The story is complete. I didn’t find the villain until the very end and surprise, it’s not actually me. Shedding the last of my childhood trappings, I finally shaved my head completely. Fulfilling a 21-year old desire, it brought me right back to the center of the wheel. Less of a fool, I’m sure of the magician inside me. The next few symbolic roles may or may not play into the story but I’m going all the way up to the Tower. Everything after that is just sycophantic fluff.

I gifted myself a membership to the SAM for a year. A type of zoo, the animals I’m watching are elusive, private and aggressive – Privileged People. Practicing my photography on groups looking at art is the best people-watching I’ve found since airports. Airports are the sliced bread of people-watching. I also get to see good art while I’m working. It’s an urban anthropology project inspired by that super-popular Instagram installation that encouraged selfies. I didn’t even have to pay admission to enjoy that amazingly complex expression of art and how society reacts to it. I hope the room that didn’t allow photography was completely blank. Or a portrait studio.

Speaking of portraits, I’ve got a story from high school era I’m working on. I have memories of my senior year and how much my hair meant back then. It’s a multi-media project so I’m waiting for all the materials before presenting. I’ve also got an idea for a monologue piece about politics that requires a very comfy blue chair. I might spec it as a story and then find the props to carry me through an actual performance. My inner artist is about to explode. Getting promised a raise at the start of October improves morale quite a bit but I’ve got miles to go before I rest. Then there’s the rebuttal piece I’m working on about work.

Shaving my head is the most liberating feeling I’ve had since skydiving. Knowing I’m not my hair and practicing it are two different things. Appearances are the vice killing America. I work off of energy personally. It doesn’t matter to me what you look like, actions are what define you. It’s harsh but effective. I don’t know what people see when they look at me but I can tell if they really see me. The problem with my system of judgement is it only works in person. Interactions via the internet are just filler. Shaving my head in high school to piss off my parents felt hollow. I shave my head now because it feels good.