society

SideWalk Ghosts / / Interview 369: “Love, Dream, Conquer”

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Miriam begins “at my tender age of 24, what words of wisdom do I have?” I’ve put her on the spot with my question. But after just a second of thought, her response is clear. “Be true to yourself. Don’t live your life based on what you think you should be.” And with a smiling laugh, her personality glows in summing up her council… “Love, dream, conquer.”

I run into Miriam and Kim this afternoon on the eve of the 4th of July, a day that America celebrates the beginning of its independence from past days of unfair taxation (among other things); a day that millions pay homage to lives lost in the fight for a better future, and a prompt for them to pause in evaluating the reasoning behind whatever patriotic perspectives they may have.

For over 200 years this day has come and gone. It has been celebrated to the fullest degree by many, as well as mocked or scorned by others. But one thing is certain about this day. It is a tribute to the bravery of “we the people.”

We the people– three powerful words that literally ground the beginning of Constitution Of The United States of America, as written, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

I make no claim in being an expert in regards to the full content of the Constitution. And in my quick research of it, do see that it has undergone a series of amendments. But never the less, this grounding opening has never been modified. Although, I’m sure that there a many power parties who would welcome superseding it with a modified version; perhaps “we the loudest,” or maybe “we the hidden agenda” or something of that sort. But that is a whole other story; one that is barbed with sharp spears of wavering opposition– An argument that takes on the form of a morphing fire-breathing dragon. One that would devour all the uniting work we are striving for in the building of our 365 community. I’ll pass on saying any more and leave it in the hands of your good conscience.

Back to We the people! Diverse, opinionated, individual and passionately believing in the paths that we as human beings have right to follow. In meeting Miriam and her partner Kim, I am charged to make a claim. One that directs us to not open our minds and hearts in accepting the fundamental truths that are part of our personal spiritual and psychological make up. But, more profoundly to give the same respect towards those who choose to live their lives according to a set of outlooks contrary to ours.

Now I’m not supporting the evils and atrocities that are epidemic in the world. I assure you that I am not burying my head in the sand in not address the multitude of horrors that so terribly occur on a daily basis all over the globe. The senseless murdering of the innocent, the raping of body and soul, the greed of the unquenchable and the suppression of human dignity that spawns from the lesser majority.

But in this darkness, can be found a greater light. Something that in speaking with the thousands we have met over the last several years, has allowed us glimpse to the good that abides in the hearts of the many. Through this, one fact is rising to the surface like the finest of cream. We are the greater majority. You and I, everyday people, living every day lives. The quite ones, us, working in the background of societies loudest, are actually the ones holding the keys capable of enacting real change. It is in our personal circles of influence, and through our example, where long holding effects can take root. Not like the bolstering thunder of temporary reform or of won high-profile battles; but victories that will carry forth long-lasting and plentiful fruits to future generations. That is… if we have the courage to preserver the screaming tongues of the divided.

We will all never agree on any one issue. That is what makes us magnificent and progressive as a society. As I see it, the most catastrophic thing that could happen to us would be to become homogenized society. There will always be conflict, and we have to go through it to master our own selves. Without it we become numbed and sheepish. Open to giving in to the hand of the strongest oppressor or those smiling over their own hidden agendas of conquest.

_L2R3029f“So how is it that Miriam can use the word conquer in her opening remarks? Richard! Are you calling her an oppressor!!!

I promise that is the farthest from my mind. You see… Miriam uses the word along side of two even more powerful words. Those being “love” and “dream.”

Miriam is the real deal. Her very value system is under attack. You can see the hurt in her eyes as she and Kim continue to open up in our conversation; a conversation in which neither of them take side in condemning either their opposition or their comrades.

Without guile Miriam shares her heart, “Why do people try to make others feel badly for who they are? There is no reason for that. You don’t have to agree how I live my life. I’m a good person. You don’t have to hate me for being gay.”

Now I’m a heterosexual… always have been… always will be. And in being so, I have also received similar hate words for my lifestyle. But key to our discussion is this. We both agree that love is the greatest resolver, and as we do, we share a dream for the world ahead; a dream that is not caught up in the thunderous wars of the stirred up majority; a dream that more people will do their best on an individual level to simple love one another, regardless of any single victory, or loss, of worldly battles. And my guess, if more of us would do that… We’d see a lot less hate and a ton more lasting resolves.

