The Journey In Journal

Randy Perretta
Aug 28, 2017 · 2 min read

From time to time, people suggest that I should tell my story. I always gave the idea a passing nod and not much more. Although I have led and lead a life much, much different than that of others, I always felt it a bit too self-absorbed an exercise to really undertake with any seriousness.

Today I somehow connected myself to Medium and acquired a follower despite not having written anything yet. Thanks whoever you are. I suppose that it’s only right for me to say something worth reading at least to validate that persons’ interest and that of anyone else who runs across my corner of this site.

I see my life as a series of vignettes. Extraordinary things have happened to me from the very beginning, not by my own desire for the extraordinary but something inside me unknown but abetted by circumstance. This should be a good vehicle for that sort of story.

Today is Monday August 28, 2017. I am among other things, a blues musician and I have practice tonight so I’ll keep in the spirit of the vignette and keep this posting whole unto itself and in doing so, arrive on time.

Yes, it’s been a life. I hope that those who want my story told will be happy with this. I guess I’ll have to figure out how to send them a link. There have been many links in life. For instance, I decided to learn to play the guitar as a twelve year old, the same year I was diagnosed with a congenital bone disease which would result in my having both legs broken and straightened seven years later. That guitar and others to follow sure came in handy! The handicap and the music became intertwined as I went down the road of challenges and beauty that came to exemplify life.

I ended up living all over America, working mostly in tech and playing music everywhere I lived. I spent around thirty years living deep in the mountains mostly off grid in California, Washington and Alaska, and spent much of my life on the road. I moved between states twelve times for no go reason other than it seemed like a good idea each time. I went through a couple of marriages, two near death experiences (not a lifestyle I’d recommend,) plenty of accidents, surgeries for all kinds of reasons, the opportunity to live in places remote, threatening and profoundly beautiful and to meet and love all kinds of people and dogs who each captured my heart in their way.

As time passes, I hope to pass on the stories, lessons and most of all, the sense of love, beauty and wonder that this life has given me.

And… that’s a wrap. Off to practice. Thanks to anyone who happens to read this. I hope it serves you well.

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