SideWalk Ghosts: Ved’s Call to All Great Citizens

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It has been a while since we’ve received a survey contribution from anyone. Today Interview-365 gets a kickoff as we extend a warm welcome to our new friend, Ved of New Delhi, India.
Our doors will remain always open to all of you who would like to share your words of wisdom.  PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SHARE.
Good Day for 7 Daysfb 3.28.01 PMAlso, we are entering day 2 of our “Good Day for Seven Days” challenge. Plenty of ways to be part of what we are doing. Never forget, your works and words do matter; and, we combined have great power to inspire the many.
VED’S ANSWERS:
If you had the stage… the undivided attention of the world… and all were listening… What words of wisdom, council or advice would you share?
“Keep religion a personal thing. Faith is personal. Respect everyone and give space. We have enough problems to solve. The least we can do is unite to fight against bigger problems like poverty, hunger, global environment, illiteracy. If you don’t want to love all, don’t, but don’t spread hatred. Every human on this planet commands respect for there is at least one aspect or a thing that they’re better than you.”
Looking toward the future… as far, or as close as you want to imagine (one year or hundreds of years)– Where do you see the people or the planet … or, what do you think we should be doing now to prepare for the future?
“From where I come from I see a decline in the quality of education. Unless corruption is uprooted from the society it’ll continue to rot our culture. The main aim of education should be to bring up better citizens but unfortunately we’re bringing up only certificate holders and not great citizens. If we are, they’re being outnumbered by bad ones and they’ll be bad parents one day passing on the bad vibes to the society.”

SideWalk Ghosts / "After All… They Are People Too"

_L2R3950So here I am, as at many times, sitting at my desk staring at the yellow-green aura of mercury vapor light as it radiates through my office window. It’s silent and still (4:04am to be exact), strangely contrasting my hasty finger pounding at the keys of my innocent laptop as I look at the origin of this complexion killing ambience… Spectrum Athletic Club, owners of the alley that borders my backyard.

It’s the prefect set up. Noise from open-door Zumba by day, transient campfires by night, and best of all, the ever-changing shape of weed trees that, although cute at first, are now growing to become expanding wedges of home improvement nightmare as they angle my brick walls to the point of collapse. You know, all the neighborly considerations that you would expect a rabid badger to extend upon you.

What? Wait a minute! Richard? The man of optimism and good will is having a gripe session at his neighboring business? Hey, I’m human… just as reactionary and self-protective as any of us. And when brush-offs and half-intended responses to over 3 years of reaching out to the high turnover management of said athletic establishment yields little response, I can’t help but to get a bit out of joint.

I had no intention of beginning this post quite this way… hot under the collar, but from the very beginning of 365 I promised you that I would openly communicate in sharing my feelings and impressions—be it inspired via the meeting of the many strangers who are brave enough to expose their hearts and mind to us, or in whatever content I decided to contribute to Operation-365.

Yes, I’m still reaching out to strangers… do it on a daily basis, and after almost two years of practice it is now habit to the way I live my life. Sure, I’m still getting the expected “You’re a nut job!” from a few. At times even accompanied with some of the most colorful use of vocabulary I’ve ever witnessed. We are such a creative species… I never knew you could use so many verbs in place of adjectives. Language can be so artistic.
I’ve lost count of exactly how many I’ve approached (must be over 3,000 by now), but as we have found out, even though there are more than enough skeptics to go around, the majority of people are still welcoming to what we are doing and are open in engaging with me… the stranger in their lives.

People who are all wanting a better planet, and people who share a mutual desire to be loved and feel safe in their own spheres of existence. From all walks of life and position have I spoken with, and from all corners of the planet have we received comments. All with one resolving commonality… we the majority of decent hearts have much to contribute to bettering the world! A finding that challenges us to examine our own position in what we project to those around us.
Sure, bad stuff happens… to us, and through us. That’s life. We are all doing the best we can to master our own emotional and spiritual dominions. But to what level do we isolate ourselves in the navigation of our journeys. This is the question that I really am examining this morning as I purge my discontent regarding the flow of ineffectual managers who have control of the eroding alley that shrouds the sanctuary that I call home.

What then is my part in the big picture of this life experience? Is it to be guarded, to be the bully, or the victim? Traits that we are all suspect to. Or is it to be pacified, silent and self-protected by standing on the back row of what’s right? Two questions we can all take heed of as we open the doors to the days approaching.

I had zero idea of what I would be writing this morning. All I knew is that it had been way too long since I contributed anything to Operation-365. Life has just been that hectic. A poor excuse, I know, but one that I ask for your forgiveness in overlooking. Yes, I have allowed temporal obstacles to get in the way of my contributions to our awakening of purpose, at least in my written word. But I promise you that I am still a daily ambassador to our mission of empathy.
As for my alley problem… the negotiations are about to begin, not to win the war, or to crush any individual, but to firmly settle on what is fair and right. After all… they are people too.

Talk soon my good friends,

Richard

SideWalk Ghosts / Interview 372: "What Make Us Tick?"