I love these ladies for their courage and willingness to not pick up arms in joining, nor in falling, to any of the hate tribes.

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Kim chimes in, “Follow your heart. I believe there is a positive already laid out for all of us, and whatever path you land on is the path you are supposed to be on. Stop trying to force certain things to happen in your life that aren’t meant to happen right now, or ever. To just accept things that are coming into your life. Every person comes into your life for a reason. To make you better or the make you learn a lesson. Know that there is a path for you to land on. And take that path… Be happy.”

I ask about the future and what we can do now for a better tomorrow?

“That’s a tough question…” Miriam pauses, “… loving one another and accepting people… that’s it. That’s what it comes down to. There is so much hatred and anger in the world. People just forget to stop and to understand that other people are facing struggles and daily battles too. We are not stopping to try to understand others. We are automatically assuming that they are the bad guys, or that they are not going to understand what I am going through or what not. We are just not loving each another for our differences. Instead, we are hating people for our differences.”

Kim gives us a path to follow. “We need to teach our little ones that we are not on the world for ever. And, they can make an impact on others. We need to start teaching them now. To look at people and love one another for what we have to offer. That’s where it has to start. The world is becoming smaller. We can interact over the Internet. We can communicate with people across nations, in schools, just exposing people to others differences.”

Miriam smiles, and with a nod, confirms Kim’s assertion, “I agree,” she simple states.

The world is becoming a much smaller planet and there is much work we can do vicariously over the electronic wavelengths. Yet there is one thing that lays uneasy with me in welcoming the use of new media; a tool that I am personally grateful for, and am obviously using to share the ideas we discuss. However, there is a Pandora’s box we must be aware of. No matter how spontaneous our digital society becomes, it will never fully replace the resolving power of true face-to-face interaction.

We are people… remarkable, unique– able to love unceasingly, and sadly, also to hate with utter lack of compassion or remorse.

My wish for this celebrated day of independence…? That we all, at least for a day, take a moment to look our fears directly in the eye; to examine the depths of the motivation behind what angers us, and in doing so, step for a moment into the shoes of those who differ us– Perhaps, it not about the issues at hand. We all know there are battles that each of us will win and there are battles that we will lose. But at the end of the day, when we put our heads on our pillows… readying to close our eyes in rest… or even death… can we look at ourselves in the mirror and make this claim? “Although at times my heart ached, my mind was troubled, my lifestyle, or even my faith was questioned… I did not hate… nor did I persecute my fellow human.”

Miriam, Kim, thank you for allowing me into your lives. May all your dreams come true my new friends.

Sidewalk Ghosts / Interview 368: "The Bridge Builder"

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“I know you,” his eyes open, “do you remember where we met?”

Instantly we both laugh in unison, “Come to Canoga Park… Things are looking up!!”

I’m blown away. After almost 9 months of recess from my interviewing strangers… I have been directed to a friend met during last year’s daily interviews.

It get’s a little weirder. Sorry if I sound too metaphysical, but I have zero explanation for an earlier beat to this evening. Had no idea of where I would start in this re-launch of Project-365, so I decided to pick it up where I left off. Just get in the car and drive. The rest will unfold as you follow your intuition. That’s what I do. And as I pull out of my driveway, something tells me, “You have to pop your head in at that psychic on Ventura Blvd. The one that you approached last year and have since not gotten out of your mind.”

I get there, she remembers me and is happy to hear that we finished our first year; but she graciously declines to be interviewed, “Thank you, but I can’t be photographed. And perhaps I am not the one you are meant to photograph tonight. Maybe I’m just your starting point.”

Not that this deflates me, but I leave with a strange peace that is mixed with a little overcompensating spirituality. “Follow the path that is in front of you,” I mind chant to myself as I walk a mile or so, not passing a single soul. Yeh, I’m in the groove now, the spirit is guiding me. SLAP!!! Crud, I only put enough change in the parking meter for 30 minutes. It’s taken me 20 minutes to walk to the point where I am. 20 + 20 = 40 minutes. The last thing I want to go home with is a $100 plus meter violation. I turn and double-time it.

