Click images for desktop size: "That Special Place" by Cassie Gentry I know a lot of people, I guess. I like people. It keeps me balanced, leads to different sorts of mistakes.
I like a lot of different people, a lot of them people most others can't understand why or how I could possibly like them.
I had a friend, once. (Not the "Naked Spur" once, the "once upon a time" once).
He was a crazy kind of guy. I met him on a TV set when I was AD'ing. He was a government grifter guy. The one's production crews have to take on in order to shoot on public streets. They have no real function other than to take a large fee, part of which gets kicked back. Sometimes they get in the way pretending they really have some specific job but most of the time they just flirt with the actors and extras. They eat a lot of the donuts and food.
I don't remember why he started talking to me. He did.
After a while he'd start meeting me for breakfast. You know the general actor and tech's ritual and primo meeting.
He was an amusing guy and grabbed the check often enough.
He had a job with the State. He coordinated some sort of functions at the State Fair. It was a political job. Payed high 5 figures and required he work about 200 hours a year.
He also got some perks, a State car with State plates so he could park anywhere, flout a lot of minor traffic laws, get free gas. He had a 90% pension. His job was so minor but so entrenched that he survived every political change of power.
His big problem was filling up his days. He could go into his office but it bored him, so he took jobs on movie and TV sets. When he started hanging out with us he got himself an agent and got some print work. It was important to him, I don't think it was sudden. I think recognition was an over powering need in him.
He never figured out that he had beaten the system.
Click images for desktop size: "Sinner" by Top He wasn't locked into a 9-5 lifestyle. He didn't have to show up everyday until he died. He'd won but never figured out that he was a winner in the capitalistic life.
He cheated heavily on his wife. He went through a string of minor celebrity types and actresses. Maybe it was just boredom. He did though. He used to bring in and show us polaroids of the best looking ones. Like he had over 30 of a regional beauty queen. (That sort of minor celebrity).
We always looked at them. Even disapprovingly. I mean, we were guys and this was pix of naked women. So even if some of us thought it was disgusting we still always looked. The more excited he was to show them off the more we looked.
He was a pretty nasty racist. He complained at length about having to hire blacks because he worked for the states and even he was above the discrimination laws.
I was never certain whether he was just a pure racist or just seriously resented not being completely above the law.
He was the sort of guy who could hate an entire race because they reminded him was an imperfect god.
With my pedantic sophistic morality you'd think I'd have pretty good cause to scorn this sort of guy. But I liked him even when I disapproved of him.
Part of it was the fact we're all human and just from that we have something always in common. And we are all something more than the total of our actions and beliefs.
He listened to people. For someone as self centered as he was it was surprising. He tried to help others. Not in general but specifically. Like if some guy was complaining about not finding movie work and facing foreclosure or similar he'd try and find them a temp job that would get them over the hump.
He did it reflexively and never with a sense of largesse. He liked making his friends happy.
He was a funny looking guy. Until you stood next to him you'd never realize he was 6'2". Even close up he looked like a squat fireplug. He played football in college but admitted he wasn't disciplined enough or interested enough in education to play in college.
He was still a student of the game. He understood the mechanics of it clearly and grasped the strategy and fundamentals. He once tried to help me coach but he had no patience with the kids not doing what was in his head immediately. He never took it out on the kids and tried to seem patient. He wasn't and had the courage to admit it to me and quit.
It seemed like it was a failure in himself that he struggled to recognize in himself. He didn't accept much in the way of failures in himself.
I couldn't have done it. I admired that sort of guts and self awareness.
He didn't stay away from us either, avoid the team.
Click images for desktop size: "Anime" by Mota He used his contacts to get us equipment he saw we needed, got it donated with no strings attached.
But what I think I liked about him the most was that whenever he saw my dogs he would always pull out a plastic bag full of steak scraps. And even after 12 years he always asked if it was ok to give them his treat.
I always wondered why he always had a baggie of fresh looking steak scraps in his pocket. Did he eat that much steak? Did he keep them for any dog he might run into or did he replenish the bag each night in case we ran into each other?
I never asked.
He passed away last week. Heart failure, following a quadruple bypass.
He was part of my past. He shows that every person out there has something in them. something that can help make your world a little bit better. It doesn't mean they don't bring a whole load of aggravation and annoyance with them, but I like people.

Feeling marginally better. Yesterday I discovered I can whistle again, so I'm getting some feeling back in the right side of my face. I still dribble when I eat or drink anything. I can close my right eye and keep it closed while I sleep. Its still not seeing as well as I'd like, but then it never has.
Feeling a touch ill at ease about it but I'm used to this feeling.
Today's plan is yard work. Going back to face the stack of mulchy leaves that bit me (that I still think triggered this Bell's Palsy attack, for no other reason than I want to believe that.
The dogs love it when I work outside. They take a passionate delight in impeding any real progress. I delight in their delight.