He's A Writer

There's a line from Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses by U2 that goes:

"Well you lied to me 'cause I asked you to." I heard that yesterday and BOOM -  my mind went directly, instantaneously, to the the followng thought/memory:

I have a good friend - Rich G - who when he introduced me to people would say - "This is my friend Joe. He's a writer."

Insane (especially in my case) how the mind works. I could not believe how quickly my brain went there - I have neither seen nor spoken to Rich for years.

He knew writing is my passion and he was a dedicated reader of my blog (I'm sure he has moved on to The National Enquirer by now).

It was a little embarrassing at times because occasionally people would ask "What do you write?" When I replied "Nothing" it would tend to put an end to the conversation.

I appreciated the fact that Rich did that - I liked the way it made me feel. I am a writer in my soul, and it is what I should have done for a living.

When I heard that lyric yesterday I wondered if I put that vibe out there, if I subconsciously influenced him. Lie to me - tell me I'm a writer, even though I have done fuck all with my talent (love British expressions).

Or maybe he was sensitive to my soul and did it to encourage me, or put me on the spot and make me think about what I should have recognized intuitively - that the mark I should leave on this planet is my words - and not just in a blog. Maybe that was his way of recognizing my essence.

Me and Rich have both worked for the NH Liquor Commission, a group of thugs and thieves. I wrote a rant in here (actually many) about them and I used a line that Rich appreciated.

I said they were no different than gangsters during prohibition except for the fact the liquor commission guys wore cheaper suits.

He loved that line. So do I.

I don't know why my mind went there so quickly. Cosmic things have been happening to me for months now and I am thinking my brain is saying "Wake the fuck up - you are a writer. Do something about that because you are also 67 years old and dealing with prostate cancer. The unpredictability of the universe has been revealed to you in the starkest of terms. Look in the mirror. Look at Carol. WAKE UP!"

I have been feeling a push lately. I feel good physically and mentally about what I am doing for myself, and I am thinking if I can do that, I can reach for more.

Stay tuned.