Potter

His foot crosses the threshold under the double door archway as he steps onto the cobblestone. The massive doors at least nine feet tall, auburn in color, the paint flaking as age and time has battered them. Towering buildings aged and crumbling surround him. A mixture of old apartments buried between odd businesses of sorts. His heart racing, his thoughts torn between fight or flight. His pack securely against his back. Darkness covers the historic city, the sun about to rise. His anger and rage subsided as the need for rational thought take over. His decision made, the need to move forward, never back except the consequences of life and advancing without hesitation he puts one foot in front of the other. The small side street vacant of all movement. Rubbish scattered about a stagnant feeling lunges in the air. The air humid and dense from the coast a few blocks over as the breeze passes threw. Trash littering the alleyways, the moment funeral.

How could he be so blind to the events past. Putting one foot in front of the other Potter moves forward. Aware of the darkness that surrounds him, an oppression overlaying all that he knows. Crossing from one alleyway to the next, Potter weaves his way through the aging structures. The city unchanged for generations, a new coat of paint, the only improvement over the top of passing time. A city still asleep. Condensation collecting on the walls, dripping into the gutters his shoes slushing through the puddles. The same shoes that have cared him across nations, a journey all his own.

Potters eye's still adjusting to the environment around him. The adrenaline snapping him from his dormant state. moments earlier as he realized the danger he was in, awaking to a harsh reality, $10,000.00 gone in the blink of an eye. A collection of currencies as he passed from one town to the next. Hidden in the fold of his pack. Unknown to others until today. His inability to move it has downfall. Computer, camera, passport left untouched. The stainless steel pack safe still around his bag locked securely to the table next to him, Preventing so much more from being possible, everything he owns.

Potter excepts it as karma playing its self out as he moves forward, the money not that important, the feeling of vulnerability a stark realization. The moment passes as his feet carry him along. The coast a short walk away as before him appears the Hassan ll Mosque. A beautifully artistic expression of the Islamic faith. Massive in size it sits along the Atlantic. The dawn of a new day begins to illuminate all around him. A soft light revealing the endless ocean before him. A moment of peace sets in, Potter's heart beginning to call, hands clammy as he wipes them on his warn jeans. Taking in all before him. The structure as it stands a monument to a faith unknown to him. A faith followed by much of the world. A contrast to his own western beliefs. Climbing down a small ramp reveals the tidepools stretching north and south along the coast. Taking his shoes off he soaks his thoroughly used feet in the cool Atlantic. He observes the beauty around him, a rustic version of history as the city begins to wake. Fishermen casting there lines into the calm tide critters scurrying along the coral, tinny fish braving the torrent as waves come and go. His mind still now taking in all around him and the life he was given. Replacing his shoes he sands up from where he had been resting. A small coffee shop sits across the way. Crossing the street he removes his pack, his life's possession's all in one place, taking a seat in the thoroughly worn brown whicker chair, placing his pack beside him. A server promptly takes his order then leaves him to his thoughts. It's evening in Texas as the sun begins to rise. Pulling out his phone grateful he slept with it in his pocket the night before hits the number and waits for the ring. A grin crosses his face as a voice picks up. "Good morning Sunshine" he says with a smile. "Good evening, that is Dad". the voice on the other end responds. As there conversation goes. The people sitting around also starting there morning unaware of the traveler beside them.

Potter in his early fourties had traveled the globe. Adventures and mishaps to numerious to count. His hands bore the evidence of time past, tough and marked by life. At a little over six feet he was not a small man. Tan, brown hair, blue eyes and a gental smile cross his face. The squint of his eyes subtle lines, crows feet revealing his age, his face youthful void of any scars. A calm to his presence as he observes those coming and going around him. His warn black travel backpack beside him. Baring the scars, the sigma of his journey. The years of travel as he passed from country to country. The souls of his feet crossing thousands of miles from border to border as he hitchiked and walked from one town to. the next.

Reclining at the small table in front Jim he quietly watches the locals pass by the small shop where he sits. Others begining there day reading the morning paper as they enjoy there coffee or tea. A small white saucer and expresso cup utop a glass table where he rest his hands. His casual atire simple jeans, t-shirt, black baseball cap and Wells warn teenishoes. Shoes that have caried him numerious miles threw Asia and Europ. Now bringing him to the beautiful rustic country of Morocco along the North West cost of Africa. The sun beginning to crest the building sorounding the small shop revealing a new day in Casablanca. Lifting the small expresó coup to his lips he takes a sip. Observing the moment, the passing of traffic as the city comes to life, slowly moving along the roads around the shop. The adrenalina pumping threw his vens now diminishing. A tranquility setting in as the peaceful environment takes over. His mind in gratification, thanking God for another day, for his life, undeserved, unmerited but his alone. A great life of no regrets. Excepting the actions of carma in his life. He pulls out one of the many credit cards he carries, a back up for times like these. After paying his bill he lifts his pack to his sholders. Excepting fate he moves forward, always forward, never back. Destination unknown, unimportant. The journey along the way the reason, his driver.