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“About 7 years ago, I had a new f250 super duty white beautiful truck, and a 26-foot cabin cruiser that I loved, and a home south of the Blvd. in Woodland Hills, and because of construction jobs going bad and some cocaine abuse I was arrested for going to a customer’s business and asking to get paid. They obviously had some pull in Santa Monica and had me arrested for stalking… of all things. Because I had no money for a lawyer, I had to do 90 days in L.A. County Jail, which isn’t fun. Then, to get out early, I took the option to go into the Salvation Army where I stayed for a year, living there in Santa Monica. I lost everything in a day… or hours. Was pretty tough. I’ve been sober now for 6-plus years and sometimes things just happen that aren’t very fun and are very painful, but you come through the other side a new person, completely changed and searching for the new ‘you.’ It’s a life-long journey. But it’s much better being healthy and sober. As far as the dreams that were crushed, that’s still yet to be seen. But so many have already been fulfilled.”
Musician, drummer and contractor, Mark, hides no secrets in speaking of his life history. A man of sincerity, he sits next to me today as I hang out at a California park, surveying that area for new friends.
He pedals up with a warm “Hello,” striking up a casual conversation about the day. And you know me… any stranger who talks with me is a new friend of ours.
This whole 365 thing is a very interesting proposition, and now with only a few interviews conducted since taking pause from my original daily challenge (September 9, 2011 to September 9, 2012), I feel as if I am getting a booster-shot to loving the world around me. The vaccine? A much healthier perspective than a closed heart that fears hurt or rejection. The fine writing on the medicine label: “This vaccine may remind you of the fact that we are not alone in any of our personal experiences. You are human, and the more you look beyond the confines of your own skin and situation, the more you may realize just how much slowing down your pace of life will allow you to see the people around you, and yourself, more clearly.”
Yes, my time away from writing daily entries really left a hole in my life, and now that I am recommitting to at least a few articles a week, I find myself reopening my eyes again, and more importantly, my heart, to the world around me… something that I will always encourage us all to do.
It is far too easy to become isolated within our self-defined comfort zone, figuring that our situation is unique and no-one understands. So instead of risking the exposure of dropping our walls, we stand strong to terms like endure and self-protect, rather than leaning to more active outlooks, like share and listen. We program ourselves to defend rather than accept, to argue rather than resolve, to judge rather than to question. A scale of perspective that, once chosen, is the foundation of modeling who we are or who we are becoming. We do have the power to attract or to repel. In the end, the choice is ultimately ours.
One of the greatest men of all time, Mahatma Gandhi, gave us a key to guiding our choices when he said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” And sometimes it takes only a simple acknowledgement of the person next to us to put us on the right path.
So the question then is defined… do we pause to allow the therapeutic results of this simplified view of the world to take effect in our lives? And if we do, what will the outcome be? One thing I now know from experience is that, at many times, the most remarkable unifier can be even the smallest of kind gesture. We all leave wakes in our path and they are palpable influences to many around us… no matter where we are. I could write a book on the subject (actually, I am… hoping to have one completed by the end of 2013), but the uplifting possibilities are universal to all who embrace one simple notion: even though we all have diverse histories, attitudes and burdens, we all flow the same red blood.
Operation365_Radstone_Day372aMark is brave to open his drug abuse history to us. In doing so he extends the greatest trust and, I bet, he is also rewarded with a greater confidence and purpose for his existence. As he said, “Sometimes things just happen that aren’t very fun and are very painful, but you come through the other side a new person, completely changed and searching for the new you.”
He tells us a little more about his years of cocaine use. “In a way, you just start to pull away from the world and isolate. Because things might not be working out, people might not be responding how you want them to. You start to judge and predict a lot of what is going to happen. Your whole perception of life changes a little bit. You isolate further and further… it’s a bad place to go to. I was not a huge user… I did a little bit every day for a long period of time.”
We talk about the pros and cons of our actions and decisions, arriving at a unified consensus. In Mark’s words, “Being healthy and respecting yourself and your body. Eating right. Sleeping right. Trying to stay close to friends and relationships. Finding out whatever it is that makes you tick… inside. Looking for what makes you happy and trying to achieve it. If it is too big of a goal… having a back up for sure, so you don’t get your heart-broken, and just being kind to people for the most part. Not hating. Trying to smile and wave at people. Saying ‘Thank You, and being polite.”
I have to ask, “How do you find what make you tick?”
 “I believe in God,” Mark admits. “There is definitely a higher power.” He continues by challenging us to listen to our internal voice. “Try not to do something if you don’t want too. For example, don’t get married if you don’t think you can do it. That’s a huge mistake that so many people make in their life because they want a mate. I see people in marriages that are really unhappy and divorce is really huge. It breaks everybody apart. Find the things that you really love to do and do them.”
Easily said, but a tall order to fulfill. Especially in a world with so many external influences pushing us to go left or right. Even at times suppressing us to the unhappy acceptance of, “This is just how it is and there is nothing I can do to change it… live with it.”
So I probe further. “How do you find the things you really love?”
Mark quickly responds, “’You have to try things. Sometimes you just have to walk through things and have them happen before you discover what it is. You can always say, ‘I think I am just going to do this.’ For me, I think God just put inside of me a lot of drive to just do things.
“I think there is a bigger power that is watching over us. I think the world will never destroy itself. I think we are kind of on the right track. I think we are getting a little bit better, which I didn’t think would happen. I think people are starting to be a little bit more friendly… feel more open. I see more people starting to go out again. I think we’ll keep growing as long as globally, as a unit, we don’t try to destroy the world. If we can try to communicate more as a people, and be kinder to each other…
“I think we are kind of on the right track,” Mark suggests. And if this is true, there is one point we must fully examine in deciding exactly how we will contribute to what’s ahead… Simply: What make us tick?
Mark, I hope to see you again my new friend!

Sidewalk Ghosts / Interview 371: "Of Romance, Technology and Implanted MicroChips"

