Pickup

I was always embarrassed in high school, driving my dad’s pickup truck around.

Why did we have to own something so practical? The other kids got to drive around fun cars, fast cars. Dave even had a motorcycle.

In the flatbed, we always had 2×4’s, tools, cinder blocks, stuff from whatever project my dad was working on.

On weekends, I would sometimes work on projects with my dad. He would teach me something new, and challenge me to do it better than him.

It took an entire childhood before I stopped wishing my dad were a businessman, or a scientist.

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a photographer

a journalist, a reporter, a recorder, an instigator, a director, an artist, a businessperson, a technician, a student, a teacher, a traveller, a master, and apprentice, an observer, a follower, a tastemaker, a curator, a networker, an advisor, a stylist, a meteorologist, a biologist, an anthropologist, an astrologist, a biographer and autobiographer, a negotiator, an entertainer, an organizer, a spy, a researcher, a tourist, a sharpshooter, a scientist, a storyteller, a philosopher, a cynic, a craftsman, an explorer, an illusionist, a revisionist, a whistleblower, an investigator, an experimenter, a friend, a connection, a historian, a messenger, a catalyst, a symbol.

Win Easy

Life is a battle with yourself.

Do this; don’t do that. Get up and do something; slow down and relax.

The way you treat others says a lot about the way you treat yourself. Win gracefully against others, and you will train your mind to stay strong when doing battle with your own vices. Lose with dignity and you will learn how to carry on, and find a voice of strength, when the course of action takes an unexpected bend.

There’s no autopilot. The true path is not devoid of challenges. Don’t run from the battles; instead strengthen the warrior.

Masculinity in Two Parts

Like the bicep and tricep, two opposite forces must be mastered.

Putting the ego in

Focus, get lost in the details. Winning is winning. Give a damn. Be genuine. Know thyself. Meditate. Pour yourself in, and take feedback to heart. Make yourself vulnerable. Get closer to truth. Breathe deep and own it.

Taking the ego out

Be able to see the long term, the big picture. Be outcome independent. Detach from short term failures and wins, and keep the eyes on the prize. Fail and get over it. Miss a shot, and stay late after practice. Fall down? Get up.

Before We Had All The Answers

My buddy Phil and I were grabbing drinks the other day at the bar by work, on 7th. Freefallin’ comes on the radio, and we both start wondering, “Where’s Tom Petty from, anyway?”

Phil thought Phoenix, I was pretty sure LA.

The next day I asked around – my roommate, the guy at the donut shop, the mailman. Nothing conclusive.

This morning I ran into Emily, from Connecticut, wearing a Tom Petty tour shirt, waiting for the bus outside my apartment.

“Where’s he from, anyway?”

“Gainesville,” she said. “Florida.” A confident smile.

I asked her, “What’re you doing next Tuesday?”

Sheila, The Queen of Diamonds

As soon as Sheila welcomes you into the front door, you feel stoned.

There’s a richness of detail on every wall. You become hungry for something you didn’t know existed when you pulled into the driveway minutes ago. You want to spend hours looking at each lampshade, each spot of paint, each tile on the ceiling. You see tiny and large photos of her, posing famously with dignitaries from all over. Hallways diverge and bend, and there are mirrors everywhere. You feel you should leave a trail of breadcrumbs, in case you get lost.

She sure knows how be wealthy.