Dear Friends, Ubus, Family & Accidental Visitors,

We all got here from there.
It all builds on the previous. (the Time Thing)
You've always had friends, relatives, teachers, etc. who were contributors to your path, who influenced you & your decisions.

Some mysteriously, you were very close to, and as life progresses to a point where we can see some of the bigger, longer cycles, you see these folks were crucial elements to your "turning points" where you made decisions that impacted the directions of the rest of your life.

Probably the dearest friends we ever have are those of our adolescence. We "come of age" - begin to awaken to our adult selves somewhere about this time along the route and something in us knows we are working this "life" thing out.

Apparently - the stuff we do as teens is completely formative of the personal essence we are kind of conscious of and claim as our own personality.

Our special friends do this for and with us - and we for them. There's some barely perceivable overarching cosmic Life Energy directing all of this - I think a portion of its self-contained but also ironically, common to all.

I was one of three fatherless boys that found each other. (More on that later) I also had some profoundly kind acquaintances who welcomed me into their families.

A few doors from my East Coast Florida home in my teens was a dear friend.
He was an only child with both parents.

His folks were smart and kind and artistic. His dad was an avid singer with a grand basso and mom was an advanced soul - exceptionally sparkly in the eye, who read more science fiction than I did (a lot) and reportedly slept in lotus position. She also made some of the best spaghetti sauce (w pork) in my life.

My friend and I met when I was 10 or so (half a century ago already) at a community picnic function in the housing park where my grandfather lived. I was visiting and got dragged to the event.

It was a summery scene on the lake, red & white checkered picnic tablecloths fluttering but not blowing away, held down by beige with colored stripes ceramic bowls of potato salad & Cole slaw and the only clear memory left to me these days was that I was paired with this chubby kid for the sack race.

My new partner was a planner, he confidently suggested to me that we start with our "common" leg forward and then take matching outside strides.

Engaging our tactic, we won the contest easily with a field of failed 3 leggers littering the track behind us. I’ve often thought of any cosmic significance of that meeting & the planning of the race.

I used to take refuge from my crazy household with my friend & his family. I loved going a few doors down the street to his home and listening to records (45rpm) and reading his comic book collection.

The bottom drawer of my pal's dresser was filled to the top with excellent comics - 2 kinds - Carl Barks' Walt Disney's Comics & Stories & Uncle Scrooge (D Duck & family) on the right side and an even pile on the left of "Challengers of the Unknown" (fantastic covers). Great reading on both sides. (I still have a bunch of antique Disney Comics.)

My friend was a few years ahead of me in school - and at that tender age a few years is a chasm. Yet he stayed a faithful pal despite peer criticism.

When he learned to drive he would often take me along. One day we rode up to Cocoa Beach and bought our 1st surfboards together and would often go ride the waves.

Occasionally he would visit a girlfriend and I would be with little sister.

A year or so later he taught me to drive - a 54 (I think) green Chevy with a 3 speed manual transmission on the column (I know). I learned to shift smoothly on some short shady roads that had been laid out before the houses were built for a beach side subdivision, right across the street from a girl I was sweet on. Good memories.


"They" built a bridge across the Indian River at that site and the area became very busy But before that I fondly remember sitting on the pilings that would eventually support the east side of the bridge with my sweetheart (I was about 14) and watching the sunset.

The other two fatherless boys and I eventually formed a band. Seemed the thing to do in those days and both the other guys were phenomenally talented musicians - it all came pretty easy to them.

It all came with effort and difficulty to me but I loved it and still do and I'm still playing regularly after 50 years of it. (Finally figured out some things). I have some great "War Stories" from the music experiences - I'll tell a few soon.

Anyhow, the point of this ramble is - I'm pretty happy now and pretty lucky to have survived what came at me and none of this success was entirely my own doing.

I totally thank, love and honor all my influential acquaintances - I bless their existence and thank the powers that be for this realization.

It doesn't stop - it's an on-going thing for all of us.
Thank You all so very much - then and now.

Big Love to All!!