_L2R3095Mark advises, “People need to be more open about having an opinion about everything, and actually questioning what they do, why they do it… and especially things that they are told to do.”
Then he questions, “Why then do they go ahead and do it? I think a lot of people do a lot in their everyday life without questioning it.”
Then he councils, “And if people question things a lot more, then I think a lot of things in the world that shouldn’t happen, might not happen–and it’s because people don’t question it. I think just taking the time to formulate your own opinion about something… and it could be something minor… just getting into that routine of actually questioning and thinking. Because too many people, I think, just blindly follow what they are told. And what they do is probably just out of habit as well. I think this would make the world a much better place. And it would make people a lot stronger… it would make the community global.”
We talk about the impact Facebook and other social media has on the way we act and think. Not bagging on it. The new face of communication in here to stay; we’ll talk about Mark’s thoughts on what’s to come in a moment. But for now, the main point of our discussion leans more toward how we use social media. Posing a couple of questions. First: Are we using it responsibly, or are we just fishing for superficial likes? And Second: At first glance, do we believe all that we read and react to it before we gather the facts?
Both excellent points to ponder–points that are core to the approach Operation-365 is following in hopes of inspiring us to raise our heads from time to time, that we may increase our desire for face-to-face interaction with the world around us…. even with strangers.
Mark suggests a path to follow in using social media. “A lot of people will blindly like something because it say, ‘Here is a fact.’ That is utterly is the wrong way to approach it. You can’t question everything, but you should, at the back of your mind, say, ‘Do I really believe that?’ and if I am passionate enough to like it, or to go away and tell somebody else, then perhaps I should look into it before I go and tell someone that it is true or what the real problem is.”
“Informed decision,” I add to the conversation.
“Exactly…” Mark responds, “…that’s exactly what it is… just taking the time to tell yourself that you need to be informed… especially on Facebook.”
He elaborates, “An invalid comment on something that is invalid… what a waste!”
I turn to Mary, “What council do you have for the world, if all were listening?”
_L2R3107She smiles (something she does with constant warmth and charm), “My answer is a little more optimistic… I guess…” Her smile is infectious, and with it bridges to a unifying core idea. “I think that people need to be kinder. Kinder to themselves and kinder to other people. I think that most of the problems happening in this world…” she pauses and skips a beat. “I guess I believe that most people are inherently good and somewhere along the line they are taught certain things and they don’t question things. They get used to a certain way of being and a certain way of living, and they get used to being closed-off to the idea of seeing or experiencing anything new.”
She stirs us to self-examination, “Take your time to open yourself up to not operate with all the frequency of notions that your parents or your society have instilled in you–the good will come out…” a slight pause… “Perhaps that is a little bit idealistic.”
What Mary is talking about has hit at the foundation of what 365 is all about. You’ve often heard me talk of the silent majority–you and I, everyday people doing what we can to live harmoniously with each other. People, although not all in absolute agreement, most often are willing to at least look upon one another with dignity, respect and without scorn. So Mary (and I will take this moment to get personal), I don’t think you are too idealistic. Actually, you are one of the chosen ambassadors in the cause of loving our neighbors.
So I guess that I too am an idealist, but one with a few facts to ground my… yes, overly optimistic perspective. My evidence? The close to two-years of meeting strangers. My findings? The silent majority is real.
I’ve done a little math and the results show that of all the individuals I have approached (I’m guessing now pretty close to 3000), two-thirds are at least willing to engage in a sharing dialogue. Not always on the same page, but of this majority, none have attacked me for my beliefs and I not theirs. Really quite the opposite–we somehow managed to drop our walls and find common ground. People of all race, religion, gender, age, and the ever-argued sexual preference have interacted with one general resolve. That being? That there are far more people seeking betterment and good-will than those of darker outlooks.
So Mary, you are right, and we should all take heed to your wisdom.
“Are you still recording,” (I always record our interviews), Mark inquires.
“Yes.”
In perfect British form Mark acknowledges, “Splendid!”
L2R3“In my opinion…” he transitions as he looks to the future, “…even though we have been talking about Facebook and technology, what I think humanity has in store will probably be a more intimate connection between the biology and technology. I would imagine that the future probably holds some sort of implant of future technologies.
“Rather than chin down and staring at your phone to communicate via Facebook, we will be more sort of a global consciences connected by implanted technologies that are tapped in at a subconscious level. And that may help us as a global community.
“Perhaps there is a lack of understanding that we have because we are so extracted from each other. Maybe when we are interconnected on that intimate level, perhaps we’ll begin to understand each other better. Or perhaps we will all start to become so similar by that point that we will become bland enough to understand each other.” Mary chuckles as Mark smiles with a little sarcastic humor. “But I suspect that is probably where we will be in 50…100 years,” he concludes.
Wow… has Mark been smoking too much of the whacky stuff? Absolutely not! He is as sober and confident as any genius can be. You see, Mark is not speaking as if influenced by Sci-Fi Hollywood. He is speaking from fact. Facts that he has gained through his many years as a key scientist and researcher at the University of Reading, where he earned his PhD. Yes Dr. Mark Gasson is the real deal.
He tells me about how microchip technology is now being used for medical purposes. Things like heart monitors, pacemakers and brain stimulators that are used for Parkinson’s disease. “We’ve already got implantable technology that are basically computers.” Mark explains, “And a lot now have Wi-Fi so that health information can be taken out of these things remotely. So the fundamentals of that stuff are already available. Look at the rapid development of technology. A few advances of medical technology and the tangible benefits of implant technology is there.”
Screen Shot 2013-07-16 at 11.35.31 AMHe rolls up his sleeve. “Do you want to see my bump?” It’s a little microchip that has been implanted in Marks hand. Here is a link to the whole story of why it is there.
Mary breaks in with a smile, “10 minutes before my meter expires.” She runs to put more change in. I take it as a sign, asking me to respect Mark and Mary’s time.
Mark and I small talk for a few minutes and when Mary’s returns I know it’s time to wrap things up.
“Mary… you’re thoughts on the future?” I turn to her as she sits beside Mark. “I don’t necessarily know where the world will be in a year or 100 years. But the less isolated… the less polarized, separated and defined in the small ways we are… the better things will be.” She opens up a little further. “My experience with people who are very closed off and have very different opinions about the world and other people… but when they actually know someone who is of a different religion, or a different sexuality, creed or political belief than they are… then they have sympathy in a way that they never did before—when they were sitting around a table with people who were exactly like them; thought exactly like them or did the things they did.” Another infectious Mary laugh… “Hardly deep.”
_L2R3087But coming from Mary, it is deep and meaningful. She tells me of her family differences and of experiences with friends. All of who, she says, have opened up over the years, and all of whom she speaks of with the greatest love and compassion. It is obvious that Mary has a huge heart.
“Anybody who doesn’t close themselves off… gets to know someone,” she continues, “…and that is connected to an inherently good thing. I think that people want to connect with other people. And if you are open to that change, then it can change you. But you have to be open to the change.”
OK, curiosity is killing me. I know it’s time for me to depart, but there is one last question that I have to ask, “Sorry if I’m getting too personal. Are you friends, family, co-workers?”
“It’s our third date,” Mary lights up.
Mark, Mary… Thank you for allowing me into your lives, and especially during your third date. Your words are wise and your facts well founded.
Happy romancing my new friends!

Sidewalk Ghosts / Interview 370: A Man Of Pure Intent

_L2R3053 Pat opens up, “Learn as much as you can on everything. Don’t just limit yourself to one aspect. Your brain is always learning. It’s a processor. You might fail a couple of times, but it doesn’t hurt you to keep trying until you master it.”

Homeless for three years, Pat is one of the many who have been hit hard by life circumstance. A man of honor and intellect, he works past his trust issues as he soberly speaks with us regarding the hand that has been dealt him.

“After three years on the streets I just established a place to live. It’s a 10’x10’ shed in a friend’s backyard. I worked out a trade in doing the gardening and house caretaking. I’ve got some of my stuff back and I’m getting back on my feet. But it’s hard. You have to come out here all the time to find cans to make money for food. It does not leave you much time on the computer to look for a job. And if you do, you send a resume. And how many resumes have already gone there… 1,000, 5,000?”

