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The Vagaries and the Magic of Life

It was kind of a rotten week for me.  I just finished my 1st full week of babysitting Norah which is, like the title to this post, both good and bad.  For the past 10 months I have been taking care of her on a M-W-F schedule that allows me to rest up between bouts.  It is both fun and scary at the same time.  Fun in that she is a real hoot and we have some great times.  Bad in that 10 hour days of taking care of her is a tough job for a basically lazy person like me.

To further exacerbate things I have been grumpy and had a difficult time hiding it.  If that wasn't enough I found a perfectly good dog this week, Touche, but through lack of fortitude, guts or because it is less than favorable time, I passed on her.  Now I have to shut my mouth about wanting one and stop being the boy who cried "wolf", or rather, "dog".  Like I said, tough day.  I don't much like myself when I am angry towards those I love, and then when I have an opportunity to enhance my emotional coffers, I walk away.

I was alone this Friday, and, as shy as I am, alone-ness scares me.  So I hopped on my bike in my shorts and no helmet and I went across town to get some gas.  I also broke my cardinal rule of never leaving home without a camera.  I did tonight.  No camera or phone.  The kid I talk about later would probably have appreciated a picture of his first catch.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Nice night, and the ride did me some good.  Sun is setting and its cooler now.  Light traffic and just dang pleasant to be riding.  I went over to Pasadena to gas up and then pulled around and retraced my route.  On the way back I swung over to Gulfport and decided to walk the Pier.

I haven't been back to Gulfport since the Tropical Storm Debby and a walk on their Pier is always worthwhile.  The roads were now bone dry and the waters have receded.  The band was cranked at O-Maddy's (Tim and Carrie from BFE have been there) and there were a smattering of people on the long walkway, some were fishing.

Over in the short distance was a boat I read about in the paper this week.  During Debby (the video I took is at the bottom and you can see the boat) the owner, Captain Jack and his dog Dreamer, of this one-masted boat threw out 4 anchors and stayed aboard to weather the storm.   Unfortunately it broke away from all 4 anchors and today sits beached in about 3 or 4 feet of sand, with a slight list.  The paper said the City of Gulfport is fining him $93 a day until he removes it from the beach area.  Problem is, Captain Jack doesn't have the money and it will take about $5000 to $8000 to get a barge with a crane.  He tried to have it towed out, and then he found some friends and they tried digging it out.  All attempts have been unsuccessful.  The City said they will set a date and if it isn't out of there, then they will break it up and send the boat to the landfill.  Captain Jack hasn't the funds and doesn't have insurance.  It is also his home.  All he has is that boat.

Now walking out toward the end of the Pier, I hear a father tell his son, that he has just caught a ray.  As I approach the father tells me this is his son's first time fishing and he has, indeed caught a ray.  They haul it up, giving each other high fives, and I congratulate the kid.  He is polite and says thanks.  They take the hook out and toss it back into the Gulf.

Within seconds of spotting the boat and hearing the newest fisherman, I thought how amazing the life stories.  Everyone is, in some fashion, impacting the world and those they are with.  How will you impact it today?  Tomorrow?   The world gives you its space, an empty slate, tabala rasa, and you make your mark, good or ill, or both.  Captain Jack is about to give up his space to sheer bad luck, no insurance and a tropical storm.  That kid is going to take some space and plant himself on it with a good story that will last lifetime.  All that in a short walk of about 40 feet.


“And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker..."


T.S. Eliot



This was a video I took during Debby.  At the first on the far right you will see O'Maddy's and then the long Gulfport pier.  I then scan to the boats and focus on Captain Jack's boat that will, in the course of time break all of its anchors and become beached.

I walked this pier last night and reflected on Captain Jack and the kid who catches a ray.

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