Stranger #6

Mike “Elwood” Powell

It seems fitting that I would met Mike at the Blues Fest in Navasota Texas. Oddly enough I had met him (although he does not remember it) at a service station on Interstate10 about two years ago. He was driving a car that mimicked the famous car from the movie “the Blues Brothers” Complete with the great big speaker mounted on the roof. Since it was one of my favorite movies I had to check it out as I walked up to the car out steps “Elwood”. 

“Unfortunately we had to sell the car, it became too big of an expense to keep it up “ ( I could not help but be a bit disappointed because  that would be the best backdrop to photograph  Mike.)

Mike liked being photographed and he was posing with a lot of people at the festival.  It was a little tough getting to know the real Mike. He pretty much stayed in carititure.  Even in his dancing he was moving with the same odd dance moves that “Elwood” would do in the movie.

“So I suppose there is a “Jake?” I ask

“ Yes, he was here last night we did our act here. His name is Steve Boado.”

“How did you two meet?”

“We were both Elvis impersonators.”

“You’re kidding me?” as I’m laughing and choking on my drink.

“No, I’m not, we looked at each other and decided we would work well together impersonating the Blues Brothers and the business and friendship started.”

“How does one make a living as Elwood?”

“Well, our group "The Blues brothers Tribute" does shows like we did here yesterday, we do parties, and I also do DJ services in caricature of course.”

“Do you play an instrument?”

“No, that what’s great about doing Elwood. He only played a harmonica and that is real easy to fake much easier than lip synching.”

Mike is a lot of fun. He love’s what he is doing and he is really, really good at it. I can’t imagine him not being the life of any party. If I was to throw a party he defiantly would be the first person I would think of to do the DJ services.  Don’t we all wish as some point in our lives that we could be someone else? Mike gets to do that on a regular bases and he gets paid for it.

Thank God, there are guys like Mike, they make our world so  much more interesting and fun.

Stranger #5

Richard Ramirez

I met Richard at a street festival in Houston Texas called “White Linen Night” it is held in an area of Houston called “The Heights” which has become a eclectic area of town so I thought that this would be a great place to find another stranger. I was walking around looking at all the booths selling things like magic nut cracking machines to Jewelry to art works.

He was checking out something at a nearby booth. His backpack looked at first glance as if it was some sort of medical device but when I got closer I realized it was a computer that was decorated up and strapped to his back. I walked up and simply stated “That’s an interesting backpack you have on.”

He turned around and said “Thanks it is an invention I created. It is simply the easiest and comfortable way to carry an Imac computer.”

As he turned around I notice a myriad of other electronic gadgets he had attached to himself . His phone was on his wrist which allowed him to view it and enter information into it with his other free hand. “ I can twist it around like this and the camera lens is exposed so that I can capture any photo opportunity that might arise. And see right here along my chest is a digital recorder so I can record any conversation quickly and without any trouble. I can also record any ideas that pop into my head” He states while pointing to the object. (Which, I might add, I was wishing I had at the time to record this conversation.)

We spent some time together talking about how he met his girl friend, his kids (one daughter was with him and the three others who were with their mom), His vocation (which is video documentation).

The lesson here is that this man is very intelligent witty, creative and full of life. A few years ago I might have just passed him by thinking that he was a “nut” just because he looks different than me. But in getting to know him, which took just a few minutes, I found him to be very interesting. The fact that he has the guts to be exactly what he wants to be is very impressive. I hope we can get to know each other much better. I know he has a lot he could teach me.

And besides I really would like to keep my digital recorder a little more handy!