A Day in Seattle

I got up early this morning and stretched out. I’m staying at a place closer to Seattle. You walk down a hill and you’re downtown. The place I was stretching out at is called Freeway Park. It’s next to the Convention Center. It’s a nice place. People eat lunch and walk their dogs there in the daytime. A few people jogging and some homeless guys were surprised to see me.

When you walk through there in the daytime there are lots of birds and squirrels. They probably try to get whoever is eating lunch there to feed them. In the early morning hours there were rats running around the planter boxes.

A guy I was playing chess with asked me about my father a few days ago. I told him he was never around when I was a kid. When he wouldn’t stop asking me questions I told him I don’t know my father and don’t care about him.

When he asked me what my last name was I asked him, “What do you care?” Maybe he thinks I don’t know who my family is. I meet guys from my father’s side of the family every now and then. They’re always polite.

I don’t know what kind of issues my mom had with the man or why they went their separate ways when I was too young to remember him. It really doesn’t matter. My mom was married to a nice guy when I was a kid. His family is a nice Mexican family and they adopted me.

My mom’s side of the family is also huge. There was always an aunt, uncle, or some older cousin watching out after me when I was growing up. I never missed not knowing my father or his side of the family because I never lacked for anything.

When people use the term “like family” I get confused. Do they think I’m some orphan or don’t know who raised me?

I’ve been coming to Starbucks in the morning for a few months. It’s a nice place to read and draw. It surprises me that so many people talk about their personal lives in a public place. They also talk about people who aren’t even there they hang out with. That’s something you didn’t do when I was growing up. I know a lot about some people and don’t even know their names, just their faces.

Times change. My Cousin Nash used to say, “Loose Lips Sink Ships!”

I got into a dorm with Compass Housing Alliance after eight month of waiting on a list. Since I’m on disability it’s only a matter of time before I get an apartment. Hopefully it won’t be too long!!

When I was shaving a couple days ago there was hair in a couple sinks. Some guy shaved his head and didn’t clean up after himself. The guy who told me about it said he doesn’t know what’s wrong with some people.

I told him not to put too much energy into thinking about is. An idiot is just going to act like an idiot.

When I got to the coffee shop there was a guy sleeping at a booth. One of the ladies who works the cash register told him he couldn’t sleep there. Then a group of guys came in and broke out some food and bottled water. They sat at a counter to hang out.

Someone told them the a few times they couldn’t bring their own food there and just sit around. They had to buy something to stay. The manager eventually told them if they weren’t going to buy anything they had to leave. She wasn’t going to talk to them again. She was just going to call security.

When I got up to use the restroom I told someone who worked there they had a heck of a job. I wouldn’t just stand there and put up with someone yelling and cussing me out. My Uncle Joe had a cure for people who act too stupid.

A couple rounds of salt rock in their ass.

Maybe it’s better for county workers and nice people like the ones who work at coffee shops to work with some guys. People around here are always saying “He’s Not Worth It” and maybe they’re right.

It might be better to let some people hang themselves with their own rope.

Written by Mark Blevins

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About Me:

I was a Construction Worker and Commercial Fisherman. An injury on a fishing boat in Alaska forced me into early retirement. Now I’m a Writer and Blogger. Having to start over forced me to realize people are more than their job title.

Contact me at 1mark.blevins1@gmail.com