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| How much to go to the top? |
It could have been worse. "I'm a soul man ! da da da da da" was an option for the day's song worm. It popped into my head as the tall dark handsome-ish man with thick dreads down his back passed by on his way to the park this morning. I couldn't get past the da da da da da so it quickly and quietly floated to hibernation mode in the back of my brain.
Do you know the way to San Jose? I'm going back to find some peace of mind in San Jose.
"Are you from here?" - Please just ask your question. "Do you know where they have the goats?" Sufficiently prepared for this new question, I point them in the direction of the Pine Street Hillclimb. The goats are being used in lieu of a lawn mower on the steep hill. Seems a sensible use of goats. My word of the day: ruminant.
LA is a great big freeway. Put a hundred down and buy a car. In a week maybe two they'll make you a star.
"Do you know of a good place to eat?" I admire my daughters response to this ongoing question. With a graceful wave of her hand she says politely but firmly "The restaurants are out in that area. So many choices." She's been working with us at shows and markets for 15 years and has grown in to a beautiful "no-nonsense" kind of woman. I have always been someone of way too many words and responsibility for pointing people in the right direction based on their answer to my refining question "What kind of food are you looking for?"
Weeks turn into years how quick they pass. And all the stars that never were they're parking cars and pumping gas.
There is a bench 10 feet from my booth. People sit facing me but rarely see me. It gives me an opportunity to watch and listen to fragments of lives as they unfold. A favorite bench activity is for visitors to pull out treasures that they've purchased and share their finds with friends and family. Today's "bench delite" was watching a young Chinese family putting brightly colored Pike Place Market aprons on their two little girls then posing them standing on the bench and taking their pictures. Sweet and giggling, the girls accommodated by holding their poses long enough for both parents and grandparents to get their shots.
Do you know the way to San Jose? They've got a lot of space, there'll be a place where I can stay.
My customers often ask if they can take a picture with me and the art work. I ask them to send a copy to me. I have an aversion to having my picture taken because, let's just say that, I have not found my "best side". As I've never received any of these pictures I am thinking that they are all too hideous to share.
I was born and raised in San Jose. I'm going back to find some peace of mind in San Jose.
"Do you know how much it costs to go up on to those viewing platforms?" My brain zaps. - Excuse me? "My friend has told me that those structures across the street in the park are viewing platforms and I'm wondering if you know how much it costs to go up and take a look at the view?". - Oh... Well...those are totem poles and the scaffolding around them is so that the people can do renovation and clean up work on them.
The stories that people come up with never fail to surprise me.
"Do you know where they kill the fish?" - Just continue down into the market. Sometimes it's not worth making a comment to help them make sense of what nonsense has just been asked.
Fame and fortune is a magnet. It can pull you far away from home. With a dream in your heart you're never alone.
"Do you know what this symbol is?" Pointing to one of our art tiles he continues - "I have this as a tattoo and just wanted to make sure that I got it right." - Boy are you ever lucky that it's an aum. Ancient Sanskrit syllable. Basically a focal point for meditation. My friends don't believe me when I tell them that I actually get this question a couple of times each season.
I'm a sooooul man. da da da da da. I'm a soooooooul ma-an. da da da da da, DA!
Uh oh. He's back.
"Do you know where they kill the fish?" - Just continue down into the market. Sometimes it's not worth making a comment to help them make sense of what nonsense has just been asked.
Fame and fortune is a magnet. It can pull you far away from home. With a dream in your heart you're never alone.
"Do you know what this symbol is?" Pointing to one of our art tiles he continues - "I have this as a tattoo and just wanted to make sure that I got it right." - Boy are you ever lucky that it's an aum. Ancient Sanskrit syllable. Basically a focal point for meditation. My friends don't believe me when I tell them that I actually get this question a couple of times each season.
I'm a sooooul man. da da da da da. I'm a soooooooul ma-an. da da da da da, DA!
Uh oh. He's back.