Sweat on my brow, I drop my much missed 30 pound camera backpack into the passenger seat. I lower my head, and in happy defeat and rev up the motor for a continued drive.

“Well that went well!” I smile to myself. “Maybe I’m just your starting point?” still bouncing in my mind.

I drive aimlessly through suburban neighborhoods; re-living last years experience of feeling like a stalker as I look into the unknown faces of many a front yard dweller. “Richard, if you pull into any one of these houses, you are going to get shot. No one is comfortable with a strange vehicle appearing out of nowhere on their property.” Plus, I can’t stand being trapped behind a windshield when I am trying to make friends. Way too impersonal and isolating.

I decide to go to the local train station to see what shaking there. Quick U-turn and I’m on my way. Never get there.

Only four miles from Chatsworth station, I get this feeling when I see a man watering his law. “Turn around! Now!” it whispers to me. “Alright, why not,” I schizophrenically bargain with my subconscious self. One minute later I find myself again street parked, and with the endeared weight of camera again on my shoulder, I lock my car for a brief walk to the place where I had seen the watering man. Again, I never get there.

Not four steps from my vehicle, there is another man sitting on his porch. “Hello,” I share. He responds, “I hope you don’t mind, but can you move your car back a few feet, I need to rinse the sidewalk (he had just finished mowing his lawn).”

We chat generally for a moment, when his eyes open, “I know you!”

No way! Was my psychic friend inspired? Did she sense something when we met; was it a lucky guess or a brush off? I don’t know? But one thing is certain. I am where I am supposed to be this evening.

10 miles from our first place of introduction (Day 59, just outside of Henri’s restaurant, during the Day Of The Dead celebration) where he and several of his friends had gathered for this yearly day of festivity.

Even then he chose to remain anonymous and to respect his wishes I will not publish his identity. But there is no need to. What is relevant is the unity we feel.

He invites me to his porch for a neighborly chat. “Would you like a beer?” he warmly offers. “I’m sorry I don’t drink, but if you have a soda or a water I would love that.” No problem, have a seat… I’ll be right back.

I kick back to settle in at the house of a friend, a friend who was once a stranger. For the next hour am engulfed in a powerfully unifying conversation. Millions of people in Los Angeles, and I find myself connected in picking up and unfinished conversation. One that would have never happened if I had stayed home this evening in procrastinating the re-start of Project-365.

Yes, my friend, asks me to not reveal his identity, but today is very different from our first very brief meeting. A meeting where he chose to slip into the background while allowing his friends center stage. Today is the day I really do get to know him, and I have to say, he is a great man.

“’I never finished high school, did not have the grades. One day my dad told me that he was going to do me a favor. ‘Do you want to work?’ he asked me. He set me up where he worked. That was the best thing for me at the time. My dad taught me the full meaning of hard work and great ethics. He worked all his life, building roads for the city. He provided for my family and me. If it was not for him I don’t know where I would be today. He came to the United States with nothing and built a life for us with his hard work. He was a good man.

‘Save you money and buy a house,’ he always told me,’” pointing to his home, “and look what I have.”

But in telling me this, he bridges to his reasoning for the home he has built. “One day I’ll be able to pass on what I have to my daughters,” he lights up, taking a sip of his beer.

“I’m so proud of them, they are so smart, and I would do anything for them.” He face shines, as he looks me right in the eyes. “My eldest is just finishing her nursing degree and then plans on saving to study medicine.” He tells me her age… 22. I’m wholly impressed. “She finished high school with a 4.0 GPA, not like me.” He concludes.

“You’ve got to just love the world,” he tells me as we talk of world perspectives, and sadly of, experiences where he has been treated with guile and judgment.

“It never gets to me, I’ve learned, and my father taught me, that what you give out is what you get back. So I work to give out good.” I sip my water and listen.

“’A few days ago I was in this store. The lady in front of me dropped some money on the floor,” he shares a story. “’I could have just grabbed it and kept it. All the others in line, and behind the counter, where looking at it… like they wanted to grab it. But I got it first. ‘Excuse me’ I said to the lady. She rudely turned, looking at me with a mean expression. I could tell she was judging me as a Mexican. I just smiled. ‘You dropped this,’ I said. Her tone changed as she thanked and apologized to me for her attitude. It was no big deal, I just did what was right.

