Prologue

The following are a collection of lightly satirized tales; nothing out of the ordinary. Mostly, my own experiences, people I've come across, and places I've been. Everything is written from memory and, in some cases, I tried to make sense of some things. In the case of the living, and non-public figures involved, I elected not to use their full names to avoid lawsuits. This is newfangled coffee shop reading and not meant to be taken seriously.

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"The airing of one's own laundry"...

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There are 14 linked vignettes containing a handful of assorted episodes 

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• The Fog of youth 1964 - 1974
• pilgrims, dashikis, & non-recognition
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• The Wild West 1968 - 1981
• the artful car dodgers
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• A Tale of Two Schools 1978 - 1980
• irony, hoopla, & the drum as a weapon
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• Gone to the Wolves 1981 - 1982
• donuts, penitentiaries, & pocket change
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• Ol Virginia 1982 - 1994
• education & decorum from off-campus
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• Entering the Pirates Den 1988 - 1990
• a rag tag crew on a rudderless ship
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• The Poseidon Adventure 1991 - 1993
• a mere change of britches
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• Trading Paint 1994 - 2000
• tales of survival, southern racing heritage, & road rage
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• Life in the Pits 1997 - 1999
• bourbon, torque, & double agents
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• Piracy 2.0 2000 - 2001
• gunpowder & coastal bombardment as therapy
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• The Far side - Japan 2002 - present
• being a nail in the land of the hammer
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• Piracy XP 2002 - 2006
• reading the air and contemplating death at sea
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• Still in the game 1976 - present
• coming full circle

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• Life in the Pony Express 2005 - present
• a race with no finish line
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• Earning a living...
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The Fog of youth 1964 - 1974

pilgrims, dashikis, & non-recognition

Oblivious - lacking remembrance, memory, or mindful attention. Having no consciousness, knowledge, or awareness.

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The following are some brief accounts of things I wasn't really aware of until fairly recently; things such as my family's past, their struggles, intermittent triumphs, and migratory history. Like most folks, as a youngster, I was only fed bits and pieces of the world, much of which, I didn't understand; I wore the dark shades of youth.

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Continued...
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The Wild West 1968 - 1981

the artful car dodgers

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The Long Beach Arena - Long Beach, CA

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The Wild West - the Western U.S. in its frontier period (1865 - forever) characterized by roughness and lawlessness.

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Mid-70's Southern California; home of grasshopper-like oil derricks and the monthly smog alert. It was a period when Godzilla was king and Richard Pryor was still on his third marriage. This is the time, and place, where my young friends and I pushed the limits of possibilities. Our territory was defined by the Pacific and the surrounding mountains; Southern California, cradle of civilization.

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A Tale of Two Schools 1978 - 1980

irony, hoopla, & the drum as a weapon
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Irony - a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often wryly amusing as a result.

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Lakewood High School in the city of Lakewood, California, that’s where I went to high school. “Today’s Lancers, tomorrow’s leaders," that’s what the school's motto is. "Lakewood, tomorrow's city today," that’s what the city’s slogan is. Tomorrow must be a better place because they've been promoting it for well over half a century. 
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All through junior and senior high school I was bused from West Long Beach to schools on the other side of town. Those days, the schools in Southern California were racially integrated by government mandate; the method was busing. I wasn't really conscious of social issues. Like most knuckleheads, I only paid attention to what I saw and experienced firsthand. Looking back, I realize what happened. ...Ignorance was bliss.

Continued...

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Gone to the Wolves 1981 - 1982

donuts, penitentiaries, & pocket change

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Cheyney

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Raw - a natural condition; uncultivated, a person who is not trained or is without experience: dumb as a box of rocks.

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June 1981 - I'd just arrived at the Greyhound bus terminal in Chester, Pennsylvania, after enduring a ten hour bus ride from Hampton, Virginia. At the time of boarding that bus, I was five days removed from driving 2,700 miles across the country from Los Angeles. 
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It all happened faster than a Las Vegas wedding. My mother had remarried, again, and decided to resettle my younger brothers and I, again, from Southern California to her hometown in Southeastern Virginia; to me, the move felt like the plot of the Beverly Hillbillies in reverse. There'd be no Dixieland for me, thanks. I'd come to Pennsylvania for two reasons; to get out of the South and to select, and enter, a college. And this is where the next episode begins.

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Continued...

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Ol Virginia 1982 - 1994

education & decorum from off - campus

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The old furniture store 

Education - the process of facilitating learning or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, beliefs, and habits. Though offered and sold in institutional settings it can be found anywhere and is best gained through firsthand experience (no need for the middle man).

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Sophomore year - Seeking greener pastures both on the gridiron, and off, I ventured south to enroll at my parent's alma mater; then called, Hampton Institute. Though initially impressed with the school I was underwhelmed at the prospect of living in Virginia. I'd yet to recognize, or appreciate, the benefits of living in small town, USA; that would happen later, after experiencing the other side of the fence.

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Continued...

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Entering the Pirates Den 1988 - 1990

a rag tag crew on a rudderless ship.

Pirate (Privateer) - Definition - any player, or coach affiliated with Peninsula football teams that pillaged and plundered through MDFL league schedules from 1988 through the 1990 seasons. One who robs or commits illegal violence on the gridiron, at sea or on the shores of the sea. Pirate priorities: "booty, grog, mayhem, saucy wenches," etc..

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August 1988 - A year removed from graduating from college I became restless. The monotony of the day to day gave me the urge to do something more; my long running iron addiction had begun to lack the ingredient of purpose. A hobby wouldn't have sufficed; I needed a more fulfilling cause.
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I'd recently overheard some of my weight lifting buddies talking about a new football team that was supposedly starting nearby. I recall wondering, if there was a new football team who would they play against? If it wasn't the NFL, or the NCAA, what was it? Was it Pop Warner for grown men? 

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Continued...

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The Poseidon Adventure 1991 - 1993

a mere change of britches
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Evolution - the gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form.
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In 1991 evolution occurred on the Virginia Peninsula; cosmos aligned, wallets opened, and a defunct football team morphed into something else. Though seemingly new the team was just the latest chapter in a story that had begun a few years ago on a dusty field behind a local middle school.
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Continued...
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Trading Paint 1994 - 2000

tales of survival, southern racing heritage, & road rage

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Rush hour - Atlanta, Georgia
Civilized society

Trading paint - when cars contact one another while racing, a terminology commonly used in Stock car racing, a metaphor for no holds barred,  competitive, survival.

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Atlanta's skyline as seen from the north; a typical urban thoroughfare. This was my first impression...  

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Continued...
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Life in the Pits 1997 - 1999

bourbon, torque, & double agents

."Skutler" Motorsports,

  peddling speed, style, and lateral Gs

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Pit stop - a brief rest or break during a race or journey.
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It was while on extended hiatus in Southern California I realized that, just because one has a particular skill, in my case digging graves, running from animals, and peddling air, it doesn’t necessarily mean one has to make a living using it. Circumstances permitting, it's OK to search for one's calling. Sometimes you have to try a few different things before you figure everything out. ...That’s how it all started; another episode.

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Continued...
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