The writing of this book spans decades; through lonely times, times of profound love and affection, sad times, and times of great joy. Some of these emotions are well represented here, as are some times of silliness. I think we can all see ourselves in these pages, and perhaps see others in these pages as
well.
The bits and pieces of Remo that fill these pages are haphazardly strewn and do not tell a carefully woven tale or paint a discernable picture. I will offer you this... I love words, and love to mold not only the phrases and thoughts they combine to build, but mold the words themselves. Mixing a Latin prefix with a Greek root and a slang suffix can be fun as long as the meaning can be understood in context. Kurt Vonnegut was a master; I am merely a neo-proto-padawan.
The art that accompanies my words is either by Frankie McCarthy, a local artist, or free downloadable art from the wonderful photographers at Pexels.com.
Not all the work included in this tome is beautiful. Some is harsh, some is simple, and some may be sad. But so is life. Like a Japanese garden that purposely builds in a defect, this work is strewn with imperfections that like a beloved teddy bear has a thrice-sewn ear and a worn-out nose with stitching apparent throughout. But it is your bear or your child’s bear, or the bear of a stranger’s child you see in the mall, and as you look upon it, you recognize that it symbolizes innocence and love, and it makes us smile... perhaps because we miss that innocence, or perhaps we don’t know why we smile, but we
do.
May the bits and pieces of you blend well with the bits and pieces of me in this book, and it is my hope you will find a smile, some joy, some memories, and some curiosity to sustain your journey through these pages.