Namaste and welcome to my blog. I'm new to this but will attempt to make it interesting enough to keep your attention. What you'll find in here: insights from my healing process, stories from time on the road with almost no seed money but lots of faith in the Universe to guide and support me. There'll be spiritual insights (based on Buddhist thought, primarily), couple dance tips, just about anything that I think will be entertaining or useful...with a greater emphasis on useful. From time to time, I may add stories from my past...but in to be honest, I'm not real sure what will wind up in here. If you know me in person, you may read things that you might not wish to know, but I'll tell the truth as I know it and will hold nothing back.

I just turned 49 and I'm about to load my old 1981 Yamaha 850 Special motorcycle and head south to parts unknown. I have no idea where I'm going or for how long I'll be gone or what I will be doing. I'll likely be leaving with no more than $300 and several thousand balloons so I'll be relying on the Universe to guide me and provide the things I need.

I must tell you that I am no stranger to traveling without knowing where I'm going to; I've done it in many different fashions throughout my life beginning with running away from home when I was 14 or 15. (I think it was just before my 14th birthday, but my mother says differently.) I left that time with about $40 in silver dollars I stole from my mom's collection. I didn't take all she had, just what I felt I needed. Hamilton, Ohio was my home then. I slept beside the road in a ditch that night, using a Sunday paper from someone's drive as a cover after wadding some of it up and stuffing it in my clothes. It was COLD that night!! I recently told my mom that story and she asked if I had been a boyscout. I learned it from one of the science fiction books I used to read all the time.

I chose a back-road route that I didn't think anyone would think I would choose and just headed West. My thought at the time was that no one from my family had ever been West of the Mississippi so no one would think to look for me there. I shoplifted and walked checks at restaurants to stay alive. One shop owner caught me and rather than turn me in, he gave me all the food I could carry with me plus $20. He was the first of many Earth Angels that I ran across. At another location, a hotel owner gave me a room.

When I got to Hollywood, I didn't know how I would make money but as I walked around looking at this huge, weird city, I saw a live mannequin dressed like a cowboy standing in front of Mann's Chinese Theater. His name was Curtis Reed and he died without ever knowing how he changed the entire course of my life. When I saw him, I thought to myself, 'I can do that.' I went down the road a block or so and sure enough, I was able to make enough money to support myself. I camped at night in this old defunct estate that overlooked Hollywood along with many other homeless people. Had it not been for Curtis (not real nice to me) I might have would up in the porn industry as I was approached two weeks after I arrived in Hollywood by a fellow who offered that lifestyle to me. I didn't accept right away because I had a little money in my pocket and thought the deal was too good to be true. I'll never know for sure because, after I told him I had to think about it, I never heard form him again.

I didn't know that I was a good looking young man although many people told me that I was. However, I did get the opportunity to dance as an exotic dancer for a few years. At one point during those years, I had the president (I think it was) of Jet Magazine as my manager who got gigs for me and a few friends at bars and clubs. I did Human Robotics as a part of my act and found 3 young black men who did pop-locking. Together we created a stage show and traveled about the LA area performing.

There is way too much to write of my past that is entertaining right now, but suffice it to say, my life was not normal! Though, to me, it was just my life. It wasn't romantic or especially exciting, though I often hear that I need to write a book about it. Maybe, if I get a good enough response from blogging, I may consider writing one more fully.

So, why am I leaving the beautiful Pacific Northwest at this time? There are many factors, but chief among them is due to the weather. Because I twist balloons and teach dance for a living while only having a motorcycle for transportation, it is usually difficult to make money up here in the cold and wet. I've spent the last couple years in Bandon, Oregon, but with the recent dissolution of a wonderful romantic relationship, there isn't much I am needed for up here. My daughter in Bellingham, Wa is doing well enough and my mother here in Bandon has her boyfriend. So, there are no ties to keep me here, but plenty of ties to keep me coming back form time to time.

I'll change the oil and spark plugs tomorrow and hope the thing stays running during my trip. I bought it a couple years ago for $500. Thus far, I've put over 16,000 miles on it. Soon after I got it, I rode it to San Diego in two days. That's about 1000 miles. Not bad for a 47 year old. When I left there to come back, a woman partially ran a stop sign and in the attempt to keep the bike upright, I broke a toe and caused a bit of nerve damage. It wound up raining almost every inch of the way back up to Bandon and I slept one night in my wet clothes in an abandoned car wash. Though I was wearing waterproof boots, my socks got more dry tied onto my backpack; waterproof boots are great, except that they retain water once it gets in them. It was a cold, miserable trip. In fact, the whole trip was so awful that all I could do was laugh at how awful it was.

So, this trip....I hope to heal from many issues that have arisen since the disillusion of my previous relationship. I hope to see many sights that amaze and astound me. I've been all over the country many times, but never really took the time to get off the freeways and see what really is out there. I plan to do volunteer work and maybe even get some work on a cruise ship.

One major issue that I have presently is that. without intervention, I will likely be losing a bridge in my mouth soon. The Universe will provide, but at the moment, I have no clue how it will manifest.

For those who don't know me, if any are interested in following this blog, you can find additional information about me at my website, Insights of the Heart. Now, though, I think it is time to let my friends know about this blog and go to bed. Om Shanti (God's peace) and good night.