StrangeLove

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the Psychic Eye Book Shop. Why, I'm not sure… my brain is often at odds with everything else I should legitimately be paying attention to—especially so in this turbulent eddy of our current times—and yet here I am reflecting on this ridiculous strip mall store in the South Bay of LA that specialized in anything and everything of a New Age persuasion. What's historically relevant if not funny about this is that I first learned about the business from Rodney Mullen, circa 1991–92, when I started working, aka living, in the World Industries environment. It would be...

My dear friend Megan Baltimore once interviewed me for an issue of Wallride, where she asked, "On a scale of 1–10 how uncomfortable are you in your own skin?" Without skipping a beat, I replied, "This one goes to 11." Yes, the very same number on Nigel Tufnel's infamous Spinal Tap amp. And it's true. So much so that I can be an exceptionally awkward and uncomfortable human being to be around or interact with at times—some may even say most times. All depends who I'm around, what exactly is happening, where it may be publicly or privately, and how many other humans are involved or in the immediate area. The why, however, is probably the most important variable of all, because if the scenario happens to be a recorded interview, say for a documentary or a podcast, well, then this number of mine ratchets straight past 11 into unnerved territories best not triggered because the only thing to be echoing throughout my vacuous brain pan is, "WHY THE FUCK DID I AGREE TO DO THIS?!" Hence my near bulletproof policy of passing on any and all such recorded invitations. Some, I think, may take me for dick because of this, but trust me: it really is best for all parties involved that I don't dunk my psyche into any further tanks of stress and anxiety than I already experience on a run-of-the-mill normal average old day—my basket case just isn't woven properly. End of story.