Right now Pat does have a seasonal job, sharpening ice skates at an outdoor skating rink. Yet, it is only for a few months of the year. The money does carry him a bit, but he is looking for a re-hire in the trucking industry. Now, the skeptical might say that Pat is living off the system. Perhaps some might even judge his character by assuming that he does not even desire employment… I assure you, that is not the case. Pat explains:

“I was brought up with ethics. I was brought up with principles. I was brought up with standards. I was brought up with honor. I did not have a choice. I mean, when I was born I was already in the military. My father was a sergeant and taught me the meaning of work.

“Some people look at people and say, ‘What a looser. He’s picking trash to get food, and he is probably this or that,’ but I have never collected welfare. Never in my life. I’ve never gone that far to get that much help from the government, or the State, for that matter. I mean… I could at any time. But I choose to make my own way.

_L2R3068“…Anybody could be in my shoes.” Pat compassionately proposes. “I had two houses at one time. I had two trucks, a motorcycle and a boat… I had a lot of shit. But then my life started collapsing.”

Pat calls himself a survivor. A well-earned title that can be summed up with one undeniable fact–Pat is on his own. “My father died in 69. I was 10. It happens”

“Mom became a full-time drunk in 70s. I took care of the kids. I had a younger brother (6 years) and a younger sister (1 ½ years).”

 “Are your brother and sister OK?” I ask.

“I already buried them… they’re all dead,” he matter-of-factly replies. “I’m the sole survivor of my family. Mom, dad, grandfather, grandmother, uncles, aunts, brother, sister, my lover, my kids… it just goes on and on.”

We shift gears to the future.

“You don’t talk to people anymore. They are too busy texting,” Pat begins.

“Electronics are supposed to help us, but I think they are doing more trouble than we accept. People go to Google too fast. When I was a kid we went to the library and looked things up. What happens if they shut down the Internet?

“Every generation is getting lazier. I remember sitting with my grandfather. Sitting around the campfire telling stories. Now they walk down the street, too busy texting. Or they have their iPads or have their plugged ears with their screaming music. What happened to, ‘Hey, how you doing?’

“I don’t get the new generation. I sit back and say, ‘Are you kidding me! Is this what we have to look forward to? Is this our future?’

“And what if something catastrophic happen–people today can’t build a shelter, can’t farm and can’t even start a fire without matches? People who have gone through survival training, served as a Marine, like myself, and my father, might be OK… but what about everyone else?”

_L2R3070Pat talks of a compelling resolve. Although the premise is dark, he suggests that the outcome may fall toward the positive. “We need a war.” He directs, “We need population adjustment. We have an immigration problem. I’m an American, but I’m an immigrant myself. My parents came over on a boat. But we went through the system. We took the tests. We got our citizenship. We didn’t get all this free shit. Now it takes about 13 years to get citizenship. Hell, they’ll be grandfathers by then. The government has to figure a better way.”

War? A very extreme proposition–one that is presented by a man who has served his country (a full-term as a Marine); an idea that no-one of just mind wants to entertain. But Pat has lived a tough life and has experienced the hurting effects of loss of family, livelihood and, I’m sure, some of his dignity. Yet in speaking with him, I can only speak of a man of honor and conviction. A man willing to do what is just in his mind and a man brave enough to stand behind his word. He tells you what he feels and you know where you stand. And that itself is to be admired.

“Do you drink?” I inquire, (an assumption that far too many make when meeting the homeless).

“Only three times a year,” Pat replies. “I’ll drink a fifth when I celebrate my birthday, on the Fourth of July and for New Year’s.

“August is my birthday and I’ll get shit faced. I’ll say, ‘Happy Birthday to me. There ain’t going to be no party… no bells and whistles… no cake. No one gives a shit. No one matters.

“You know who you matter to.” I point to the sky.

“When I go to heaven,” Pat states, “I’m going to Hell, because I want to know why he took everything away from me… and he better have a damn good reason or I’m going to break his nose. And I know down there, He doesn’t want me… I don’t know. I could go either way.”

I assure Pat that he is not evil. I know this for certain. The last two years of approaching strangers has put me in the path of 1,000s of people. I’ve met some of the most amazing individuals, and frighteningly, a few that I felt may have been truly evil, and there is nothing in Pat’s continence that exudes anything close to the coldness I’ve encountered from several very scary people I’ve come across. All I see is a man doing his best to deal with the stress of his situation.

We talk of the fact that anybody is able to commit bad acts. Even the best of people, if pushed to their limits, are capable of terrible things. But that is different from having pure evil in their hearts. We talk about the balance of true justice and restitution. How punishment has to fit the crime.

Pat is no fan of the current system. “True justice is not like the court system as it is now and the government loopholes. Before they pass anything now they have to figure out how they are going to make money.

“My motto… Burn the government down and start again,” he jests as we jump to a discussion of the foreclosure crash. “That was a fire sale,” Pat summarizes.

In the end we conclude that everyone on earth has a purpose, and for those who have since left this planet, perhaps they have left us for a higher call as well.

I call Pat a new friend. He prefers to be called an associate. In this we agree on middle ground. We are all human beings living side by side.

Pat– Thank you for your wisdom. Your words do matter my friend.

SideWalk Ghosts / Interview 358: “Hats Off To All The Visible People!”

I call my good friend, and very talented Director of Photography, Bruce. “Do you want to go with me on a 365 outing?”

“Sure, when and where…?” Even offers to drive as he buys in.

“Pick me up at 8:00pm, and how about you choose where we will go,” I suggest as Bruce and I confirm our starting time. And even though I have China Town in the back of my head, our course is diverted when Bruce suggests, “Let’s try Pasadena.”

“Perfect… let’s go,” I accept Bruce’s navigation.

Takes us about thirty minutes of travel, and upon securing parking, we hit the streets.

We arrive to lines of people on all corners and packed eateries supported by outdoor music is the flavor of the night. Bruce has steered us right in finding people, but the challenge now is… Who do we approach?

We walk… taking in an overwhelming overload of diverse society, refurbished architecture and varying street noise. All the while my internal hearing is waiting for direction.

Yes, it would be easy to approach any number of socializing groups, smiling faces and vibrant personalities. Yet as Bruce and I stroll, two solitary people capture our interest.

Sitting in front of a Barns and Noble is new friend E, eloquently engrossed in writing notes with meticulously penmanship (I call him “E” to respect his request for privacy).

The three of us chat for a while, yet in the end, E. says, “Your project is very intriguing and it is a good thing that you are doing, but I like being invisible and do not want to be seen in any press.”