People need to not step on each other. They just need to love and respect each other. It does not matter if they are Mexican, White, Black, Yellow or Green; we all have the same blood. There is no better feeling than being able to put you head on the pillow at night and being able to know that you passed good things forward.’”

And that is just what we are doing in publishing your words my friend. And to honor you I am giving you a title. I dub thee, “The Bridge Builder.”

Your example has set the stage for our new chapter of 365. May we all take note of the bridges that we build.

Talk soon my good friends.

Richard

SideWalk Ghosts / Interview 367: "To Run or To Hide?"

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day 367 6Hi friends. I’ve promised you a re-start of our Project 365’s interviews of strangers, so here we go.

I’ll admit, this entry is way past due, and to be completely open about it, I met our new friend last September… only days after completing the one year of daily entries.

Time has just run away, but in all fairness, I’ve been so deep in development of Operation-365 that my bandwidth was too limited to find writing windows. That is different now, as Operation-365 has launched, and my typing fingers are just warming up. Much more to come… I promise.

day 367 1To pick the story up, we’ll start in the jungles of Hawaii, where I am training a very special group of military photographers (JPAC, I’ve written about them in the past, so you can do a search to read more about who they are and what they do).

day 367 3For five days, we got ourselves into as many situations as we could, the whole goal… to learn to think on the fly. From jungle to beach, harbor to city to rural Hawaii, we explored, and with every location change we encountered people of the greatest diversity. Hawaii really is a diverse state, and once you look part the tourist traps, it offers a vibrantly captivating culture.

It was the last day of training, and we found ourselves deep inland at the coolest train museum, being offered the privilege to own the place for the day. It was a visual feast of texture and history. Yet all the while we were there, I could not ignore the pull of wanting to visit the home of its proprietor– a humble little construct that resembled a modified military bungalow.

day 367 2His name, Jim, and all day he graciously opened any door for us. And every time I interacted with him, I could not look past a transcending light of wisdom that shone in his eyes. I knew Jim had something of worth to share.

We found time to chat.

I ask Jim to give us his general council. “Be careful what you ask God for. He begins, “Because God does not give you anything… he will teach it to you. He doesn’t give you patience… he will teach you patience. He doesn’t give you honesty… he will teach you honesty.”

day 367 4I’m taken a little by his so rapidly exposing his spiritual self, something that so many of us are hesitant to do. But Jim is not evangelical, not judging me or seeking to convert me to any viewpoint, just lovingly sincere in his beliefs. He continues, “Just be careful what you ask for… that’s all you can do. And be careful for who you criticize. You criticize a drunk… two years later you might end up a drunk.”

We’re sitting on his patio. A very humble living space, but in it there is a warmth beyond that of many an ornate palace or house of worship. Jim opens up about his life– Perhaps the key to the feeling that so encapsulates his living quarters. “I’ve benefitted from my lifestyle,” he expresses. “When I was ten years old, my mom deserted me. I came home… nobody there. She sold everything in the house. I ended up in foster homes for ten years. I lived with every single race you can think of. I lived with Japanese, Filipino, Black People, everything you can think of… I’ve lived with them all… and going through the military” (28th Infantry)… “I think that gave me insight.”

day 367 5I sense that for Jim, life is not about status… or wealth… or paralyzed by any desire for recognition. For him, it’s about accepting and loving his neighbor. Jim is an example to be honored, and in him can be found the true spirit of Aloha. Something that is impossible to ignore when worn by those who embrace its subtle meanings.

Jim sums it up as he talks of his love for Hawaii, “’I’ve lived almost everywhere. This is the most receptive state to ideals and common courtesy. You can tell… when you go into a parking lot and someone says ‘hello.’ I love this state. We call this state a mixing bowl. There is no time to be racist. Your friends are your friends. Doesn’t matter what color they are… what creed. They are your friends.’”

We turn toward the future. With a deep breath Jim begins, “If we stay on the same path as we are, like any big corporation, we are going to undermine ourselves. We’re going to do ourselves in.” he inhales… “if we stay on the same path. That’s the way I see the country right now.”

