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Arden
לנשום

Registered: 09/01/08
Posts: 7,666
Loc: Α & Ω
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Real Life Dharma Bums & Other Individuals With A Twinkle
#12672660 - 06/02/10 02:26 PM (13 years, 8 months ago) |
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I recently befriended a guy who was homeless and lived on the streets of LA for over a year. He's a chain-smoking alcoholic with poor hygiene and a loud mouth, but God I love him. We've been playing music and hanging out, but the interaction inevitably turns towards us meandering into deep discussions about life experiences, inspiring literature, secret mantras and the like.
I've pulled out some pretty obscure references to certain authors, terms, and concepts, and he is still usually familiar with most of what I bring up. Low and behold, a guy who sleeps on our dirty band room floor knows more about life than many of the peckerheads I attend grad school with. The myth that social institutions like Universities™ actually house wisdom and original thought is an embedded belief system I'm slowly out-growing. As Kerouac said, they are mostly "grooming schools for middle-class non-identity".
Better yet, like a true bodhisattva this guy has the ability to transform any generic situation into a laugh-fest about life. I just think this exuberance eventually tires him because he cannot find a socially-approved outlet or expression for it, other than this through his songwriting. The songs themselves are superb--composed of heartfelt lyrics which come all too easy, I suppose, because his life is a song.
Any brushes with magic people on the street?
Edited by Arden (06/02/10 02:44 PM)
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deCypher



Registered: 02/10/08
Posts: 56,232
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Re: Real Life Dharma Bums & Other Individuals With A Twinkle [Re: Arden]
#12672696 - 06/02/10 02:32 PM (13 years, 8 months ago) |
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-------------------- We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
 
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c0sm0nautt

Registered: 05/19/08
Posts: 10,303
Loc: The Astral Realm
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Re: Real Life Dharma Bums & Other Individuals With A Twinkle [Re: Arden]
#12672704 - 06/02/10 02:34 PM (13 years, 8 months ago) |
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Hah that's pretty cool! I need to start talking to bums. And I agree, the institutions attract the closed minded... I'm happy I was denied from grad school.
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Arden
לנשום

Registered: 09/01/08
Posts: 7,666
Loc: Α & Ω
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Re: Real Life Dharma Bums & Other Individuals With A Twinkle [Re: c0sm0nautt] 1
#12672769 - 06/02/10 02:43 PM (13 years, 8 months ago) |
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That's a pretty cool song actually. It should be released under a mainstream pop artist and then later revealed to the public who they've been rocking out too, immediately concluded by a massive press release of Obama freestyling with a black chorus singing "nigga, change comes from within". If only I had money and access to media broadcasting, I could throw a few tree limbs in the spokes of this dumb, fat machine.
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JackofSpades
Peace


Registered: 03/01/09
Posts: 2,897
Last seen: 10 years, 7 months
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Re: Real Life Dharma Bums & Other Individuals With A Twinkle [Re: Arden]
#12673575 - 06/02/10 05:15 PM (13 years, 8 months ago) |
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im pals with this guy
lol but seriously my dad has a story when he was living in brooklyn about this homeless guy (dennis was his name maybe?) who was an alcoholic and my dad befriended him, dennis or whatever, helped my dad move and my dad bought him food and stuff, ate lunch with him and i think my dad helped him out in some other ways cause he gave my dad a book (Africa Must Unite !) written by this famous african revolutionary who actually signed the copy of the book. I have it here it my room.
kind of a cool story. dude gave my dad the only thing of value he owned and now its sitting in my room...universe is weiirrrd mannnn
I like homeless people. they are pretty easy to identify with (for me at least) and they always have something interesting to say. most though aren't very intelligent like the dude you met but they generally all have something worthy of listening to, which is more than the majority of people i come in contact with on a day to day basis.
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 If you're frightened of dying and you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the earth.
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Mr. Mushrooms
Spore Print Collector


Registered: 05/25/08
Posts: 13,018
Loc: Registered: 6/04/02
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Re: Real Life Dharma Bums & Other Individuals With A Twinkle [Re: Arden]
#12673787 - 06/02/10 05:55 PM (13 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
Arden said:Any brushes with magic people on the street?
Yes. I met a panhandling bum in the 70's at an airport who was an astrophysicist. I never forgot it, obviously.
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blewmeanie




Registered: 10/01/06
Posts: 28,984
Loc:
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Re: Real Life Dharma Bums & Other Individuals With A Twinkle [Re: Mr. Mushrooms]
#12682145 - 06/03/10 11:32 PM (13 years, 8 months ago) |
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When I was a kid living in houston there was this bum that used to stop by and bring us fresh seafood he'd caught. I think he also sold weed to my stepfather. He was pretty cool, but he ended up stealing the rims off my bike one day and I never saw him again after that.
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