No worries… E is a very intriguing man, and in honoring his privacy, an evening theme is set, one that Bruce brings to our attention. “Invisible People.”

In a way, the theme is a tribute to a 365 statement that we have discussed often, “The Silent Majority.”

The many quite voices of reason who awake, live and works every one of the 365 days of every years. People of vast individuality who humbly do their part in moving forward… for self… for family… and in whatever way they feel accountable, for community.

I lock this notion into my head as we transition from block to block, which by now is becoming a blur of common attitude: “Night out in seeking entertainment.” A premise that we are trying to look beyond in seeking a more human subtext.

Away from the popular storefronts we emerge and as we do we come across a quiet man, seemingly isolated from the partying populous; leaning unassumingly on the door of a closed thrift store.

The subliminal voice kicks in, “Talk to him…” We stop to converse.

His name is Diego, and with very broken English we spend around fifteen minutes together while he waits for a bus that will take him to work.

Humble is an understatement in describing Diego as we discover a man of unpretentious world-views.

“I keep going in my routine,” Diego explains, “…the world is going to be the same as it is right now. There is no way we can change the system. So I just keep going in my routine.”

There is something off-balance in Diego’s opening statement, so I inquire further, “Should everyone be living that way?”

“I don’t know…” Diego responds, continuing, “…some other people think the same way I do… I hold from one day to another the same thing and the world is going to be the same as it is.”

I can’t let go, “Are you in a routine for how you look at yourself, or are you in it for how you look at other people?” I search for any hidden meaning.

Diego opens up to a deeper, more compassionate and spiritual perspective, “I look both ways. Other people are growing up and getting something that is good for them. In his eyes (Diego points to the heavens)… the only one who knows when this world is ending, or whatever, is up there, That’s the only thing I can say about it.” he slightly smiles.

I get it; Diego is doing the best he can to live in accordance to a higher power. A finding that has emerged to be an overall constant throughout our meetings with so many of our 365 friends.

In a world where it’s so easy to get consumed by media, consumerism and popular consent, it is surfacing that at core to most of us is an acknowledgment that there is something, or a purpose, greater than ourselves.

“Diego, What should people be doing in looking to the future?”

He calls for a union of sorts, “Changing their views around by their own selves when they look forward to new projects or whatever. You know, people like to be involved in something, and they have to want to change for each other. I cannot give you any more suggestions other than that.”

No more suggestions needed Diego, thanks for your courage in making your point.

And as to our beginning motivator, Invisible People, I think I may have been incorrect in the title; for we are all more “Visible” than we think. It’s just a matter of, as Diego suggests, “They have to want to change for each other.”

To that end, “Hats off to all the visible people!” and may we all unite, in at least our outlooks our communities.

SideWalk Ghosts / Interview 345: “Serendipity, Karma, Fate, Accident, Coincidence?”

Serendipity, Karma, Fate, Accident, Coincidence or any other theories from Gestalt to a broad range of reference on a number of laws of attraction, all concepts to consider in the meeting of today’s strangers turned friends, Autumn and Jason.

And I promise that I am not wearing any symbolic pendant or sporting any form of religious apparel. So you are safe in the knowledge that you aren’t being led towards jumping off any new age pier or be recruited to a cultish fellowship in my opening references of cosmic powers.

I’m not trying to lean towards the spiritual or supernatural, but I have to say, that there have been way too many experiences in my 365 travels, which through a great variety of situations, has proven to me the idea of attraction is not to be ignored.

Proven by truths that have revealed themselves via the notion of equal does actually attract equal. Truths that have also led me on darker paths that contrastively showcase a sadder side of this human experience. That being the equally suggestive findings that negative outlooks do manifest themselves in attracting the same.

And within the two sides of these scales of reference is the place where most of us exist as we try to figure out exactly how to navigate our futures and master self.

So in the middle I comfortably sit, not rich, not poor… not ill, corrupted our contemptuous… but still nowhere near any nirvana of mental, physical and spiritual balance.

Some days are overflowing with amazing gifts and inspiration, others straight-line me like miles of still water. Yet in either, and for all of us, there is opportunity to understand. The challenge in doing so is really quite easy, requires no capital investment, no hours of psychological treatment and no exposing of any vulnerable self-issue. Only three tools are needed to survive, and even flourish in this middle ground of life: The ability to look, the desire to listen, and the discipline to hear. All attributes that collide with me today in the meeting of Autumn and Jason.

It started with a distant sighting of Autumn (as she walked on the sidewalk) during a commute with my family. When only a block from my home my wife leans to me in saying, “Go talk to her,” as she synch’s in noting Autumn walking in the direction of our home.

Into the driveway I rip and off to my office I sprint in grabbing my equipment… The race begins in not wanting to lose track of our recently spotted stranger. I find myself doing a side swaying racing walk as I bank around a corner just ahead of where we first took glimpse of Autumn… But she is nowhere in sight.

Well… I’m out of the house now. And with camera in hand I decide to keep moving in my South bound stroll. It a good thing that I do. For on the next block I again see Autumn as she is stopped in conversation with Jason.

I approach them respectfully. Not wanting to be too interruptive of a conversation that I assume is between familiar friends. To my amazement, this is not the case.

Per Jason, “I don’t know Autumn, forty-four days ago I committed to meet a stranger every day and as I was driving she caught my attention. So I stopped to talk to her.”

I’m floored! Seems Jason is on the same path as I and he too has felt of whatever vibe Autumn is giving off.

It’s beyond me, but for some reason, I feel we are supposed to be talking. Without reservation the three of us find ourselves engulfed in conversation with a feeling that is reminiscent of friends known for life. The comfort level we share is overwhelming, even sharing hugs and departing sentiments in the closing of our short time together. Per the words of Jason, “This has been the highlight of my day.”

“Oh my goodness…” Autumn expresses in bridging her council to us all, “…and I have to put my ego aside to say that we all have the same answer within us. We are the reflection of one another… God living through us to experience itself, and the loving wisdom of the universe; the answer, and the key, is to love one another, and, if we do, then we can love ourselves.”

Jason ads (and remember we are all total strangers), “Always look for that good in somebody… no matter what walk of life, or whatever that person is, there is always something. Any human on Earth has that something good inside of them. You may have to search deeper, but we need to try to find that goodness in all people…

…In a nutshell… try to connect with as many people as you can and find out the good in each person. That is why I am doing what I am doing.”

