Everything is Possible
Everything is Possible
Eight Miles from a Mall
Thank you to everyone for all the emails, I have done my best to respond to every one of them. There seems to be quite a bit of interest in what I am doing right now, so let me take a moment to share.
Well, coincidentally, right now I am trying to figure out how to get to a mall. We are in Leesburg, Florida to do a week of collaborative Tape Art drawings with a high school that has 1,800 students. We are going to be helping students make temporary murals all over the school and working with the students to do community projects in the local hospitals and senior centers.
Things have been relentlessly busy since I lost my home in the mall. And oddly, because of it I need to go to a mall now. In my direct apprehension by security some things were removed from my person, most notably my pocket knife (that had not left my hip for the last 14 years) my flashlight and my skateboard. In the apartment, in the my chest of drawers, I had my shorts. And the last night I slept there, I left my earphones next to the television and had forgotten to retrieve them. I had saved up the money to buy a new pair of sneakers and was supposed to buy them in the mall that following day, but instead spent the night in a metal cell without any sneakers on at all . . . which made me appreciate the crappy hole-laddened sneakers I did have.
I finally made it down to Florida and joined the two other Tape Artists, Jay and James. We have set up shop in a two story, sun-scorched motel across from the high school and are preparing ourselves for a week of teaching.
However, to prepare myself for a week of teaching there are some things that I would like to have: sneakers (instead of dress shoes), nice shorts (instead of dress pants), toothbrush (high school students can be so cruel), a knife (you never know), and new earphones with mic for my phone (so I can draw and talk at the same time).
Where can I possibly find all these things in one place?
We do not have a car here and walked the commercial strip near us last night and it would appear that my journey is destined for only one place - the mall.
Since my skateboard is still at the security office at my local regional super-mall, I had to borrow my wife’s. According to the map, I only have to skate eight miles to get to a commercial mecca where I am sure to find all the things I would like to have to start my week.
A string of television interviews and having my image captured over the last week have led to a record breaking streak of pants with button-down shirts. I have smashed my previous record of continuous buttons, by several days. The trajectory of my time living in the mall was leading me in that direction, and I find it remarkable that after my arrest the vision of a sharp-looking mall participant has spontaneously come true.
I knew that if the mall was to truly define me, I would eventually end up in a world of pressed shirts, pants, and modest (but expensive) belts. It is not easy finding a fashion life-style if you are in your mid-thirties. I have, as I have been told, gone way past the Abercombie, Hollister world but exist uncomfortably short of Brooks Brothers. Am I destined for a life of Banana Republic? It was possible that my style-mantra was waiting for me at Nordstroms, and I had begun to seriously contemplate getting a job there so I could get a discount on the clothes.
Today I will try to get to the mall and find all the things I desire. It is truly remarkable that I know I can go to any mall in the world and most likely be able to find all these things under one roof. Shopping perfection?
We are going to be making daily video entries showing the student’s artwork and our own Tape Art drawings all week. They will be over at tapeart.com.
I have to go drink some water, I have a long skate ahead of me.
Sunday, October 7, 2007