i'm still behind you

John W. Gardner wrote: “Self-pity is easily the most destructive of the nonpharmaceutical narcotics; it is addictive, gives momentary pleasure and separates the victim from reality.”

i never intended this blog to be collection of novelty license plate pictures with commentary, but i saw this the other day and it just made me really sad.
i don't have any other information about this person apart from this picture that i took (well, and that they shop at Bashas grocery store in Chandler) but the question it brought up in my mind was this: what kind of life are you living if you walk around with this title attached to you? i suppose we all do it in some ways. maybe we do it to shift blame, to avoid consequences, to title our scapegoat, or for justification. but in the end we could ALL label ourselves victims.

but we could also choose to label ourselves conquerors...

Chasing a STR8 Man

i either need to start carrying around a better camera or i need to get better car insurance because one of these days i'm going to crash my car trying to take pictures.
i chased this guy for a good 10 minutes down the 101 freeway and then took HIS exit (not mine) trying to get a picture of his license plate.
what would motivate a man to get a license plate that reads "IMSTR8" ?
the answer is... well, i don't know. so many theories really. none of them complimentary though.
bring it up during the next pause in conversation with someone and let me know what you find out.
~j

HEROES

we often look to our television sets and movie screens for inspiration and even permission to do the things we most want to do in life. celebrities tell us what's ok, they make it safe to take the risks we secretly harbor.
i implore you to look beyond Hollywood for inspiration.
i was reminded of this as i ran out of the Providence airport a couple months back.
THANK YOU German man without a name for showing me that it's OK to wear orange knee length overalls. You were an inspiration to me as you leaned up against that iron fence, scrolling through (no doubt) hundreds of text messages from Frauleins abroad as your cigarrette slowly turned to embers. It is no wonder that your wingman stays so close to you as he poses like a bearded Bono circa 1983.
~j

HOPE

this is precisely why i haven't made my blog 'known' just yet. it started off as an idea and i made a few posts and then, like many things in my life that i start, i kinda neglected it the past several months. well, i should say that i've neglected POSTING to it, but i haven't forgotten my vision. see, i've been collecting pictures and ideas that will now make their way onto the pages of my blog.
i just wish i could back dates some of these posts so i look more consistent in my efforts.

let me take you back a few months. i was driving with some friends going south on 48th street in Phoenix. windows down, enjoying the arizona weather. we came up to a stop light and suddenly our conversation ceased. not that we stopped talking, but we stopped HEARING each other. someone in a nearby car was BLASTING 'Master of Puppets' by Metallica. for those of you who did not grow up in the 80's go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z-hEyVQDRA
my first smiling thought was 'wow, heavy metal is not dead after all'
but when i turned to look at the audio perpetrator i smiled even more for this is what i saw:



this conservative looking 65+ year old man in his SUV smiling to himself as the windows on his car shook with power chord infused fury.
i have struggled with the concept of getting growing up and have worried that i might, one day, outgrown some of the things i love.
this gives me hope for my future.
~j