”

“Traveling! I’m always looking for something new. Landscape that I have never seen. Music that I have never heard. People who I have never met. Life is traveling. I was born in small island on Japan. When I was a child, I knew my only neighborhood but I searched something on the earth in the sky. I found the nature’s breathing. When I was 18. I moved to Fukuoka then I lived in Osaka, Tokyo. I traveled to Alaska, Seattle, Boston, New Orleans, and now I am in Pennsylvania. World is large global. Intercontinental. Make friends all over the world. Find something… Everywhere, I am alone at first time but talk with someone. My travel continue…. –M. O. 8/13/05

“A friend of mine picked up 2 girls on the board walk. 1 of them was talking to a guy and they all came back to our shore house. The guy ended up being a cop. We underage drank w/ him all night and at like 3 a.m. he brought us back a free 30 pack of sliders from white house… From a cop. That shit was better than having kids. – S.”

“The birth of my first child. Had a major impact on my life. How couldn’t have. The introduction to a new planet. The brightness of his eyes looking wandering pondering. What’s going on? Where am I? What are these things around me?
I connected deeply within my soul. It brought me back to my inner child.
If we all saw what kids saw the world would be a better place. You heard?!
-S. 8/9/05”

“Dear Memoirs, It must have been 6 years ago now. I felt wonderful at the time. It was the best decision I could make, boy was I wrong. -R. G. P.S. In the end, I should have kept the dick.”

“I won’t lie, this is a difficult subject to pindown, many things have impacted me in many ways, directly and indirectly, that I am sure of. These things include the following; learning to walk, to talk, to speak, as well as my discovery of the ‘finer things in life’, certain drugs, certain drinks, and unfortunately nicotine, and awareness of self in various stages, toddler to teenager, and the open door law policy of hitting 18, 21 (and sooner or later 40 for my mid-life crisis, can’t wait). If there was people to impact me, in a cliché way, I’d say, everyone I have ever met. I like the belief that everyone you meet has some sort of “path intake”, in other words an impact. From a stranger holding a door open, to a lover riding me right, everyone you meet should be able to learn/live directly out of you, and vice that versa. To narrow it down Mr. Farley my fourth grade teacher, even at that age he taught me to look at life outside of cookie cutter standard box tombstone thinking. Both sides of the coin kind of bullshit, and it has always worked to my advantage. To specify a thing, it would have to be music, music my savior, my muse, my band and lament. There’s too much to say how much music impacts me, that should tell you in a very non exciting way how much it draws me in, digests me, and dictates my mood and sway. Without it I would not know how to sustain, for lack of a better term, I could not live without it. For a place, I wish I was comfortable enough to say, wherever I am at the time, but all that comes to mind right now, and it may sound cheesy, but the only physical stretch of land to impact me was the Vietnam memorial in D.C., though I was not born then and only know second hand stories, and second person losses, I was so moved to break down in front of so many names. The somber tone alone of the black marble and various trinkets flowers, laid there before it. So many questions, how did this happen, at what cost, war what is it good for and all that shit. Anywho, I’ve gone on long enough, hope someone can take something from all this however Mr. Pevar puts it together, good luck and thanks for the opportunity to share, very rare indeed. Thanks – S. M.”

“A horse once kicked me square in the groin. Impact. Absolute. –M.”

“So, about 10 months ago, my mom passed away in a nursing home that’s right down the street from here. Not that it’s easy to see at any age, but she wasn’t in the demographic that the others at the home were. She was 45. And I was 21. Being 21 at this college means trashed nights and blurry classes. Hazy, but crazy memories, and hours at bars and with friends. Not nights in the ER and hours spent trying to calm a mother who knew she was dying. I lived w/ her when she collapsed, just north of campus. I gained a roommate to pay for rend, worked two jobs, and somehow aced my classes. I also ‘somehow’ stayed alive. I ended up becoming a machine of sorts – but, eventually, it was in the best way imaginable. I didn’t take shit from anyone, I spoke up, I talked back. Priorities become undoubtedly clear in a state like that. I was free to be my true self because I had to be; it was the mechanical process of denying anything but what I deserved that ended up saving me in the end. Was it easy? Saying ‘not in the least’, doesn’t even describe it. It is still an ‘easy yes, no’ determination of what I want/will tolerate? Not at all. It’s only been 10 months. I watched her die for a year & a half. It’s only just begun. For that I’m thankful. I get to learn that much more while I’m here. If this is what I’m getting at 22, and I’ve made it this far, so be it. The more I learn this time, hopefully the next time I’ll get it just a bit easier. Because, really you only really should get it easier next time if you grow in this one. Hopefully I will grow. She changed my life, and I’ll be smart enough to make it to her level one day. Until then… -A. S. W.”

“Something that has impacted my life was the death of my close friend Crystal. She was 15 years old, it was Thursday night & she was out with her boyfriend & friends for a joyride but she was also high. In an abandoned parking lot they let her drive. She ran into a pole and out of 6 people my best friend Crystal is the only one that died that night. I’d known Crystal for 3 years & all of those years she was against drugs more than anyone I’d known. She must have been ‘experimenting’ but that experiment killed my best friend, and made me realize how serious experimenting was. –S. L.”

“Here is my night sitting
at the bar, my mind just
visible over the chatter shouting
inside the music playing.
She’s singing blues and
Protecting her space.
Let’s all be more real
And raw like this tune, here
Inside American blues fumbling
Against the smoke & television
Screen. -L. G.”