A second breath, Jim shifts to resolve, “The way we are going to steer ourselves different?” one more breath, “that’s going to take a lot of work. We’re going to have to do a lot of mind changing… people have to change their minds about what they perceive… what they see… how they act. Number one, you can’t take race into consideration… that’s over! We are all people, we all are workers… we all do everything. Religion? I’m not going to knock you for being Jewish, I’m not going to knock someone else for being something else… You know…” pause… “I don’t know what the solution is… I really don’t. I’d like to know what the solution is, but if we stay on the same path we are on right now… we’re done.

Humans are pre-programmed to destruct themselves. That’s the difference between you,” he warmly gestures to me, “and a bear. You go up against a bear, he doesn’t have reasoning. He doesn’t care. He is going to kill you. You have the reasoning to run, or to hide.”

The reasoning to run, or to hide? Jim’s words intrigue me, a great inspiration to one concluding question. What are we running towards; and, are there any things we are hiding from? I can’t say. The question is daunting, and much too diverse to completely examine in the under 1500 words I’m trying to accomplish in today’s entry.

But what the question does pose is a benchmark of sorts. One that each of us can contemplate as we chart our individual courses to whatever lies in front of us.

Wow! I had no clue of where this journal was going to take us today. It’s like that every time I write one of these essays. Words somehow escape me that are far beyond my controlled thoughts. There is something about opening up to those around us that is incredibly awakening and unifying– Something that I will always encourage all of us to do more regularly. And for anything of insight that may have been carried forward through this entry… credit must be given to the true author of this story.

Jim… Thank you for steering us toward the correct path.

Take care my new friend, and please forgive me for the late publishing of this story.

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

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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?”

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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”

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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”

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“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”

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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.

SideWalk Ghosts / Interview 298: Divina’s Call, “We’re All Alive”

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“We don’t know what everyone else is dealing with. It just seems that so few people think of that.

We’re all alive. It’s crazy… people are so rude and inconsiderate of other people. It makes me crazy… I don’t understand.

Whatever you’re dealing with, you don’t have to project it on everybody else… it’s crazy.

Treat people the way you want to be treated. It’s like my number one thing. It really makes my life easy and simple. I don’t have any enemies, or hate, or resentment. It’s really good.”

Says Divina of life, and in her advice “The Golden Rule” strikes again, “Treat people the way you want to be treated.”

The Golden Rule… You’ve heard me report of it many a time. And for the sake of positioning my comments today, know that it is by choice that I use the word report. For whenever I write of the The Golden Rule premise, it is through the voice of those who uniquely share their perspectives on its adaptation. The intent being, to footnote its relevance in enlightening us to the knowledge that every day of our lives, there are probably more people than we realize questing the same compassionate respect: To be treated with dignity, kindness and acceptance.

I’m blown away that we are this far into 365. The time has flown by and in two days we will officially hit the three hundred day mark. We really are in the final countdown of its mission of getting us to put our feet in the shoes of others. And doing so without fear, void of comparison and with a loving outlook.

“We’re all alive,” Davina’s heartfelt observation of society as she dreams of a kinder world…

Funny thing… As I write, an exercise is coming into my mind. I don’t know why, but for some overpowering reason, Davina’s statement has caused my subconscious to tell me to lift my hands from the keyboard and to sit back in my chair… To take rest in relaxing my mind for a few minutes… To close my eyes in letting go of my control… To take a few breaths in feeling the air… And to try to recall as many faces as I can of the people I have associated with over the last week or so. Visualizing the humanity in all… regardless of the experience. And lastly, to ground the meditation with Divina’s call, “We’re all alive.”

For the sake of unity, I ask you to join me in the experiment. Here we go, I’ll be right back (Setting my timer for three minutes)…

And Readers if you are joining me… Don’t read on until after your meditation.

… I return… That was interesting. I entered my meditation with high expectations, and it was very revealing. In closing my eyes I prepped my mind with Davina’s words, “We’re all alive.”

I took my breaths, shut of my mind, and at first, all that I felt was the need to go to sleep. Really more like a peaceful blankness was in my head. So I started to force my mind, focusing on specific situations of the many people who I interacted with over the last week As I did, I got distracted by a conversation between my daughter and wife that echoed in the background of my home. I again forced my mind to refocus, and entered the same mind blank state of peaceful relaxation. The faces blurred into a great noise and amidst it only a few came to focus. One: A client, who with stress in his eyes, unloaded on me about an issue with a location. At first I took it as an attack, but later realized he was trusting me with his feelings. Two: A friend of mine who on Thursday was so distant that it seemed as if I had offended him. Today I found out it was the day he lost his job. Three: Another semi close friend who I have avoided in fear of enmeshment, who only hours ago uplifted me with one of the most caring phone conversations I have had in a long time. The faces began to un-blur when the timer alarm sounded.

