1) My father was a falling-down drunk who quit drinking when I was three months old (so I was told), and he never touched a drop of alcohol after that, even though he spent years working as a bartender.
2) My mother was a registered nurse all of her working life. She once told me that she always tried to make sure that none of her patients ever died alone. She died alone in a nursing home, about eight hours after I visited with her.
3) I am a fourth-generation Oregonian. (There are only two places in the world -- Oregon and Not-Oregon.)
4) I lived in communes for six years.
5) I hitchhiked across the country twice; I saw my first firefly while camped out next to a freeway in Arkansas.
6) I have killed crab and gutted salmon in canneries on Kodiak Island, Alaska.
7) I play flamenco guitar at the amateur level.
8) I have a friend I've known for 46 years, who is also an OS member.
9) I love religion, but don't believe.
10) Dogs like me a lot, and most people like me somewhat. I like dogs a lot, and most people somewhat.
11) I have never met anyone famous.
12) I have a vast amount of family history material, and no children to pass it on to.
13) I keep a journal in which I rehash the same questions over and over again, never making any progress.
14) I have read the unabridged Les Miserables twice, which I love, and Moby Dick once, which I hated.
15) The daughter of some close friends died in Africa while working in the Peace Corps several years ago, and I still think about her every day.
16) One of my friends is a Salvadoran refugee who fled to the U.S. after both of his parents were murdered by the Salvadoran military. His mother's body was badly mutiliated, and his father's body was never found. For years he didn't know why they were killed, but discovered a few years ago that they were involved with labor unions.
17) I speak conversational Spanish, some German, and a few phrases of Korean, Japanese, Amharic, Russian, Romanian, Laotian, Vietnamese, Mien, Turkish, Chinese, Latin, Hebrew, and Arabic.
18) I have never been outside of the United States, except for brief trips to Canada and Mexico.
19) I can remember the Quadratic Formula, but can't remember to take out the trash on Tuesday.
20) I am extremely allergic to goat's milk, but not to cheese made from goat's milk.
21) I am extremely interested in process improvement, but often end up working for people who aren't.
22) I love to hear young people talk about their educational and career plans.
23) I feel sad most of the time, but am not depressed.
24) I always leave a nice tip in restaurants, even if the service or food aren't good.
25) I am constantly amazed by how much I don't know, and never will know. I am occasionally mistaken.
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Comments
Wonderful post. Yes, Oregon and not-Oregon: Politics, climate, land and rain. Perfect.
Your mom. She knew that one obligation of simple humanity and yet did it alone herself. Was always grateful for the doctor (Ironsides from Portland) who sat with our dad and saw him out. At least you saw her on the last day.
Really like you, Mishima. So agree with so many things you hold well.
I guess I would say that about myself as well - I love the aesthetics of religious culture. My dining room walls are covered with art from various religions. I would consider myself closest to Buddhism - because Buddhism can easily be followed without any religious faith or conviction whatsoever. I like that.
Rated!
what was that like? I've always been sort of curious about the reality of them.
I was thinking about Moby Dick the other day because our teacher only made us read the action portions, not the descriptions of the whales. At my age, I might like to remember more about the whales...
Love this post!
rahul
o'stephanie: "At least you saw her on the last day."
She lived with me for five years before she died. In the final weeks we played a lot of cribbage. Unfortunately, I won most of the games. But she would have been mad at me if I had let up on her.
artsfish: "I love the aesthetics of religious culture."
There are things that are true in religion, even if they aren't true in a literal or factual sense. I'm a big fan of sacred music, and I love religious icons.
hyblaean: "what was that like? [communes]"
Wow, that's going to have to be the topic of a separate post!
lainey: "No. 8? Like, Who?"
I believe the gentleman is writing his 25 even as we speak, and he may choose to reveal himself.
J L Davis: "Ashland Oregon."
Absolutely. I love just walking around there.
lalucas: "You have always struck me as a man with a broad range of experiences from which you have taken much and turned into wisdom."
You are too kind. I guess part of the reason I keep a journal is to try to make some sense of that experience.
odetteroulette: "I too do not like Moby Dick."
If you took out all the stuff about ropes and tar and harpoons you'd end up with a reasonably good short story. It took me six months to get through it, and it was not a labor of love.
idahospud44: "I hitched cross country but only once."
Hell of an experience, huh? I wouldn't do it now, but times were different back then.
Rob St. Amant: "You are the most mysterious of my OS friends, mishima."
There is a fine line between mystery and weirdness, and I fear that I may actually be in the latter category rather than the former. But at least I'm relatively harmless.
I tip well, always. I hate Moby Dick, thank you very much.
I am intrigued by #4 as well.
One of my favorite people in this world is a refugee from El Salvador. Her husband, father, and two brothers were all executed by the military there for being educators. She WALKED to Los Angeles where we met in 1989.
Thank you for this glimpse into your mind and heart. Much appreciated.
I'm a sixth-generation Oregonian...welcome to the state!!! Glad you like it here! Totally up with #3!
Nice post :)
#23 - what are you sad about?
Loved this entire post. I look forward to your description of commune life.
Cribbage was a sacrament in our family. Great she was able to play. And, of course, she wouldn't have expected you to throw her a five in the crib.
Also hated Moby Dick. Joseph Conrad is my man for a great sea story.
p.s. for the camping, you must bring the guitar
D.
#23 - I wonder. I lived in Oregon for a short time after vacationing there many times. Living there I met nice people best described as "as gray as the weather." Had to come back to the sunshine of Colorado.
rated
Cool! email me the link so I don't miss it :)
One of the best things I have read so far on OS. Original, personal, authentic, doesn't try to hard. Unpretentious.
While many are Good, [(13) I keep a journal in which I rehash the same questions over and over again, never making any progress.]
for some reason -- perhaps the prose-poem timing of them, at the end -- these two spoke to me:
"23) I feel sad most of the time, but am not depressed.
24) I always leave a nice tip in restaurants, even if the service or food aren't good."
Me, too, for both.
Right on brother. Dogs have taken the lead somewhat as of late...
rated
G
Re: your mother, I too, think she chose when to die, and she chose not to put you through witnessing it. Witnessing can be a gift and/or a curse.
Oregon: yep. I like that, too. But I'm a newbie (15 years ago) - no, not from California.
Moby Dick: Have you read "Ahab's Wife"? It's narrated by the title character and told with much more sensitivity and, I think, reality than Moby Dick. Moby Dick is brilliant, but it does not speak to my experiences - "Ahab's Wife" did, powerfully. Author: Sena Jeter Naslund.
Sadness is a rational response to what one sees in the world.
And finally: the quadratic formula! Amen!
Funky mingered.
I can easily understand why dogs like you, but am puzzled as to how people could not. To each his own, I guess.
Thumbed. Man Of Mystery or Man In Motion, you're a fine fellow.
Monte
"Sad....but not depressed.".....there are worlds in that statement, Sir.
Nice to know you mishima. :)
Rated for fireflies!
This.
I also find religion fascinating, thought I think most of it is culture, myth and tradition-which is what is interesting about it.