I passed Mitch on the lower floor of the library. He was slouched down in his chair, camera hanging around his neck as he stared off at…well…I’m not sure what he was staring off at. I walked past him, paused and turned around to talk to him.

Turns out Mitch is in a photography class and was apparently lacking inspiration (when I asked if I could take his picture he said yes, but only if he could take mine. Anyone wanting to use me as a muse has to be desperate). He said he’d write in my journal, but that he only had a short time. He wasn’t kidding. This is by far the shortest entry to date. Despite being so short I have to admit that I think it’s one of the most intriguing because it leaves so many questions unanswered.

My name is Mitch.

I was born in Wisconsin and adopted into a family in Utah, I like it here.

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My wife, son, sister and I went home to Oregon for Thanksgiving. I absolutely love being in the house I grew up in, visiting old haunts and enjoying the general green splendor of my home state.

There are certain traditions that must be followed whenever we go home to Oregon (usually about twice a year). On is going to the Marrakesh for dinner.

The Marrakesh is a Moroccan restaurant downtown Portland. Patrons sit on the floor, eat all five courses with their hands (everyone gets a bath towel for a napkin), and get a rosewater hand rinse afterward to cover up the scent of the food. It’s a great experience, although we were worried about taking my 18 month-old son because…well…he’s 18 months old. He ended up doing quite well and thought it was a lot of fun to peek out between the curtains behind our table and look at the passersby on the street, his little head barely poking above the seat.

Sure enough, people walking past started noticing him and smiling. One person even stopped to take a picture. I stood up and ran outside. The photographer, “Pie” (she asked that I not use her real name), thought I was going to get mad at her for taking pictures of my son. Instead, I asked her to write in my journal.

Pie was young and kind of short – she only came up to my shoulders -  with big, expressive eyes. She was easy to talk to and I came to find he was taking photography classes and was using an old-school film camera that night. She was there with her family to celebrate her 18th birthday. After she sat down at her table I gave her my journal.

Pie didn’t want her picture taken, or, rather, it made her family nervous. Clearly I, having a wife and kid and being at dinner with my parents, seemed very threatening. :) She said she’d mail me copies of the pictures she took of my son, and I was waiting to post this until they arrived, but she must have forgotten.

“My name is Pie and it’s my eighteenth birthday and for the first time I am eating Moroccan food. It’s crazy and extremely exciting, I hope the belly dancer shows up at my table and shows me how to shake my thing. Even though I am 18 now, it doesn’t mean I am quite an adult. I am a kid forever because then I will never die. Live forever! I hope that taking these pictures, how I met this random man, allow me to go far. I really enjoy artistic stuff and truly want to make a difference in people’s lives. Also, someday marijuana should be legal because then everyone will be happy.”

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When I approached him about writing in my journal, he seemed hesitant and skeptical. After a little persuading he began to write. When he finished he apologized for not having time to “get deeper”. I think he was finally getting into it when his stop came. He declined to have his picture taken.

“I’m Clarence. I was born & raised in the Rocky Mountains of Western Montana. Some things I like are music, art, fly fishing & camping. I moved down here to Salt Lake earlier this summer to attend the University of Utah in working towards a degree in graphic design. I love art, it’s my life and I couldn’t imagine doing anything but it. Although I wish graphic design to be my career, music is my passion! I don’t know what the world would be without good music. So…here are the things you’ve learned about Clarence (and don’t you ever forget them!). He likes art and music a lot.”

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My wife and I went to an Ani DiFranco concert here in Salt Lake on Saturday. We’d never heard of her, but the promise of free tickets to an outdoor concert on a summer night sounded too good to pass up.

While waiting in a very long line to get wristbands (we already had tickets, I’m not sure why we needed wristbands too) we met Christian. “I’m selling handmade jewelry to get money to, well, eat. That and to fix up my ’72 VW van.”

Christian wanted to make it back to Monterey, California and from there, who knew?

We admired his handiwork but didn’t have any cash. I told him about this project and he was more than willing to write in my journal. Once we found our seats (next to a girl who was already throwing up in the bushes – nice) he began.

“The nights just startin! She’s already piss drunk and I can’t remember her name, too bad I’m movin on. It ain’t all bad, I’ve been here for years, and worked so long ya think I could have at least moved 10 ft, but its all good the weather’s nice, the foods good and I’m well enough to live till tomorrow. Yet still I swear I’m goin sometime to somewhere fine. Freedom is fine, and free, but why does it take so much from me? Life can’t be defined by how much money you make, how new you are or how fast you made it. If even I die poor, I still lived!

Since the wheel first turned we’ve been turned in time to meet its end.”

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