When I was much younger, I met a psychic. It was a very interesting experience, to say the least. I did not intend to get a psychic reading or anything. It just sort of happened. My girlfriend at the time invited the friend of a friend over to my house to give me an acupuncture treatment, as my bad back had been acting up. I was glad to get the free treatment. I was not prepared for what I was to hear. After treating my back, this fellow took me for a walk, and proceeded to tell me everything about myself, things he never could have known, things I barely even admitted to myself....

I would have to say that the first time I decided to run a marathon, I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. First of all, I did it mainly to be supportive of my wife. She wanted to run a marathon and I encouraged her to do it. So I said I would do it with her. Now I like to think I’m a good husband and all, but I have to tell you, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Had I known, I might now have been such a supportive husband. We joined L.A. Roadrunners. Over 98% of everyone who trains with them finishes the race. They’re a great group. We trained for six months....

One day, back in the fourth grade, I was sitting in my seat as calmly as you please, more than likely drawing pictures in my notebook instead of diligently working in my grammar book, when the teacher brought one of the boys up and announced that the young gentleman was going to play guitar for us. I looked up to see Roy (yes, Roy—boys could be named Roy back then) standing at the front of the class with a white Fender Mustang electric guitar plugged into a small amplifier. Roy proceeded to play the surfing classic, “Wipe Out.” And that was it. From that moment on, I knew I was...

It was nothing but a word Some vibrations in the air And had it gone unheard You would not know it there But a word can make us laugh Or a word can bring a tear Could speak on our behalf Or make real our worst fear Could word then lift us up? Then a word may make us fall A word could bring us peace Or else, destroy us all Of all mankind has wrought Of this I feel assured The greatest tool we’ve got Is the power of the word –Wilson/05

About thirty years ago, I performed at an open mic night at a local bar. I got a really good response. The manager of the bar kept motioning for me to do one more song after another. And when I finally finished, I got a good round of applause. Even if I do say so myself, I’ve always been good at putting on a show. Being able to play guitar and sing is one thing, but it doesn’t really matter if you are not entertaining. Let’s face it, the whole point of performing is to entertain. That’s why people come to see you. Anyway, I put on a good show, and after I left the stage,...

This last weekend, we went to a wedding out in Costa Mesa, which is only about 35 miles from our home. We got about 25 miles of the way there, when a little arrow pointing up lit up on our control panel. So my wife Becky asks me what that little arrow pointing up means. I didn’t know, so I started to frantically look through the owner’s manual of our ancient 1997 Volvo V90 wagon. Meanwhile, she pulled off the freeway at Westminster Boulevard and we pulled into a Chevron station. I discovered that the arrow indicated a fault with the transmission. And I suppose it was pointing up...

A couple of years ago I managed to score a couple of tickets to see the Irish comedian Graham Norton at the Coronet Theater in Hollywood. If you’ve never seen Graham Norton, you owe it to yourself to try and watch one of his shows. He had a chat show on BBC 4. BBC 4 is the commercial channel in the United Kingdom. That’s the channel that shows all the reality TV shows and the imports from America. It used to be aired here on BBC America, but now you can catch it on the LOGO channel. The LOGO channel is the channel that is aimed primarily for those with alternative lifestyles....

Like so many people who grew up during the sixties and seventies, I wanted to be a rock star. I wanted to play my music on stage surrounded by adoring fans. I wanted that thunderous applause. But like most folks, I had to let those dreams go. Life got in the way. I had soon had responsibilities. And I always felt a little sad about that, especially when some character in some movie would remind us to “follow our dreams” and to “never give up.” Easier said than done, I’d think. Then, when I got my first good computer and the internet was new and wondrous, I went on line...

Quiet lying, laid out there I wanted so to comb his hair And close his mouth still open wide To see him thus seemed so unfair A man of dignity and pride They laid his hands down by his side Eyes closed as not to stare in space And still the fear of night implied There was no peace upon his face He did not greet the dark with grace He did not leave on his own terms When angels chose to end his race To stand before him now affirms We all were born to feed the worms Wilson/06

There is a lot of controversy regarding bilingual education. We used to have a really good program in Los Angeles, until the voters killed it. Not that it was perfect, mind you. Here is how it worked. You taught the kids who spoke no English in their native language, gradually mixing in English, and gradually increasing the amount of English used until, by the fifth grade, the kids were speaking English all day. This allowed the kids to learn difficult subjects such as Social Studies, Math, Science, etc., in their native language. Imagine going to France and trying to study French...