is a compassionate person who loves her family. She has a good sense of humor and has always looked after me as a big sister especially at the playgrounds when we were growing up. She don't take crap from no one.  

third times a. . . how does that go again?

I lived in Wyoming for a few years in a town by the name of Jackson Hole. Truly it is God's country and has everything any outdoor-all-things-in-harmony-lover could ever dream of. In the summer, there are live gun shows at Pearl Ave. There's hiking, paragliding, kayaking, repelling, and the list goes on. The winters there promote a different mood. Granted there is the usual skiing and snowboarding. There's plenty of snow to go around. In fact, I imagine the man who wrote "Let it snow" would be sing a remix there along the lines of "FOR EVERYONE'S SAFETY, PLEASE STOP". At an elevation of 6200, it can take a good half hour just to chip the ice off your windshield. One night, I was in my friend's car going home from a movie. I was scheduled to work security that night at a hotel resort 12 miles out of town in a resort village. Something inside my head was fired up to run to work. I was pumped and predetermined to challenge myself. On top of this INSANE idea, it was starting to snow hard. There was a weather alert for a blizzard coming through town. Like my senseless 18 year old crazy, stupid self...I didn't care. So we get to my friend's house and were going to play a game of pool inside when I pulled my hoodie over my head and zipped up and hit play in my mental playlist of T'Pau with a little bit of heart and soul then booked it in the middle of the three of us talking. They stopped and watched me without words disappear down the street into the snowfall. It felt so good, breathing in the frigid air. Along the highway I maybe got 3 miles into the journey when my friend pulls up beside me and has me get in. I was grateful for his heroism but the ambition inside of me needed to keep going. We pulled into a grocery store and got out about to enter the store. I tightened my hoodie and continued running. He shouts in a devastating attempt to recapture my sanity; "WHAT AM I GOING TO TELL YOUR DAD WHEN YOU'RE AN ICE POP?" A voice slowly fading while moving into the darkness; ".....just tell'em I love'em...." The storm grew more intense with fewer cars on the road. There was a bright glow reflecting off the thick clouds to light the way. 7 miles into the run, another car stops by to see if I need a ride to which I politely declined. The legs kept pushing and moving. The heat was enough to keep my blood flowing. 10 miles in a trucker pulled over to offer a lift. At that moment, many thoughts gathered, one of them was maybe God saying to me; "Take this or you will die." So I stopped and just climbed in.