Late at night I watched the tube, and while my eyes were fairly glued
At the economic graphs and stats they’d all excitedly report
I resolved to flip the channels in a search for greater annals
That made sense of all the tales that flew by rather short.
When they got us to the trillions for the banking world’s support
“What’s it mean?” I did exhort.
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The musings of someone who picked it up on the streets.
Troubleshooting
The usually reliable Escort Wagon was dead. The starter motor cranked, but nothing happened. Being stranded with my young son might have seemed like a small nightmare, but it was one of the best moments we ever had. I told him, “There are only three possibilities – fuel, air or spark.” I showed him how the air cleaner was clear, and whiffed the gasoline that came out of the tailpipe unburned from the cranking. Leaving only spark, I fiddled with the ignition wires until I found the main distributor lead had come off. A few seconds later, the car roared to life and we were set to go.
SPQR
As someone who likes to look for historical parallels, it’s only natural that I’d have the rash break out that I get every few years or so; a burning desire to read up a bit more on ancient Rome. No, it’s not that I think our own nation is about to fall as Rome did – far from it. What’s far more interesting to me are the times when Rome was right on the verge of terrible disaster but somehow managed to pull back – to start the games and the parties all over again. It’s that resiliency, carrying on despite having several unquestionably mad Emperors, that I find interesting.
Coffee
I know I’m haunting the coffee shop a little bit too much when the perky staff turns to me once every counter has been left slightly damp by a casually passed cloth. “So what do you do?” comes easily, because in our world people are defined by their job. “I’m a writer,” I tell them, casually letting it fall around what I really am as a person. “Oh,” comes the response, as if to say, “Duh!” Dunn Brothers Coffee on West Seventh is one of those places where people who need a step back from their life sit in the middle of it all – a good place for writers.
Two Years On
It was a dark and stormy night …
That’s how I started writing Barataria two years ago today. Like many of my small acts of humility, the reference to Bulwer-Litton was simple and funny and ultimately unnoticed by many of my readers. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my 43 years of life, it’s that I usually require a little more explanation than I am willing to give. Please forgive my indulgence as I look back at what I was trying to accomplish with this blog over the last two years and what has actually gone down.
Barataria - The work of Erik Hare 