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Christopher Harding's avatar

Bad Ass indeed... I love this guy. And there are so many others -- visibily challenged and those whose wounds and trauma like just below the surface -- who have found purpose and on some level a certain type of redemption for the wounds they've suffered by serving in ways that are often unseen or unappreciated. What a remarkable display of tenancity and resilience. The city throws away his stumps and he goes out and gets patio furniture donated. That's a Bad Ass home run with the bases loaded!

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Rick Lewis's avatar

Thanks for the insightful and resounding words to celebrate this person with me Chris. I'm so glad to have his story rippling forward with such resonance.

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Simon Emslie's avatar

It takes a bad ass to recognise a bad ass. I love how your wife (and you) saw the importance of finding out Croc’s name. And I also love this insight: “it’s how you live, not where you live, that creates a sense of community.” To which I’d add, it’s not where people are in the world but how you make each other feel that fosters friendship.

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Rick Lewis's avatar

Love your add. Friendships formed in spirit eat distance for breakfast.

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Simon Emslie's avatar

Yes! Or blueberries and Greek yogurt. Sometimes a Boss Muffin from Boston Tea Party 😆

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Rick Lewis's avatar

Is this an official invitation? If so, I'm there!

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Simon Emslie's avatar

Of course! See you there next Friday?

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Kathy Ayers's avatar

Oh my gosh, so great. I love this version of “bad ass” you’ve laid out. In my mind, that term can conjure up the likes of Elon Empathy-is-Bad Musk. Kick ass, take no prisoners, crush those in your way.

This is an outrageously great story. Croc needs his own movie.

“What would Croc do?” He’d see their dumping of his stumps and raise it to patio furniture.

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Rick Lewis's avatar

Saw him again just this morning. The tables and chairs are gone already and he says he's working on a plan to get them back. : )

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Kathy Ayers's avatar

Croc for president.

You’ve captured his spirit with incredible writing. The power of storytelling is really sinking in. It’s not the actual experience but feels much the same.

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Rick Lewis's avatar

Sometimes it delivers more than the experience! Isn't writing how we discover the gifts we missed in the moment?

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Simon Emslie's avatar

The chairs and tables are gone already?! Delighted to hear Croc has a plan, but I hope he has another plan after that … those dastardly Parks Board officials sound pretty determined to maintain their role as the bad guys, not bad asses.

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Rick Lewis's avatar

Croc sleeps in a hammock in the woods and gets shit done. The bureaucrats sleep in feathered beds and undo it. : (

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Simon Emslie's avatar

That’s scandalous. It’s the kind of act that, if he were ever to be recognised, appreciated and celebrated by officialdom outside of the city, would likely be denied by the Parks Board as “something we’d never do.”

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Karl Krumins's avatar

This may be for me the most inspiring of your essays. The language that u use to frame it is interesting. to me this guy is taking responsibility for his corner of the world. Reminds me of what Krishna said to Arjuna about the upcoming battle that Arjuna was hesitant about - something like action belongs to you the results belong to me. Croc is a real warrior of the spirit.

Stepping back and looking at life it's all grist for the mill in that I and everything i've done will eventually have vanished as if it never happened, but we love anyway. I hear that what is done with or in love is immortal. That reminds me of a Carly Simon Song "Love is Eternal". perhaps my all time fav song.

Thanks for appreciating him and passing along this story.

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Rick Lewis's avatar

Thanks Karl. I like the Krishna story comparison, and yes, it rings resonant with that tale. I agree re him being a warrior of the spirit, and it's my pleasure to share the story of the way he is being. I listened to the song, and thanks for the update that it's called, Life is Eternal. A very buoyant and encouraging song indeed. "Love anyway," strikes me as a very good mantra to hold, both for old age and for the times we find ourselves in.

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Larry Urish's avatar

Croc, clearly a bad ass, has something that's far more important than a comfy bed and four walls: a sense of purpose. You illustrate that so beautifully in this essay.

And I agree with Simon, in terms of what really stood out: "It’s how you live, not where you live, that creates a sense of community."

You and Croc both benefit by knowing each other, and I'm glad to get to know him through your writing.

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Rick Lewis's avatar

Yes, that sense of purpose is the real gold for sure. I suspect there are a few people who would give up their own 4 walls to find it, which perhaps is what the phrase think outside of the box is all about. You don't literally have to be homeless, but we have to sacrifice the safety of the old home of our attention to find a new focus of residency for our spirit.

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Karl Krumins's avatar

the last line of your response is really cool. Is it a metaphor?

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Rick Lewis's avatar

Thanks Karl. It's just what came out of exploring the idea of what a traditional home is and expanding that to think about the "assemblage point" of our attention is, to borrow from Castenada.

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The Orpanage HQ - Tara's avatar

This is bad ass and inspiring. I'm gonna start asking myself what Croc would do too. Because he clearly gets it!! Thank you for sharing both of your stories and giving my heart a little Jumpstart before my coffee started kicking in ❤️ and next time you see him let him know...while he doesn't know me I have mad respect for him.