We look ahead, Autumn presents her findings, “I’m living in the present moment.” she paraphrases. “Memories of the past is a gone technology. I don’t need to recall all these little files of my past experiences. So as far as being in the moment and projecting that to what the future will be like for others. The only hope that I would have is that human beings, as they return within and live the higher consciousness. The consciousness we are meant to experience on Earth now; the human nature… to create and co-create. That we may choose to co-create the higher consciousness as a collective.”

Jason takes cue. “I’m not trying to piggy back off what Autumn said, but in my journey I’ve found myself, especially in the last year and a half, searching for that higher consciousness. And to just be in control of emotions and stuff like that.”

This is such a trippy afternoon, one that leads me to let go of trying to control, or even understand what draws us all together. But one thing I cannot deny is the spirit that is dwelling with Autumn, Jason and myself this summer day.

Jason propels us to consider a more united society, “A hundred years from now…? It would be ideal if everybody can be in tune with their higher man and all operating in their higher consciousness.”

Autumn comes back to center with a strong challenge, one that is interestingly presented in the most peaceful tone, “So again… we need to get beyond all the civil bullshit… the terrorism… the ego I-am… and get into the collective I-am; to ascend beyond these lower realms in which we have been living.”

“Right…” Jason aligns (it’s like these two have known each other forever). “…Beyond religious barriers and certain sects that kind have of imprisoned some people… We have to try to connect with that higher being… All one synchronized movement… all in one.”

He tells of his journey, “If I could try to get a grasp of what consciousness is. How to tap into certain energy levels and stuff like that… If somebody could make me understand that…”

And with a wonderful Jamaican accent, Jason (as Autumn has done) takes a breath in challenging us, “…I think that it is our moral responsibility to be able to help people that way. Just like we say, we are all humans. And if one person is working on a lower frequency, we all have the responsibility to try to show him how to get to the next level.

For example: If it is an addiction, then we have to find out what is causing a person’s suffering. We have to try to get to the bottom. Too not judge and to consider what is causing him to deflect to the bottle.”

Jason talks of his forty-four days of reaching out. “How far I’ve gotten has been from meeting people who did not pre-judge me… Oh, you’re black…! Or, anything like that… You know what I mean. I’ve found out that not everybody is bigoted and I try to be that kind of person.

I meditate in the mornings and visualize how I want my day to go… and it’s been working for me so far.

We are all connected… we are all one… that is what I have noticed.

For me, this is a mental exercise to overlook whatever physical barriers people may have.” Jason concludes.

As I referenced in today’s into, Serendipity, Karma, Fate, Accident, Coincidence or any other thought from Gestalt to a broad range of reference on a number of laws of attraction…

…Who knows for sure of their existence? Yet, time, some science and personal experience leans us in the direction of at least examining the validity of these unseen powers.

And for whatever reason, some universal force has put three absolute strangers together this day. Strangers who all confess of a shared feeling that drew us all to one similar geographic location for a brief encounter in understanding.

There is hope for unity around us. And regarding the tools that may lead us there, might I once again propose a few: Look, Listen and Hear.

And new friends… Autumn… Jason… keep moving forward… knowing that we hear you.

SideWalk Ghosts / Interview 340: “Taco Bell Serves No Fish… We Won’t Hold That Against Them”

Trapped I am not as I sit poolside with one of the most active minds I’ve encountered in a very long time, my new friend, horror filmmaker and reality show editor John.

For a few hours we chat, including a short run to the Taco Bell border for midnight snacks. And in this time I get a glimpse into the brain of an exceptionally talented and environmentally aware dude. One, who through colors the likes of 70mm cinema, captivates, amuses and informs.

There are only few words compelling enough to describe John, and quick, honest and spontaneous they would be. And mixed with a bit of edgy humor John give’s us audience in working to find advice to share.

With constant body movement John struggles to figure out appropriate thoughts to pass forward. “Wow…! I don’t know… what kind of advice would I have for the world…? I don’t know… I probably would just tell some jokes,” he searches deeper.

“’Like… if I were to council the world…? he grins.

“’…Well you can only do so much… It’s like in ‘King Of The Hill…’ the cartoon. There was something at one point… I can’t remember the exact quote, but it starts like this… ‘With you… yourself… living the best you can, or something like that.’

Just like with you… yourself… living the best you can… or being the best you can… whatever. Like he was saying (referring back to the King Of The Hill episode), It starts on a person level… person to person… just like if people were doing that… I don’t know…? We’re all in this together.

Is it stupid to tell other people what to do? That’s dumb! That’s all bullshit… run your own race… against yourself… not against everyone else… I’m going to do my own thing… I’m gonna do it good… and the people around me… the things around me will work out. Tell them something like that.’” John proposes with an amendment.

“You look back to the declaration of independence… People stood up for their thing. That’s the thing here. It’s important for everyone to cut the bullshit and to just go back and clarify.

Everyone wants to get in everyone business… everyone is so concerned and worried about everything else… All this nervousness and agitation… It just turns into anger and other shit like that. It just seems that if the world would chill out, and that’s so much easier said than done, it would be a better place. The world does not work like that… but it would be so cool if it did.”

We turn to the future, and again, John uses a bridge of a half-truth / half-joke to direct our discussion to weightier issues.

“Man, this is gonna sound… like… selfish…” he admits. “…I really hope that all the fisheries of the world remain… because I love seafood.”

We dive into a shared concern regarding the state of the oceans, it’s environment and of the delicate balance that has been compromised by so many Human’s who have so blatantly ignored their stewardship in respecting the earth. “What is happening is like a domino effect,” John contends in leading me to telegraph a linked question.

“Are the fish going to be here?” I ask.

John speedily replies, “I don’t know… it’s weird… the real numbers are in question. How much is actually being fished? The gaps between the generations of the fish, the weather and other natural stuff can mess that stuff up.

I don’t know anything… everything that I know comes from TV or the Internet, what the f*** do I know!

You can ponder this stuff… but it is more fascinating that anything else..

…I know I’m really off topic.”

What John does not fully discuss is his state of origin, Maine, a fishing center for much of the seafood we so regularly consume. And from this fact, it is a simple calculation to figure that John knows a lot more than he wants us to know.

He reflects to friends he has in the fishing industry. “People go out and make their living in the ocean… think about that. We flash back… Have you ever thought about whaling?”

