I’ve been sitting on this project for over a decade, marinating in equal parts fear and dread. How do I tell a story that actually engages people? And, more importantly, who the hell even wants to read or hear my story? Is my life interesting enough, or is it just another page in the endless scroll of content?
Over the years, both friends and complete strangers have told me I should share my swashbuckling stories with the world. So, here we are. Last year, in an act of both bravery and absurdity, I started carrying a vintage SONY M-427 microcassette recorder (yes, the old-school one) on my morning walks with Sihlas, my dog and therapist. I’d ramble into it, trying to piece together my life stories like a deranged detective working on a case that only makes sense at 2 a.m.
I guess you could say I’m slowly building out something that resembles a narrative. It’s a bit like my squirrel brain—darting from here to there, getting distracted, and then circling back when I remember what the hell I was talking about in the first place.
I totally get it—the struggle to focus, the battle to just sit down and start. But once I do? Boom, it’s like the creative floodgates open, and suddenly I'm all in, riding that wave of inspiration. I’ve got shoeboxes—and, let’s be real, an old army footlocker—crammed with photos, mementos, and random artifacts from my life. All these pieces of history just waiting to be rediscovered. Recently, I upgraded my high-end scanner, and it’s practically begging to come alive with action.
So, here's the deal—I’m committing to sharing more stories, offering up more insights, and giving you a front-row seat to my random life musings. To help with this, I’ve uploaded some of the audio recordings from my morning walks with Sihlas. Back then, I'd bring my vintage SONY M-427 micro cassette-corder, just rambling about memories, and later, I’d run the audio through some dictation software to get it down in text. It’s messy, but hey, it’s a start, right?
More stories, more pondering, more life. Let’s see where this goes.
Here is one about my friend G.
Most times, when I’m staring at a blank screen with zero inspiration, I’ll crack open those old dictations from my walks. Reading them is like a spark—something in my brain clicks, and suddenly I know where I want to go with the story, even if it’s wild or unexpected. Like that one post where I dove into my experience with LSD.
Sometimes, the dictations are just enough to jumpstart my brain. Other times, they take me down a whole different path, one I didn’t even see coming. That’s the beauty of it. Whether it’s recounting an old trip (in both the literal and psychedelic sense) or just rambling through a slice of life, those audio notes are a bit of a lifeline when the creative engine stalls.
So, yeah, if it’s aligned with the rest of the blog, or not, who cares? It’s all part of the ride.
As I sift through the ramblings from those old recordings, I’m reminded of just how bizarre and eclectic my work history has been. I mean, how many people can say they've been a preschool teacher and a sushi chef? Toss in librarian, steel glass artist for churches, and barista, and I sound like a walking career fair from an alternate universe. My resume is the stuff of mad libs—a hodgepodge of random gigs that somehow make sense in hindsight. At least to me.
Each job has its own unique flavor and set of life lessons, like learning patience from both three-year-olds and caffeine-deprived adults (spoiler: not that different) or discovering the art of precision glass cutting and rolling sushi. That’s a real skill set mash-up, right? Who knew the same steady hand required to slice raw fish would also serve me well wrangling toddlers or cataloging books?
I dug up the audio of me reflecting on all these jobs, and it's interesting how different the original dictations sound from where my brain goes when I sit down to write it out. All those odd jobs add up to something, like scattered puzzle pieces that somehow, over time, form a cohesive picture... even if it’s a bit wobbly around the edges.
I hope this whole project is keeping you entertained, but if not, maybe you’ve got some storytelling tricks up your sleeve that I could try. It’s going to be quite the marathon, and we’ve only just scratched the surface with the Santa Barbara chapter. Tokyo is next on the itinerary, and things are about to get even weirder (in the best way, of course).
The weather here is unreal—high 70s, a breeze that’s just shy of perfect, and enough sunshine to keep things cheerful. Sihlas and I are gearing up for some afternoon pheasant hunting, which in reality is just a fancy way of saying, “we’re going hiking with a 12-gauge.” I’m pretty sure all the birds have already been picked off by the retirees who flocked to the field the second the DNR truck dropped the birds. But hey, it’s the thought that counts, right?
Love & Light;
MM
QT and I went down to the big city CHITOWN to see Hania this last Tuesday. It was amazing. I got turned on to her through the algorithm about 5 years ago. It was an amazing show.
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