Stratoz, the suitcase leaves the closet

On Facebook I have friends from elementary school, high school, two colleges, years spent in MA, OR, and IL, from church, work and craft shows... but none from the time I was known as Stratoz. You see, I had to walk away. It took years to leave him behind me and yet, I called myself Stratoz when I started this blog. What you may not know is this, it was Stratoz hit rock bottom.

"After all was said and done

There was nothing left to do

The hardest mile I ever walked

Was the one I walked away from you" 

Kim Richey

But emerging was a bit of a rocky road and I fell back a few times.  Maybe luck kept me from dropping to lower levels of bedrock. OK, luck saved me many a time. But not all the time. A relationship lost. Opportunities missed.

"But I’m alright

Sacked down but I’m still standing

Yeah I’m alright

Little banged up from the fall

But I’m alright

Still shaky from the landing

Yeah I’m alright after all" 

Kim Richey

Stratoz was a young man who came close to letting go of caring for anything. I remember where not caring took me, so when students tell me that they don't care about me, my class, or an assignment; I often respond with, "That's OK with me, as long as you tell me one thing you do care about."

When a friend returned a wise comment with a wise comment, I had to ponder art by Stratoz, so I dug this dusty suitcase out of the closet. It is filled with what I would now call Stratozpheric doodles. Some are relatively recent, others stretch back closer to Stratoz. I doubt anything goes back 32 years, but one day soon, I'll open it and take a journey. I would imagine some of those old designs will ask me to take them into the realm of glass. 

"And every now and then I think about you

Oh every now and then I cross the line" 

Kim Richey