I am ethical, clever, and harmonious.
My Self-Summary
First, my handle. A Play Bow is the posture a dog uses to say he or
she is friendly and wants to play. You've probably seen it: front
legs stretched forward, chest on the ground, hips in the air, tail
wagging high. I incline towards a low-key, low-risk approach with
strangers, building familiarity with minimal stress. I spend a fair
chunk of time with my own dog. We take regular trips to a dog
beach, and go for hikes and walks all around town. I take care
never to walk her on the same route twice in a row, and often let
her make a decision at a corner.
For many years, I volunteered at an animal shelter on weekends,
where I walked and socialized homeless dogs. I also counseled
visitors looking for a dog to adopt. Since about 2006 I've drifted
away from that, mainly because I've been spending more time with my
own dog. We *really do* go for long walks on the beach. At least I
walk, she swims as much as she can. I spend a portion of my time
maintaining my dog's social contacts as well as my own.
I'm a pack animal, very much at home in a coffee house or outdoor
concert. By my second or third visit, people will have noticed my
singing voice. By my fourth or fifth visit, I'll know a dozen or
more people's names and collect three or four hugs (m or f) as I
arrive. I occasionally host evenings at a couple of coffee houses
near where I live. My most recent vacation was to a music camp in
Cambria, CA, where I hung out with a few dozen other musicians,
writing songs and making music.
When I'm out with a friend, particularly in a dating context, I
want to interact with that person. I prefer restaurants, coffee
houses or quiet clubs/concerts. I'm much less comfortable in bars,
clubs or places where the music is intended to inhibit
conversation. For much the same reason, I very rarely go to movies.
The last film I chose to see was the Pete Seeger documentary, "A
Life in Song", and before that were the three Lord of the Rings
films. Invited, I attended Young@Heart and No End in Sight and
loved both of those.
I'm not comfortable around people who drink or smoke until they're
incapacitated. I'm tolerant about marijuana, but very intolerant
about people (sober or otherwise) with no judgement, particularly
when their lack of judgement begins to annoy or endanger their
neighbors. In situations like that, my first choice is to try
communicating with the offending individual, but I won't spend much
time at that if I'm not making immediate progress. Then, it's time
to get in the car.
I've minimal respect for religion, because I think it's often a
cheap substitute for individual moral and ethical responsibility.
I'm happier taking responsibility for my own moral choices, and
subscribe to a paraphrase of Ammon Hennacy's line: "An
atheist(agnostic) is someone who doesn't need a preacher to tell
him how to behave". (If you can name Mr. Hennacy's most famous
pupil, or quote the actual version of that line, we should talk!)
What I’m doing with my life
I think I've begun to cover this above. I work in a public library
to pay the bills, and was volunteering at an animal shelter on
weekends because I love animals and want to help the unlucky ones
who can make it into a happy home with a little bit of support. I
sing with a partner in clubs and open mikes around town. I'm also
in a band. We've released an album in 2007 that's getting a bit of
radio play here and there. I began recording a solo album in 2008,
I expect to finish it some time in Winter, 2009/2010. I hang around
places where there is music but no alcohol and often find ways to
make myself useful behind the scenes. I'm in leadership positions
in a couple of organizations involved in putting on concerts and
festivals. I'm passionate about political issues, but political
work is not fun for me. I've tried it, I don't like it. I have
adopted a dog who's making good progress at overcoming her fear of
humans. I'm spending a lot of time with her just now.
I’m really good at
Communicating. You'll have figured out by now that I'm awfully
long-winded. I also think I'm pretty empathic, more than one of my
previous partners have complimented me on my patience and insight.
One partner told me: "You gave me back my humanity."
I'm reliable. If I say I'm going to be somewhere, bring something,
or call someone, I will, and on time. Then again, I don't think
fifteen minutes is horribly late.
The first things people usually notice about me
I don't know how to guess at this one. I'm not a particularly
stylish dresser, though I own more than twenty hats and try to pick
the appropriate hat for a special occasion. My hair is usually
collar-length or less, and I trim my own beard about two or three
times a month.
I don't suppose I'm particularly noticeable at first glance, unless
I happen to be on stage. Then again, people new to a club often
assume I'm the owner or manager, when I'm really just a regular
guest and sometime MC.
It's also interesting to reflect that on three different occasions,
I've been put in charge of handling large sums of money for
different organizations. People who barely know me seem to trust my
honor and competence with large sums of Other People's Dough -- and
no, I don't treat that as a joke.
My favorite books, movies, music, and food
Books: Lord of Light (R. Zelazny) "He never claimed to be a god,
but then, he never claimed not to be", Time Enough for Love (R.
Heinlein) "Democracy is based on the notion that a million [people]
are smarter than one [person]", the Postman (D. Brin) "Women, you
must choose", Harry Potter (series, J. K. Rowling) "It is our
choices, Harry, far more than our abilities, that reveal who we
truly are"
Movies: Lord of the Rings, No End in Sight, the Princess Bride,
Young@Heart
Music: lots of types, but particularly folk, a cappella, early
rock, bossa nova, ragtime, singer/songwriter stuff, blues and
Brazilian/Andean music. See above. I don't much care for the
misogyny in a lot of rap/gangsta stuff, and I find classical music
and opera dull, but just about anything else is worth a
listen.
Food: Italian, Mexican, Japanese, Mongolian BBQ, etc. Pretty open,
though I can't abide mushrooms and don't like peanuts. While I'm
not a strict vegetarian, I'm not a major carnivore either.
The six things I could never do without
My dog, live music, singing, friends, books, volunteering,
restaurants -- oops, that's seven.
I spend a lot of time thinking about
Lots of different things. People I know, people I'll never see
again, work, dogs, books, music, and so forth. I often think about
other people's problems and while I rarely believe I can solve
them, I can often offer a useful insight regarding the first thing
to address, or the first step to take. I occasionally find myself
singing bizarre song combinations, like the words to "The Boar's
Head Carol" to the tune of "Walk Like an Egyptian". I didn't know
the words fit the tune until I found myself in mid-song!
On a typical Friday night I am
Sipping a mocha, greeting the latest arrivals, applauding the last
song, announcing the next act, logging the receipts and reminding
myself to leave time at the end of the evening to take Penny for a
long walk before bedtime.
The most private thing I’m willing to admit here
That I'm not really all that private a person. I do spend a fair
amount of time alone, and I'm *not* the sort of person who needs to
have music or TV going in my ears constantly (in fact, I don't own
a television). I'm quite comfortable inside my own head.
As a regular blood donor, I'm very cautious about sexual practices
that could make my blood dangerous to use in a children's hospital.
I'm perfectly willing to respect other people's choices for
themselves, but I prefer to avoid involvement with people or scenes
that could expose me to large numbers of recent partners in
"secondhand sex".
You should message me if
You've actually read this far!