Now, his pointing at the whaling industry of past is in no way an endorsement of its greed and inhumanity of days past; or any kind of encouragement to the illegal ships that still trawl the waters in quest of greed drawn blood. Rather it is a shocking jumping off point to shift our conversation towards the importance of conservation and our role in respecting the environment through protecting its limited resources. And with no issue unturned, we speak of topics ranging from deforestation to the general misuse of ocean, land and animal.

“Everyone goes around saying, I’ve got it all figured out… We have it all figured out… Everyone has it all figured out and they don’t know shit…” John retorts.

…I don’t know…? Back in the day… think of what was around… and compare it to now… It would be like… We’d look at all that was there and say, damn!”

John redirects away from himself again, “These days everything I know comes from Netflix documentaries.

I have it all figured out… No, I don’t have it all figured out… Sometimes I do… and sometimes I don’t. But, one thing I know for sure… is we have to take care of our stuff… and nature is no different.

We have to keep moving, but we have to be reasonable… logical.

And if we ever think we have it figured out… we need to realize one thing…we don’t!”

The midnight hour is approaching, and even though John and I have the energy to continue our chat well into the wee hours, responsibility takes hold… well almost, for we have one last topic to address, the Taco Bell drive through menu.

John asks, “What are you going to order?”

My response, true to the lesson learned tonight, “I don’t know?”

Talk tomorrow friends!

SideWalk Ghosts / Interview 336: “In Pharaoh’s Words”

“Take every day one day at a time…” Says new friend Pharaoh, “’…Too often people get stressed out because they are taking on too much. They worry about tomorrow or the day after. But if they focus on just one day… and in getting through that day, in being able to meet the goals of that day, they won’t get so bombarded about how they are going to pay rent…? How they are going to meet they’re obligations…? Or thoughts like how am I going to pay for school?

People get so caught up in stuff like that… I’ve been there myself. You fall into something almost like a web of concern…and before you know it… you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders… That can lead to depression, stress and other things like that. Just take one day at a time… knowing that tomorrow, things will most likely work themselves out.

And, whatever your goals are… whatever you are trying to accomplish, you take one step every day in that direction, and know that every day is significant… no matter how small the steps. Learn to tell yourself, ‘Today, I got something accomplished.’”

“Where do you see us in the future?” I ask Pharaoh.

He takes a peaceful breath, “’In Seven years…? Hopefully… in a better place in terms of unity. Right now… I have to say on a world front, especially here in America, we are divided into tribes… groups. And as long as we are divided we can’t get anything done or any legislation’s past. Racial lines continue to be there… prominent… even though we are 2012.

In seven years there will be more unity. And when there is unity, everything else gets better: The economy … programs for our kids… for those who are disadvantaged or homeless… the handicapped. But as long as we are divided… nothing can happen.

Division… even with religion, Christians and Muslims, Catholics, Protestants, Jewish, whatever… and it makes no sense to me.

Over the next seven years… I hope… I pray! that our country will be unified. And as a nation we can do good on the world front. Right now we are divided.

We need to remember we are all connected. Maybe we speak difference languages. Maybe we have different backgrounds. But as long as we are divided we cannot help our neighbors.

And hopefully in the next seven years everyone should have more respect for self, for neighborhood, and most importantly… for every day communities. You know… schools… churches… that we may just be more unified.

Everyone has a valid perspective. Everyone has their own set of problems that they were born into. I truly believe that if we focus on unity we will become stronger as a people.

We are all part of the same body and we are all part of something significant. And, I think when we understand that, whether it be in China, Korea, Sudan, or wherever, we all have to be unified and pray about each other. If we could focus on that, there would be less war.

Love is the most powerful force. I’ve seen it work. Like in the civil rights movement where every race came together. It really wasn’t an African-American issue; it was a human issue, a civil rights issue. And you notice, even today, different races… different problems… same thing.

We need to find some common ground… some common denominator. Somewhere we can work towards getting to the point to where we can say, ‘Ok, what’s your issue? If I can help… let me help?’

And if we can come together… anything is possible… that is, if we want it that big.’”

“Why seven years?” I inquire.

Very thoughtfully, Pharaoh explains, “If we look too far… we lose sight. But still we have to set goals. I look at a year as a day. There are seven days in a week… then we start a new week. So, I give us seven years to work towards a new beginning.

Seven years is not too short of a period to expect real change and it is not too wide to ignore looking at our future with urgency.”

Pharaoh, thank you for taking the time to chat with us. See you… no hear you, on the radio waves.

Oh yeah, readers, I forgot to tell you, Pharaoh is an up and coming R&B artist. Now on tour and releasing his first album in the fall. I promised him I’d hook you up with his Facebook. Check him out if you get a moment.

SideWalk Ghosts / Interview 299: “Be A Little Bit Nicer”

Last night I barely slept, constantly being awakened by post Fourth of July explosions. Explosions that even prior to tonight have been detonated frequently over the last week.

No… they are not playful firecrackers, they explode with window shaking thunder at the earliest hours of the morning… very disruptive, obviously illegal and incredibly disrespectful the entire community.

For four days, I’ve scanned the streets, searching for the people behind these ear-ringing detonations. And to that cause, I have charged myself to a war of wits in strategizing further methods of tactics, should they again re-deploy tonight or next year.

The reality is that Forth of July is a day of celebration, Not a day of aggressive partying. It’s a hallowed date that commemorates the battles fought and lives lost to free a Nation from an oppressive government. A government that taxed without representation, a government that viewed its held people as commodities and resources and a government that pushed a brave nation to its very brink in exploiting it resources.

Sure we shoot fireworks. But for more than entertainment, for they are a symbol of battles won and lives lost in creating a land where freedom and liberty is possible to all whom seek it.

A day that I too, until writing this entry, have not fully embraced. That saddens me a little, pointing a finger at me as I realize that far too many of us have come to lose focus on the true symbolism of this day, Not the Fourth of July… But Independence Day.

And to my neighborhood terrorizing friends, knock it off…! Think about it!

Readers… know that I have no malice in my above rant. It’s mostly induced from the side effects of multiple nights of sleep deprivation. But in it is a through-line that we must extract.

My wife sums it up nicely in a discussion we have. She tells me of an article in which she read… the findings of a street survey. A survey that asked the question of was the declaration of independence necessary and does it no longer apply. In my mind, a slap in the face to every person who lives in the United States, and to the brave men and women who have given life and limb to preserve the rights that far too many take for granted.

