Her Name Was Rachel

Her name was Rachel. She had brown hair, and she danced with fire in her eyes.

“Hey come dancing with me tonight,” Taylor said. Taylor was one of my best friends. We had known each other since early elementary school, first or second grade. It had been some time since we'd gone dancing.

“Come on, it will be a blast,” he said.

“I don't know,” I replied. I really didn't feel like going out, let alone going dancing. Lately I hadn't really gone out much to do anything. I had been avoiding social gatherings. For no reason really, I just felt like being aloof.

“Come on. What else are you going to do?” he asked. And that was the problem. I'd been avoiding social gatherings for too long. I didn't have a liable excuse, I couldn't say no.

“I guess so,” I replied.

“Great,” he said. “I'll see you tonight”.

The music was blasting, lights were flashing, and I really didn't feel like dancing. But I was there and I couldn't just abandon Taylor. If I left he would leave too, and that would ruin his night. We had been standing on the outskirts of a mob of people, supposedly dancing. Mostly it was a few girls dancing with a bunch of guys standing around them. It reminded me of Jr. High dances. Taylor looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and waded into the mob. Inside I groaned, but my feet followed Taylor.

Before I go any farther I need to explain how I dance. Typically it starts in my fingers. It is almost like a twitch. A highly contagious twitch. It goes from my fingers into my arms, through my torso, and down through my toes. I call it static. From that moment rarely do my body parts mesh into a fluid motion. My feet will be doing one thing, my arms another. Most people find it intimidating or weird. But they are just jealous. I am a chameleon. I get up in your face and wag my tushy all over the place. In short, I let loose.

At first I had a hard time finding my groove. The music just wasn't working, and I had a hard time letting go. But as the night wore on I started feeling that twitch. Before I knew it I was dancing and having a blast. I guess it was the same for most everyone there, because about he the time I found my groove, other people started to dance too. Nobody was just standing around any more.

I was doing my thing. Weaving in and out of sweaty bodies, busting my moves. Just having a good time. Because of my “eccentric dance style” not many girls can keep up. But she could. I wasn't really paying attention until Taylor shoved me into her. As our eyes met she smiled and busted a move in my face. It was a straight up challenge. I went to work. I'd swerve left, flick right, get low, go high, pull a fireman, then an apple picker, I even threw in the ping-pong player. She stuck with it. Every move I had she had a move to match. Before we could finish our dance off the crowd pushed and shoved and tore us apart.

After that I went back to the usual, dancing as I pleased. But I kept finding myself drawn in her direction. Every time we met, she would bust a move, I would answer. I would bust a move, she would answer. It was a never ending battle. And before a winner was decided the crowd would separate us.

To emphasis the fact that it felt like a Jr. High dance, they played half a dozen slow songs throughout the night. I sat out the first one. By the second one I had already had two dance offs with that girl, and I decided I'd like to dance a slow song with her. But by the time I found her she already had a partner, so I sat that one out too. When the third one came along and she was dancing with some other guy again I decided to take a restroom break. The fourth one was like all the others before it, she was already taken. I decided then that there were a lot of girls that were dancing that needed a partner, so I moved on. I ended up dancing with a girl that was in Graduate school studying manufacturing. I wish I had had windshield wipers on my face, because she showered me in spittle. Learning from my mistake I skipped the slow song.

As the sixth one came on, and the DJ announced that it would be the last song of the night, I knew I had to find that girl. I shoved through the crowd, hoping to find her before some other guy did. I saw her standing to the side, not dancing. Woohoo. I was going to get to dance with her. Just then another guy stepped in front of me and asked her to dance. I dejectedly danced with some other girl.

The lights switched on, the music switched off. Everyone moved towards the exits. As I was exiting I saw her again. Our eyes met and she walked towards me.

“You're a fun dancer,” she said.

“Ya, you're fun too,” I said. “My name is Zac”.

“Nice to meet you, I'm Rachel,” she replied.

“Well have a good night,” I said.

“You too,” she replied. And with that we walked our separate ways.

Thinking back, I wish I had asked for her number. But I didn't. If my life were a movie, I would meet her again. Its not so I probably won't. But I can't help looking for those fire filled eyes.

After a cold blistery week the weather finally cleared out. Maybe that is why thousands of people gathered together on a sage brush strewn hillside. Or maybe it was static electricity sizzling between minds, calling for a mass gathering. For me personally, it was the witch burning. It isn't every day that you get to see a witch burned at the stake. I can only think of a few times in history that such a magnificent event took place, Joan of Ark and the Salem witch trials. (I don't count the movie "The Monty Python and the Holy Grail" because I can't remember if they burned the witch or not). Anyways, I went for the witch. Because of the immense amount of traffic on normally deserted streets, my friends and I parked a mile away and hitched a ride in the back of a Chevy pick-up. As we looked upon the hill, a loud cheer erupted along with a mushroom cloud of swirling colors. We were late, the burning had begun.