Now I sit here rather exposed. An exposure that has left me a little ashamed and life checked. Now I’m not trying to make myself out as heartless, but three minutes of meditation awakened me a bit. An awakening, that although has been progressing throughout the last hundreds of 365 days, is unexpectedly double-checked by Davina’s advice.

Here is my assessment, too many times have I taken first impression personally. In all three faces that focused into mind, all were reaching to me and I did not see it at that time.

Very humbling to admit, of all the experiences I encountered… many of the most bonding ones, where in reality, the ones that I wanted to escape from.

What’s this teaching me, or us? I’m extremely curious to know how the exercise affected you? If you did it? PLEASE COMMENT AND LET US ALL KNOW. The sum whole of the experiment could be a great teacher to us all.

Divina has felt at times this world to be rude and inconsiderate. And although difficult to understand, perhaps it is really a world of equally fearful and quite possibly pained people.

People who sadly have tendency to divide themselves in reaction to outwardly perception or inward insecurities, rather than to take pause to breathe in examining the full measure of any given interaction.

And do we, in the word of Divina, Project what we are dealing with on everybody else?

Probably so… And, in a way, that’s not always the healthiest thing, considering that the opposite stance of keeping it in would be as equally unhealthy. Just look at the statistics of chronic hypertension in modern society.

Thus, here is the lesson learned, as least for me. “It is up to the listener to direct the action or resolve, not the other way around.”

My meditation reveals this to me. I did not seek to review the above-mentioned situations. I even tried to steer my mind in another more pleasant direction. But that is where it went as I let go of controlling it.

“It’s crazy!” Divina exclaims with an engaged acceptance.

Maybe, maybe not… Or is it what makes us all unique, powerful and equally vulnerable: Basically… HUMAN.

I’ll vote for human.

“I don’t have any enemies, or hate, or resentment,” Davina expands.

In my world, not saying that I am out to make enemies, or to hate, or to harbor resentment. But after only three minutes of closed eyed reflection, I realize that I have three much closer relationships that I previously did not understand.

Divina is a wise soul. I ask her about the future. She responds previewed by a long sigh. “I worry about our future… honestly… It feels like we are at battle with our planet… our home… It’s crazy.

I think it’s like evolution, all these technological advancements… I wonder… And I hope it really is an evolution.

I’m kind of like old-fashioned, I guess… Kind of like and old spirit a little… I’m like an old person…” She chuckles, “…People are like doing all these gadgets and stuff. It just seems very impersonal.”

We’ve spoken often of the impersonal nature of the new world of virtual communication. A very real issue with modern society and one not to be brushed under the carpet.

But what is striking hard at the core today is how do we react with each other in the real face-to-face world. Not like in the virtual sphere, where with the click of a mouse, or through the touch of a screen, we can easily disengage. But in the trenches of the difficult life moments of this existence we call living.

Divina, you are powerfully on target!

We are “ALL ALIVE.”

SideWalk Ghosts / Interview 294: “Food Truck Alley”

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“I like old stuff and new stuff. People say that I was born in the wrong era, but I have to nip that. I have an appreciation for antiquated things… Older things interest me…” Explains Squeezebox Sam as he generalizes his outlook on modern society.

“But I think that as far as society goes, as far as humanity goes, I feel like in the last one hundred… two hundred years… the human being as a creature has evolved socially and scientifically for the better. And I think I’m living in exactly the right period of time. I think I’m lucky to not have been put in 1890 or 1956 or something like that.”

Sam is a way cool gent, and with the companionship of his equally interesting fiancé, multi-media artist Nouar, I am not only entertained by their quirky style of street music but am enlightened by their charismatic blend of personality, intelligence, and spontaneous creativity.

It takes a special kind of person to open their world to unknown passer-byes. And at the prompt of my sister-in-law as we enjoy an outing at food truck alley, “Go talk to them!” I am captivated to grab sidewalk with my new artistic friends.

