Sense Of Style

Sense of Style

When I was a young guy

just getting started at being a writer

I happened to meet a fellow

who was a very accomplished guy

He seemed to be able to do it all

Paint, sculpt, write, and make music....

A real renaissance man.

I thought to myself, “That guy's got more talent

in just two fingers than I've got in my entire being.”

I was determined to discover his secret

and so one day when I saw him in the park

I wandered up and started a conversation.

After the small talk was over

and I felt like maybe we'd bonded a bit,

I asked him straight up,

“How on earth did you ever get to be so talented?”

“The guy seemed to ignore what I'd asked him

and instead started telling me a random story.

He said, “I kinda took most of last week off

and sat around thinking

about what I really value

and what way I think is the best way to be.

He stopped talking for a minute.

And just when I thought he was done,

He smiled and continued on......

'Long about Thursday evening

I remembered some stuff I believed when I was six

but kinda had forgotten

and cast aside in the daily rat-race

and fast-paced hustle of life as an adult.

When I was young I decided

the things a person really ought to try to do

is never to harm anyone

and try to be as truthful, honest, and sincere

as they know how to be.

The old guy paused a moment and lit a cigarette

Then he continued on talking

He said, “....And then I thought to myself,

maybe a lot of the time it's more important

to try to do those four things

than it is to try to always appear

cool, flashy and important.

I think what it really often boils down to

in the stuff I do as an adult.

is the question of whether

it's more important to me

to do no harm

and to be truthful, honest and sincere

or appear cool, flashy and important.

And I think I'd rather do the first four

than the last three.

He stopped to take a drag on his cigarette,

and I began to wonder what the point of his story was.

The old guy just continued on undaunted.

He said, “They say the only difference between

the men and the boys is the price of their toys

and I really believe that's true.

Inside us all

we each carry many memories of when we were small

and they help shape who we are and affect everything we do

from the time we're little clear up until we're ninety-two.

A few of the things I can say about me when I was six

is that I really liked things that looked very cool.

And I really liked all the variety in life.

I've always thought it's very, very cool

there's lots of different things

to see and think about.

I was a pretty good kid, but like every kid, I wasn't perfect

and I got into my share of small mischief a time or two. 

By the time I was six, I'd figured out

It was great to be the star of the show when I could.

But things usually went best

when me and my friends

took turns and shared the limelight in our little gang.

By six, I'd learned that just about all of the time

honesty was best

and even when I couldn't be entirely up front,

I knew telling part of the truth was most always much better

than being fake or telling a lie.

At six I loved to learn all kinds of things

and then tell everyone what it was I'd found out.

Of course, I loved to play.

I figured out that play could be a lot of work

and work could be a lot like playing too.

I knew there were times when I could be just a kid

and times when I had to be more of an adult

and I knew both ways could be a lot of fun.

Now that son, is a quick snapshot

Of who I really, really am

And if you look,

you can see bits of that six year old kid

in everything I think, say and do.”

By now, I'd pretty much forgotten

what it was I had asked the guy

And so I said,

“But geeze!  I was a brat when I was a kid.”

The old man, brought me back

to the point of our conversation

when he smiled and said,

“Well, personally, I think it's very good

the world has all kinds of people.

And aren't a lot of really great artist's

like Van Halen and Kid Rock

not much more than great big brats

with a great sense of style?

And I'll tell you a secret---I'd bet if you look closely

At all those bad-ass bikers riding their work-of-art Harley's

All those women and men raising families,

working hard to make ends meet

and all those fighter pilots in their fighter planes.

You can see hints of

a big bunch of runny nose kid's playing

runny nose kid games

who don't want to go home

until an hour after dark.” 

Dewey Dirks