Ex-merchant marine turned act-tor

19 05 2008

Dave, a burly, bearded man with a feminine side, sidled up to me at the British Pub in Ashland, OR. He had just moved from Wenatchee, WA to pursue his dream.

As a merchant marine, he traveled the world 10 times over. He said he had been to NYC’s harbor but never set foot on its soil. Sailing the 7 seas, he sang show tunes every nautical mile. Sometimes he had to defend his voice, his singing from some unappreciative mates. A grinned dawned his face as he told me the shock of those sailors who told him to shut-up or else and he kept singing. He kept singing that is he took a measure or two to open a can of major whop ass. Then back to his chorus. It was his fellow sailors who told him to live that dream.

I had the fortunate encounter to be with him on the eve of his first day back at school in 25 years. He was giddy with excitement and scared as hell. Tomorrow was that next step to chasing that dream of acting and someday singing on stage and someday Broadway.

Chris





A girl named Sue

19 05 2008

She escaped from Madison Ave. to a ranch in Jacksonville, OR by way of Tennessee. She needed to be more in touch with her food- her cows, her chickens, her potatoes. She butchers by herself in the kosher way. (From her words)

Oh, she has a dream. Down a dirt road from her homestead is an old rickety inn. The rooms large enough only for twins beds and wash tub. The one bathroom is shared by all. She desires making this inn a “roughing-it” holiday for the affluent circa 1800s, Rockefeller, Morgan, and Carnegie class.

Guest will take stage coach rides to remote bluffs; dine on linen covered tables complete with fine china, crystal wine glasses and perfectly cooked steak from the fire just feet away. Her Wild West experience would provide hold-ups buy outlaws and trades with the local natives for passage. From her vision, I need not imagine, it was right before my eyes.

Sue is girl who right in the middle of living that dream.

Chris

5/7/08





Woman at the airport

12 03 2008

Lady and her daughter visit a brother/son