“Watch where you step.” The Squeezebox councils, “You’ve got to step carefully in your life. That applies to all kinds of things… from business to learning yourselves… leave a small footprint, that kind of thing. Watch where you step! You should always watch where you put your feet, both figuratively and in what you do. That’s my advice.”

Sam’s words so align with 365’s core purpose of getting us all to think more deeply about the question of putting our feet in the shoes of others. I tell Squeezebox about this premise.

“Ah yes!” he says, “Atticus Finch, To Kill A Mockingbird. One thing you’ve got to learn is to get in somebody else’s skin and walk around in it for a while. You’d get along with people a whole lot better.”

The Squeezebox is a very educated man with multiple degrees he teaches a variety of subjects from art to film to English.

“I’ve been focusing on teaching English for the last couple of years, there’s better job security in that subject,” he tells me.

I’m not even going to get started on that soapbox. I’ll just keep it short. Well maybe not…

A couple of months ago while driving home, I noticed well-working traffic signals being replaced. About eight miles of them, they were in perfect working order. And, I would probably be bewildered to know exactly how much the expense of this senseless upgrade was to we the taxpayers. I’m sure it was a bunch of cash.

As I was stopped, yep, at one of the not yet replaced, well-working traffic signals, I looked to the left at a deteriorating elementary school. My heart sank a little as I thought about the school. Not just for the improvement (No! No! No!… I catch myself as I am writing this account), the maintenance funds it needs. Even more troublesome is the serious educational cutbacks of staff and curriculum that are rapidly becoming epidemic in many a school system.

From losing teachers to eliminating art and other similar courses that stimulate independent thinking our countries school system is becoming rapidly flawed. This added to classes that are overpopulated with good teachers being pressed to their breaking point in doing whatever they can to provide quality education. Added to this their hands are tied by an overwhelming number of political controls, organizational macro-management, and lack of financial incentives.

So to see an upgrade to a working traffic system, at the taxpayer’s expense, just kills me. I know the issues of governmental economic problems are overwhelming, and I am not speaking with my head in the clouds of wholly emotional outburst.

But I cannot for the life of me understand why one of the most important contributors to bettering the future, that being education, continues to take the financial back seat in many cases. I’m telling you, I’d be quite happy with the same old stoplights, knowing that money was pointed towards teaching our kids.

Alright, I’ll calm down… and Squeezebox, I appreciate you giving me the floor for a moment of vent. Thank you for your commitment to teaching our kids. Hope you can keep some of the arts alive in how you approach your English teaching.

Nouar shares a few words of advice. “Be careful on whose toes you step on today, because they may be connected to the ass you have to kiss tomorrow.”

Squeezebox bursts out a supportive chuckle, “It’s poetic!”

I think about Nouar’s call, and with a smile, realize how appropriate it is, even modifying it. “The reverse works too,” I reveal.

We exchange smiles and move on.

Nouar speaks of her concerns for the future. “We need to recycle and take care of what we have already… conservation and reusing in general.” Pointing to her cup, “Like this cup… I think, ‘What I can use it for?’ Always try to look at things in your surroundings in how you can reuse them.  I’m an artist, so I guess I always look at things a little differently. ‘What can I do with this or that sort of thing?’”

Sam again smiles enthusiastically at his lady. And with the same energy Nouar passes the baton back to him for his comments on what’s ahead.

“My advice for the world?” The Squeezebox reflects. “As a teacher, I hope that humanity doesn’t stagger in its upward swing. I hope it keeps moving up… they don’t lag… they don’t stall off… they don’t get caught up in the now, instead of looking at the future.

“Yes… I think I’m going to hope for that. That people will do their part to make the world a better place for human beings in general.”

Readers, thank you for joining us this evening for our musical jaunt down food truck alley; Friday night home of fine food, entertainment, and for those who open their arms, meaningful conversation. Conversation that, with hope and humor, Squeezebox and Nouar have so gracefully entrusted to us. Their words are our feast this evening.

And even with so many eating options around tonight, after speaking with Squeezebox and Nouar, I consider myself nourished.

Well, let’s say “socially fed”… I still have to find my culinary treat!

Talk tomorrow my friends!