I used to be a student. After college I was a teacher. That just left me confused because, as cliche as it is to say, I felt like I spent most of my student days telling people what was going on, and learned the most and the fastest, from a group of 32 third-graders.

I spent the next few years after that doing the oddest jobs I could find but often felt like I was the most normal person I knew.

I probably wasn’t right, but I certainly wasn’t wrong.

I like to read but I don’t have time.

I hate work-work but I gotta put food on the table.

I do hear the music so I don’t think the dancers mad. And for me, it’s not over when the fat lady sings, because the song is why I came out in the first place.

***

My iPod hangs from around my neck. It is there every time I leave my apartment.

When I walk down the New York streets that I love, and see them lined with tall buildings, populated with taxis, the city sounds like Radiohead, Dylan… Rocket Summer.

At night the east village has an ambiance of distant talking, and forks clinking on plates behind Sigur Ros, Griffin House… Frou Frou.

And when I arrive at the Rockwood Music Hall and finally take my earbuds out, I listen to Amber Rubarth, Vienna Teng… Scott Fruhan.

***

I was born in Hawaii.

I’ve lived on the west coast for most of my life.

I’ve been all over Asia and Europe. I better make it to Africa, South America, and Australia before I die.

My current apartment is on Wall Street where I don’t fit in at all, but I love it there all the same. And even though the subways are quicker, I prefer to walk everywhere because the sounds I hear in New York are so relaxing.

I am human. Clearly. And I feel it. But I’ve also felt sub- and super-.

***

I just did a word count and, apparently, I’m at 355. But I’m not sure what else to say. It’s a little sad to think that my life can be summed up so succinctly.

If life had a newspaper, I’m pretty sure that it would be called the Funny Times because it is.

Things are always changing and rarely ever make sense, even in retrospect. But this is news to no one.

If my life had a newspaper it would be no different. However, as meandering and seemingly random as the features would be, if you looked on page two of last Tuesday’s sports section, you’d find an article with some words by Simon and Garfunkel, The American Analog Set… Death Cab for Cutie.

And when it came down to it, if you flipped to any other page, any other section, any other day – you’d find some kind of feature about the flavor of that 3-5 minute time-period.

***

“They” always say that tomorrow is never promised. Sure. I agree with that.

Nothing is ever promised.

But we can make educated guesses based on prior experience. And I have a pretty good idea of what will be on my front page today… tomorrow… and until the press runs dry…