I learned early. I am six years-old on the back of my brother’s Honda Cub and we are winding through narrow Japanese dirt streets lined with vendors of all types: Household goods. Meat. Fish. Electronics (such as they were in 1960 Japan). Restaurants. Brothels. Yep, right there next to the tent that was selling frozenContinue reading “A Whole Other World”
Category Archives: Big brothers
Songwriting Class II
“When it’s too tough for you, it’s just right for me.” Words I was raised on. My big brother. He was the star high school player and I was a slow eighty-pound guard on our Pee Wee Pop Warner football team on Tachikawa Air Force Base. After school, I would head to football practice asContinue reading “Songwriting Class II”
Bullies
I never liked them and still don’t. I learned my lesson early; or you think I would have learned my lesson when I was four years old. Mom had taken my brother, sister and I to a park in East Los Angeles. My memory has been aided by other accounts, and here is evidently howContinue reading “Bullies”
Heroes
Everyone has their own set of heroes. I am like many, with sports heroes prominent in my adulation, but there has always been one constant hero throughout my life. This is a person who has always stood as a symbol of strength and responsibility to me. He has never questioned me or many of theContinue reading “Heroes”
No Complaints
When it comes to dining out, I possess a great deal of empathy for people employed in the food service industry, from the dishwasher trainee to the prissy Executive Chef; all of them. In my career, and you have heard this a thousand times before, I’m sure, but I started at the lowest of theContinue reading “No Complaints”
It’s Not What You Know
It’s who you know. No question about it. In some Middle Eastern cultures, they believe that everyone has “markers” in their life that guide, inform, and help them as they make their way through this world. I’ve had several myself; I include my big brother Ed as one, as he was very supportive of meContinue reading “It’s Not What You Know”
The Word Unspoken…
Is the word uneaten. My big brother taught me that at the tender age of 8. I have always spoken with grace and intellect, and others immediately gravitated towards me because I was confident and loquacious. Especially the shy kids. I don’t sugarcoat the fact that I was very much insulated to the whole ethnicityContinue reading “The Word Unspoken…”
New Friends
I had a great time performing for the Symphony @Centerville Nursing Home today. I was supposed to have three acts, but both were unable to help, so Maddogg did the 90-minute show and had a blast doing so. As always, I made a few new friends along the way including Norma, a lovely soul whoContinue reading “New Friends”
Legendary
Way overused. There are several strata to negotiate before the word legendary can be bandied about. Start by being good. If you are not at least good, it’s over. You are done before you start. Then you stand out because you are better than the other participants. Time is the other element you must master.Continue reading “Legendary”
Nicknames
I was sitting here enjoying a 33% THC Sativa strain and I started thinking about all the nicknames I’ve had going back as far as I can remember. The first one in memory is Markitos, which my grandma and mother used to call me when I was young. At the same time, my grandfather hadContinue reading “Nicknames”
