Erie Boxcar

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This week we've been doing practical exercises. The school goes out and gets people off the street, pays them twenty bucks, then has them go into an office and either steal some jewelry or not. Then we get them and run polygraph exams on them.


It actually works.



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I've got one more week of this, then I'm homeward bound. This has been a really interesting experience, one I'm glad I won't ever have to repeat. But I'm a curious guy, and it was pretty cool to spend eight weeks intensively learning something new and deeply odd.



An eight week ground-fighting class would be more fun, though.



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Solitude has been the deepest part of the experience for me. Something I've not experienced much of in my life. It took me the first six weeks to get used to it, and now I really like it. It's luxurious.

I'm soaking it up for a few more days, but I'll cast it off eagerly for the chance to get back to my family. I can't paddle my little craft alone forever. I crave the warmth and love my wife showers me with, all the tender mercies.

And the simple happiness of being with the damn dogs.


And the less simple joy of being around my daughter.



I'm a human creature. It's good when we all rub up against each other, bang into each other, press and vex and tug and kiss and claw.


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I'm beginning to believe that everything is going to work out just fine.






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It really is.


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