I parked somewhere near white chalk in Ocean Beach. The text message said, "Meet me at the pier at 3:30." I don't know where I was coming from, but I knew where I was headed. White chalk. I arrived at the pier, at my feet was an arrow in white chalk. I followed it. A…
I was climbing today, and one of my partners at the crag pulled out a persimmon, and it brought back to memory a poem passed on to me from a long ago lover--a lover who is no longer in my life. It evokes a memory much like the poem by Mark Strand, "The Pot Roast."…
I just deleted 1,000 words that were aimed at you, but had nothing to do with anyone but myself. Seems like such a cheat. I'll never forget that phone call the day you died. It was the most devastating event of my life. While it's so far away, I think this is the first time…
My name is Josh, and I'm an alcoholic. Sometimes My name is Josh, and I'm an addict. It just depends on who's in the room. June 6th will mark my eights years of continuous sobriety. I've been identifying as an alcoholic and addict since I was nineteen years old. I quit drinking before I was even legally…
I talk a lot of trash about San Diego, especially when I'm out on the road. It's easy to get overwhelmed by the crowds and the traffic. It didn't used to have this big city feel. It used to have a local feel. I mean, It's always been a tourist destination, but they always left. Eventually they stopped…
I dropped to my knees on my grandparents' gravel driveway and threw my arms up in defeat. This was the beginning of a long struggle in identifying my purpose. Even today, I’m not quite sure what that purpose is, but I have an idea. I can’t put my finger on the specific cause, but I've walked through…