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Rick Lewis's avatar

I will pass along your enthusiastic regards! Thanks for the comment.

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Linda Kaun's avatar

Oh I like this idea... you could gather comments from your readers and let him know how much we admire him. He may very well shrug it off... but still I bet he'd be touched to know how much He has touched us all.

With that in mind, please tell Croc that his big heart and take-action never-give-up energy inspire me half way around the world in Bali, Indonesia. Thank You Croc for being who you are!

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Rick Lewis's avatar

I feel perhaps your sentiment will have to be entrusted to the subtle network of goodness he operates in and we can safely assume he will imbibe it from the ethers. A direct report of faraway people appreciating him in a online community will likely be incomprehensible, but I'll try to let him know anyway, in case it translates.

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Linda Kaun's avatar

Sure, I totally understand what you're saying here. And perhaps the gathering of the comments was more for us than him in a way. His big-heart energy is rippling outward in any case, perhaps inspiring us to do the same.

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Rick Lewis's avatar

I think writing in all its forms, including comments, change us imperceptibly, a little at a time. It's the little bit of work we do to move toward the inspiration or subject matter of what we appreciate.

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Lissa Lockard's avatar

Thank you for sharing such a wonderful story of value💕

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Rick Lewis's avatar

Thank you Lissa. It's my pleasure. Looks like you are just starting your own writing and storytelling adventure. How's it going?

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Lissa Lockard's avatar

I began Substack following my daughter Natalie, she’s the writer. I started working with The SpeakEasy Method with Gregg Gonzales to write for myself and my kids a sort of memoir mainly to document. It’s hard work facing your past on paper but I’m learning I should be proud of my scars and realize they are valuable lessons not just for me.

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Rick Lewis's avatar

Wow, way to go having the courage to look at a challenging past square on, and what a gift to your daughter and your kids to record your experience and stand on the shoulders of them rather than being dragged behind them.

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Bob Gilbreath's avatar

Two groups, doing what they think is best for the park. Maybe you can somehow connect them?

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Rick Lewis's avatar

Yes, that would be the highest form of serving in this situation. Need to keep looking for openings for that.

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Carson Weitnauer's avatar

So often we let fear keep us from love. Thanks for another great story!

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Rick Lewis's avatar

That is for sure the simple truth Carson. May courage bless us with its presence in the moments that count.

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Rachel Parker's avatar

Rick, thank you for sharing this. I love how Croc just did the thing without permission, without an audience, just a deep sense of what was needed and a commitment to show up. That kind of values-driven action, especially in the face of indifference or dismissal, is a rare kind of leadership. I’ll be carrying this story with me!

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Rick Lewis's avatar

Thanks Rachel. I'm very glad his example is resonating and inspiring others. That was the hope.

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CansaFis Foote's avatar

…so one night in some redneck redwood town near santa cruz my wife and i stumbled out of the local brewery to walk the streets home to a creekside backyard we were tenting in…two teens whistled to us and asked if we could help them move a 20 foot redwood log…we didn’t think twice “of course”…a block and a half later an apple red pickup truck screeched onto the sidewalk in front of us, the kids dropped the log and ran, and a seething pregnant woman and three PBR looking cowboys jumped out…”what are you doing stealing from Jonny” she shouted…”i’m sorry we are from out of town and those kids just asked for our help” i squeamishly mumbled…”you’re from out of town and stealing from jonny, that’s worse”…she took two of the three sleeveless Joe’s back to the truck to whisper scream and point at us while the third burly dude came up to us softly and said “i believe you have no idea what you just did, but that’s not going to matter to her, i suggest you run as fast as you can and hide until you can find a way to sneak out of town”…instructions we followed and for the next two hours we dodged the roaming honking lights of that apple red pickup while ducking for cover in backyard bushes until we made it back to the creek and prayed we weren’t seen or followed by anyone else…not sure why your story made me remember that but there ya go…my favorite lesson from your yarn is to not call anyone homeless guy or gal…if we adopted that ethos as a society i think we could get a whole lot closer to giving the assistance this ever growing class of citizen deserves…especially relevant give recent government decisions…good on you dude…

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Rick Lewis's avatar

Wow, that's a harrowing tale. Thanks for sharing it. I too found this part of my story the most meaningful and was grateful to my partner for putting her finger on the unconscious pattern in my perception and thinking, which translated to how I was being. Learning Croc's name and relating to the actual person more directly shifted both me and him.

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Becky Isjwara's avatar

you both are badasses

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Rick Lewis's avatar

: ) thanks Becky

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Maryan Pelland Pen2Profit's avatar

I loved this. What a great way to gently share a good lesson inside a great story.

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Rick Lewis's avatar

Thank you Maryan. The story/insight combo is my favorite thing to write.

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