It was back in the early 90’s and I had just recently returned to Santa Cruz after living 6 years in Japan. So much had changed during my years abroad that it was as if I had returned home, only to find myself still traveling, still adrift in a strange country. One night while visiting … Continue reading →
Filed under growing up, Humor, Investigation, Jobs, Saint Christopher, taxis, Theft, Tradition, Uncategorized · Tagged with conversation, Growing up, Humor, learning, meeting people, scanners, strange country, taxi driver, taxis, Theft, tradition, transportation, unexpected surprises
As a child… I was awkward in my skin. I was tall and skinny and my imagination was rampant. I dug through bins at the Goodwill with my mother and came up with wild costumes and eccentric devises that filled my closet and fed my dreams. There were antique Swallow Tail coats and collapsible silk top … Continue reading →
Filed under Bullying, growing up, Hookers, Parents, Tradition, Travel, Uncategorized · Tagged with bullying, conversation, Growing up, hookers, learning, meeting people, Parents, revenge, taxis, unexpected surprises
People have Yard Sales for different reasons. Sometimes the news is good, people moving into together and combining households, people moving to someplace warm where their dreams will come true, or just letting go of old stuff… getting a fresh start. Sometimes, of course, the news is not so good. In fact, if you are … Continue reading →
Filed under Bargaining, Death, Found Things, Hunting, Knives, Sharpening, Tradition, Treasure hunting, Uncategorized, Yard Sales · Tagged with Bargaining, conversation, Found things, Growing up, hobbies, knife sharpening, knives, koans, learning, meeting people, strange country, tradition, treasure, treasure hunt, Treasure hunting, unexpected surprises, Yard sales
I wonder sometimes what the essence of a miracle is. Is it something that is so unlikely that the laws of chance define it as miraculous, or is it, by necessity, something of the spirit that lifts us up towards transcendence? The strange thing is that although we live in a culture that seems to … Continue reading →
Filed under Death, Knives, miracles, religion, Saint Christopher, Tradition, Uncategorized · Tagged with conversation, fear, Growing up, learning, meeting people, miracles, murder, racism, running away, Saint Christopher, Santa Cruz, shooting, Swiss Army Knife, tradition, unexpected surprises
As I mentioned in a previous story, I once worked as Security for a famous local hotel, which again, for the purposes of this story and to protect myself from lawsuits, I will not name. At the time, I usually referred to myself as a Security Diplomat rather than a Security Guard, and sometimes as, … Continue reading →
Filed under Corruption, Humor, Jobs, Security, Tradition, Uncategorized · Tagged with conversation, Growing up, Humor, jokes, learning, masturbation, meeting people, strange country, tradition, unexpected surprises