Potter ariving a few weeks earlier from Portugal had been on the road for a few years moving from town to town at his leasure, stopping at hostels along the way. A cheap alyernative to the leasure of costly hotels. Originaly from Los Angeles he had grown tired of the fast pace socioty. Having wonderlust at an early age, hindered only by the realities of his life. His education minumil, consisting of a high school diploma. His atempts at a local comunity college were met with failure. Constantly failing the basics needed to advance. Being a jack of all traids master of none, a life of trial and error, education by fire. He submitted to a life of odd jobs. Self taught by muddeling his way threw every position held. The growth of experiance propelling him to advancement and seccess along the way. Never satisfied with the status quo he bounced from job to job. A resume ranging from construction to mortituan, coroner assistant to programer, web developer to marketing. Never more than two years at any point. Most corporate companies dismissed him as uneducated. Lacking the prasitige or dilagence of a university degree. There opinions never hindering his vision for seccess, his drive.

A child from his first marriage his only saving grace. A beautiful blue eyed red head angel in his otherwise caotic life, his pourpous. As a weekend dad he charished there time together. The daily phone conversations during there time apart as the years passed his window into her ever changing life. A bond that fostered over the years as she grew from adolesonce to adulthood. As she prepared to head off to college out of state Potters window of oprotunity began to broden. The need to always be close deminishing. There weekend time together growing more and more seldom. The natural evolution from youth to adulthood. There daily conversations now every few days as time with friends and busy activities fill her daily schedual. Daddy daughter time a thing of the past.

Potters second marriage as short as the first was plegged with strife. Married to a beautiful yet extreamly volitile latina with three teenage children of her own was his undoing. The anamosity of a blended family to much for the both of them. After two short years and a three day stent in county lockup they called it quits. The last of many arguments had arrisin over a marginal issue. In a spat of anger the police were called. A situation all to common in Southern California. After a short conversation with the responding officers to cool the situation. They where about to leave when his soon to be ex-wife directed them to his colection of firearms. Some legal, some not. Now arrested on the minimul charge of an altered 9 mm, ilegal in California, he spent 3 days in county then promply released. The next day filing for divorice for the second time.

The conclusion of his second divorice finalized. The sale of his newly purchased home, court ourdered division of assets required. And his daughter about to start her new life, on her own, his wonderlust returned. Staring at the computer screen in his office, the deadline of ever revolving projects eminant, he opens the google search browser and starts typing in random destinations that may excite him. A few minutes latter the decission made as he pulls a credit card from his back pocket. Typing in his personal information verifying everything look as right as it could in the few short moments of life changing decisions. Potter had excepted fate for to long. It was time to make a change. As the flight confermation page displays accross his screen, no time like the present, he hits "Enter" as his printer kicks on spitting out a few sheets of paper. A new life, a life of adventure, no more standing idley by as the world moves ahead without him. Poter was going to make his dreams a reality, sink or swim, no looking back. Taking a moment to except his new fate he stands up from his desk graving the papers from the printer as he heads down the hall to his supervisors office.

"Mike you have a moment? " Potter ask standing in his doorway.

"Sure" he responds, " take a seat and tell me whats on your mind"

Closing the door behind him he takes a seat.

His mind racing as the decision had been festering for months past but acyions taking on a new finality. A few moments later the door opens as Potter steps out. A smile stretched accross his face, the excitement of a new future before him. His two weeks notice excepted. Potter was going to move forward at all cost. Standing in the halway he takes a breath and once again looking at the paper in his hands. A one way yicket to Bangkok Thailand. The destination of his new start. Potter had excepted fate, resigning from his secssful position in an astablished firm for what? To sell everything he owns and travel the world, early retirement. The life long dream becoming a reality. Taking one last look he moves forward, putting on foot infront of the other.

The next few weeks flew by. He had given himself enough time to make the nesisary arangements needed. His daughter was to head off to college, the doorm life, the fallowing month. His flight out of LAX the month after. The sale of his home was in the final stages of escrow dollowing his divorice. The time was right, over the next few weeks things went smoothly. The sale of his house enabled him to pay off all there debt. With $10K in the bank he assumed he could manage a few clients remotly. Not wanting to burn any bridges with his life changing decission.

