A Life with a View

Why Gutter Vista? It's not nearly as depressing or deranged as it may sound. Gutter Vista is meaningful to me metaphorically as it relates to many experiences in and out of the gutter. I have had periods in my life when all I could feel was the dank slime on my face of the wet,vile gutter. This unhappy circumstance was accompanied by the distinct sensation of a foot applying firm pressure to the back of my head.

We all go through difficult periods. But, for many years of my life, the gutter was all there was. Every time something tragic in my life would dissipate or some wrong right itself, I would lift my grimy, hope-filled face to glimpse, anything, anything other than gutter. But, before I could adjust to the light, focus or in any other way, emerge from my sub-troll existence, the foot was back and often sporting some new spurs.

In recent years, my life has improved. I have long, uneventful periods of peace and happiness. I also have gutter days. I say days because it isn't a true gutter experience if it doesn't go on longer than we think we can bear.

When I do emerge, I find my gutter days are more productive and formative than any others. Comfort and ease are not memorable teachers. Misery and hopelessness, they are remarkable, talented and tenured teachers.

Were I to provide a litany of my misfortunes; time spent in the brilliant presence of misery and hopelessness, an accounting of my glory days in the gutter, I would bore myself, and worse, you. I don't want to do that.

I hope as my comedic/tragic life chugs along, you will come to understand my view from the gutter. There are worse views. Believe me.