Now I have to mention that I’m a Brit. Been living in America for all of my life. So when I think of the 4th, I look at both sides of the coin. And in doing so must silence a moment of respect for all (Both Brit and Colonist) who died in the succession of America from the British Monarchy. It was a tragic time, where because of the greed of the few, great multitudes of humankind suffered. We see it in the world today; too much global conflict to count, all of which is spired forward by a limitless count of hidden agendas. So looking back to the simplest of reason for the war of 1776, the cause is just, simply freedom from oppression; a fight that allowed man, woman and child the right to live as they see fit, and to be respected for who they are.

In a way we are not that different now, political suppressions are still abound, hidden agendas of the wealthy are as rampant as ever and the reactions of the uneducated is never lacking.

But for this July tribute all that I ask is that you consider one thought in you everyday actions, are you respecting you neighbor, and living with grace in counting your blessings?

I know, another, soapbox start to a blog entry. I’m do apologize; sometimes I just can’t help it. Guess that’s what makes me so lovable.

Sure, I gush a little, part of my character, but today I’m feeling especially wordy, after meeting todays stranger turned friend, single mother, working professional and ambassador of thinking justly, Amy.

She begins with a set of humble life guides, “Take life slow. Listen to people who you think are wise. Learn as much as you can and always pay attention.”

If there is one thing I have learned in 365; that is to listen. And as Amy recommends, “To listen to people who we thinks are wise.” That is a key point, and from what I am learning, wisdom does not always come though a diploma, via a six-digit bank statement or as a result of public visibility.

Wisdom is hard-earned and subtle. It is an expression of experiences had. Of successes won, and more poignantly battles lost.

It is a byproduct of life past, and is driven by our sheer tenacity to absorb. Again, as so simply outlined by Amy, “Always pay attention.”

Amy is honest, forthright and concerned for the world our children will inherit.

“As far as the planet…” she introduces, “…I’m from Texas, and I think as far as globally and keeping the earth green and everything, I’m all for that.

But, sometimes I wonder if what we are actually doing is fruitful, or if we are just making more people money.

People are always talking about… recycling, recycling. And being here in California, my son goes to a school where people are preaching a lot about it. But I’ve noticed that people don’t always practice what they preach.

The last election I remember a woman who went on and on about what she was going to do about the planet, and then I went over to her house. She had a pool, she had the hose water going and it was on a slide. The water was spewing everywhere. She didn’t recycle in her home, and stuff like that. It saddened me to recognize that she did not practice what she preached to everybody. The hypocrisy of it infuriated me, and that is what I see everywhere.

I wish that people would practice what they preach, and I hate to say that I don’t see that enough.

I wish that in the future, people would do that more. But I don’t see it happening as much as it needs to. I just see things getting worse. People are not teaching their children. They leave their kids with nannies… they go out partying and play… they are not raising their children… they are not instilling morals in their kids.

I see kids cussing at age two or three or four years old. They are not learning any good values… and it scares me.”

I have a daughter and it scares me too. But in speaking with Amy, it is apparent that she is not digging her head into the sand in turning away from her positive outlook regarding the power of the individual, something that she is doing her best to instill into her son. And, in a vicarious way, Amy instills in us, as we read of her accounts and the observations she has noted, the same activation in guiding our children.

Regarding the media and social respect, “’My son started out on Cary Grant and Fred Astaire movies. He says ‘yes mam’ and ‘no mam…’ He’s polite and respectful. But here in California, teachers tell him to not call them sir. One teacher even rebuked my son, saying, ‘Don’t ever call me sir… you are not in military school… it sets you apart from other children.’”

That one gets my goat. I see it myself in the attitudes of the kid my daughter plays with. And you know what… the kids with the greatest esteem are the ones who call me Mr. Radstone. What’s that telling us?

Amy elaborated on the account, “I was also told to tell him not to do that… I completely disagreed. The next year he opened a door for a female teacher. And that teacher was completely offended that he called her mam. She said that she was not an old lady, and that she did not need to be called mam. And, I think that one time she stepped up onto a stool to get a book. My son offered to help her so she did not need to use the stool. She contacted me to tell me that I was raising my son to be a male chauvinist pig. He told me he was just trying to a gentleman.”

Amy worries, “’Life is changing and I don’t think it is in a positive direction.

Those are the kind of things that I see daily. I’m just thinking of the future of my child. We are parents.

I really hope that if one person does something good… if my son opens a door for somebody, that somebody says, ‘Oh that was nice, somebody has not opened the door for me in a long time.’

Then maybe a husband will start opening a door for other people. Or somebody will treat a waiter nicely as they refill a water-glass, saying ‘thank you.’

It endless, there are all these thankless jobs out there and nobody appreciates the people who are doing these jobs. People are driving around and honking at people who are working outside in 110-degree heat. And, all they are thinking about is ‘I’ve got to get to work.’”

I flash back to the bombs that have been blasting for the last several days, and doing the best I can to remain humble as I work out my issues within a sleepy brain. I look at it from both sides and have come to a conclusion.

It is not mine to judge, or to condemn, my nearby friends. Nor is it under my power to dictate their decision in the toys they choose to play with. They are accountable for their own agency, and the resulting outcome of their daily actions. And it is, without guile, I do desire my unknown neighbor to experience some sort of accountability or a just penalty for their actions.

But greater than that is the sadness that has fallen upon me in reflection on them. That sadness can only be defined as yet another account of dishonor, and a negative ratification of the influence we all have on the world around us.

Yes, I accept that my family has been on the receiving end of this disrespect. I do not take it lightly and will still do what I must to discover the origins of the house of disturbing explosions. That is the responsibility of my calling as a father and provider.

Just like that of the greater battles that led to the freedoms that we are acknowledging every year on the Fourth of July, and although not armed with physical weapon, I am still required to bear emotional arms. The battle is a battle of respect. Respect that Amy fears is disappearing from society.

Respect that is not earned though murders of character, violence or useless confrontation, but a respect that goes to the core of who we are: People who deservingly desire to be treated fairly.

To my friends lighting the fuses, I promise we will meet one day. And perhaps once we do, you will understand that the choices you are making influence a greater community. We are with you in wanting you to have fun on the 4th. Blow up as much as you like… Just keep it on the 4th only, and between the hours of 8:00pm and 10:00pm. And please, be safe my illusive friends, by the sound of it, your handling very large charges.

To conclude, I share a wish of Amy’s. Simply, she asks us all one basic respect, “Just be a little bit nicer.