Potter had downsized his intire 38 years of life into a single 38L Ospray travel pack, the maximum size for cary on, consisting of a few pairs of cloths, camera, laptop and a few other odds and ends. His pack sitting at 30 lbs. Having camped and hiked much of his life he was satisfied with the weight. But this was everything he owned, all packed into one bag, a sureal moment. The die was cast, a new chapter unwritten.

Potter sat there in the LAX departure terminal. Everything he owned beside him. The time had arived, his departure eminant as the stewartess makes final call for boarding. He stands, palms a bit clamy, liffing his pack to his sholders he moves forward passport and ticket in hand. Passing it to the attendant, she smiles and scans the boarding pass handing it back. He walks forward uncertain of what his future holds. The new journey ahead of of him, his comino. Stepping forward he crosses the threshold of the loading bay. Making his way down the ramp, threw the air lock door of the Bowing 747. The stewartess directing him to his seat next to the window, mid way down the isle. Securing his pack into the overhead compartment above. He takes his seat, staring out the window he ponders his life decisions. Was it the right one? Only time would tell.

They close the airlock door. The fasten seatbelt indicator light predicting there departure. The captin giving instructions over the intercom. Next stop Bangkock Thailand. As the plain begins to lift off he piers out the window watching the lights of Los Angeles along the vast coast of California fade away. Potter leans back in his seat, excitement and nerviousness incirciling his being. Closing his eyes he fades into the adventure of his thoughts, next stop Bangkock.

Potter a bit excentric in his actions has a couriosity for the abandond. An abnormal craving to venture into restricted areas. Locations condemed, sealed off from the world. The beauty of nature reclaiming its rightful position as concrete and plaster disolve under the weight of time. The growth of reclaiming nature as it refuses to hinder to the restrictions man placed on it. Paved over with concrete and assfault the foundations of this earth. Soil beneath always searching for a way out. The beauty of new life as it finds a way past. Its growth hindered but never restrained. He admired the simple seed. Sitting dormant until the ideal conditions arise. Launching it into advancement. A sprout unseen, unknoticed. From the soil it rises. The simplest of needs, sun and water, unlimited in life yet restricted to so many. Poter White asimulates the similarities to himself. Awair of his many flaus of his humanity. A normal sinful man in the eyes of others and his self. His beliefe his own, his failures on display. A speck of dust in the sight of God. A grain of sand on this earth he created. Potter is not a good man there is no indifference to his perspective of those around him. There race or religion unimportant to the person they may be. There care for others his only concern. Survival a driving force. The necisity to see and touch this world with the palms of his hands. The moment enough, his future, his pourpous simple. Face all fears and move forward. Good, bad no difference to him in a world of ever growing gray lines. Divided by the perspective of hypocritic men. A consencus of the times. Raised in a family of devided loyalties, his parents religious yet the same deviding line of stark differences. Raised in the christian church his faith in God and the bible alone. The preacher a stain on this earth in his eyes. His mother like any other caring for her children amist a life of strife and poverty. Doing the best she can against all oposition. Potters soules father a dictator without an empire caring on the brutal abuse from past generations. The bible his crutch as he confesses " spare the road spoil the child" durring his daily beatings. His twisted definition of love displayed in his actions as his lips quote the bible from memory. Inflicting pain with every blow, the wipping of a belt against the bare flesh. The words " if you move ore flish youll get more". His faithers religion hidden behind closed doors. Convencing himself of his justification as he states " this is not abuse because im not burning you" as his mother did to him, placing his hands on the hot stove as punishment. A relationship now severed in his adulthood. The only conection to there past his mother, a constant support in his life. A son always gratful for her continual persiverance as the soul provider. The strength to leave the septic marriage after 20 years. Braving a world always stacked against her. There relationship always close as years passed.

Potters numbness and calloused heart passed down from fauther to son as he began his own life after highschool. The unexpected birth of his daughter at 19. His first ex-wifes unfaithfulness and consiquintal pregnancy between Potters closest friend was additional mails in the coffin of his burried heart. Deep beneth the rejection of religious men, suposid mentors, espressing " your just not the person God wants to use". These are the realities of his past, the life he was leaving behind as he breaks the ties of the so called American dream. Leaving everything behind to start a new chapter. The demonds that fallow his ever so real.

The future bright as he opens his eyes. The flight atendant awaking him from his sleep. The fasten seatbelt sign iluminated for there decent. Bangkock Thailand, his starting point to a vast new unexplored world, Potters comino.