Chapter 3

The Architect

An unlikely story continues to unfold in the four walls of the shop. Lots of big names and each one followed by a family. A childhood face behind the microphone strapped with a blue steel guitar and looking my way, her mother, a PI. She singled me out, and she knew I had a story. She started with a compliment, followed by a comment, continued with a striking question, studied my response— my hesitation more over — and leaned back by downplaying her thought provoking question. Before I could respond with specifics, she had me pegged and identified the intersection of all the things I was going to share — education. She was quick, and I didn’t even know what was happening. I felt emotional and connected and found myself giving her personal information like butter melting onto warm toast. I too, know these ways. They are innate, it’s simple. It’s love, and can be used for or against. The human condition is this, exchange, unraveling, building, coercing and connecting.