Through a dark pink haze I snaked through the crowd. "Where had they gone?" The sticky mass of human flesh surged around me. "Where had they gone?" Frantically I searched the passing, chalk plastered faces for my friends. Somewhere behind me, a body had been torn screaming from the mass and heaved across the top. I saw the poor girl kicking and screaming as she was passed above the crowd. A hand burst from the mass, plucking off one of her shoes. "Give that back!" She screamed. Other hands burst from the crowd, grasping for her remaining shoe. Trying to protect it she began to kick her legs. One of her flailing legs whacked my head. In her attempt to save her shoe, she lost the support of the crowd and was dropped head first onto the ground. I reached down and pulled her up. "Thanks" she mouthed before she was swept away in the writhing mass.

Magic

Most people assume magic is a primitive concept with no true foundation. These people are wrong. Magic is all around. When a person writes and then performs a song, that is magic. When an artist creates artwork, that is magic. When an accountant crunches numbers, that is magic. Magic is not confined to an imaginary world. It is all around us. The way butterflies float through the sky on warm days or the way a stream flows over rock, that is magic. When light reflects off of a mirror, that is magic. I believe magic to be those moments in life when time stands still and your spirit is at peace. Its a calm, soothing sensation that clears the mind and eases pain. Magic inspires and it does not have boundaries. Every person has their own source of magic. Sometimes the magic of two people can intertwine, this is when lifelong memories are created. The key to finding magic is letting go of skepticism. when you open your mind and heart your eyes open too.

An Ocean of Gold

I have a dream. In this dream I'm walking through a field of wheat. The sun shimmers from above; leaving its reflection on the wheat. Each step I take makes the field sway like an ocean of gold. I stretch out my arms with the my palms of my hands down. They brush along the surface. A cooling sensation creeps from my fingertips all the way up my arm and into my spine. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. This must be like heaven. Just then I feel a sharp pain in my left hand. I open my eyes and look. A thin slice runs from one side of the palm to the other. I watch a drop of blood ooze and then fall. Staining the beautiful gold wheat below. Then I wake up.

Idleness

Movement.
My feet need movement.
Soft grass, hard cement, hot asphalt.
The whispering wind between my toes.
Something new with every step;
Like electricity hovering in a cloud.
My feet need movement.
And so does my heart.

The Greatest Game Ever Played: Comeback, Comeback to Me

In the world today there is good, and there is evil. Occasionally the good has to take a stand against evil. Last night I took my stand. I decided to make my stand at Trafalga's miniature golf course. Unsuspecting to the rest of the world, a fight ensued that held their fate in it's hands. Evil scum suckers aka Miles and Elisa decided to surface from their wasteland of doom to reap havoc on the innocent bystanders playing golf that night. To aid them in their terror and destruction they called Kenny the terrible smelling Ogre from G-land and Iva the Snow Queen from the Great North. After I heard of this evil plot I knew I couldn't stand by and watch. I needed to face these despicable foes in a battle to the death. But 4 against 1 was Hopeless. I knew I would need help, so I enlisted a sidekick from the land of Cheese. 4 against 2 has Hope. Together we fought. It was a terrible fight. Gushing, oozing, refuse flowed from their mouths. Darkness swept in, blocking out the light. Just before they vanquished me for good, I saw a beautiful sliver of light. I knew then that no matter what the consequences were, I had to defeat these evil organisms. I grabbed onto Hope and battled back. Blood, guts, sweat, and blood flowed like a river. In the end light prevailed. I sent those scum sucking toads and their allies back to their underworld of waste. Today the sun shines.

I should have said

Sometimes it takes the loss of a loved one to realize how much they meant and how much we should have said while they were here. I am no exception. Today I would like to remember Kaleb Joseph Ostraff. He was my brother, but he was much, much, more than a brother. Kaleb was my best friend. Shortly before he left us, Kaleb and I had the opportunity to talk. While we were talking we happened upon a few choice memories. One of these memories was playing with toy cars in Tonga. We spent hours pushing our cars through the dirt. I could play anything with Kaleb. He made everything more exciting. This last summer Kaleb and I had the opportunity to travel the United Kingdom together. We had yum yums in York, and we ate haggis in Scotland. In Bath we wrote poetry, and in London we explored the back alleys. I can honestly say I couldn't ask for a better travelling companion. Along with some great memories Kaleb left me with a great example. He has always been a good example to me. It is assumed that the older brother is the one to set an example. It wasn't that way with us. During one of our trips to Tonga my parents told me to go take a bath. I really didn't want to. The bath water was cold and I hated taking baths. I argued with my parents and was throwing a fit. Then Kaleb stood up, grabbed a towel, threw it over his shoulder and said, "Come on Zac, I'll Teach you how to be a man." To close I would like to say what I should have said to Kaleb.

You are the best brother I could ask for. As you know I didn't start talking until I was three. I'm pretty sure I started talking then because I had you to talk to. You've always been there for me. We have had some wonderful adventures. We have also had some pretty awful adventures. But I couldn't think of anyone else that I would rather have a bum adventure with. You are one of the few people that could and would laugh at my jokes. Your example gives me strength. Because of you I've realized I have to believe in Hope. I love you. I will always keep your spirit close to my heart. Remember its all about the Whakapapa. Last but not least, don't get into a strangers car to pet their dog or to try their crystal raspberries.

Hopefully I can live my life in a way that honors Kalebs example and life. I love my brother and always will.