Missoula Rabble, I knew if I ever ran into Donnie I'd have to ask him to be in the rabble. Donnie serves drinks as well as his ears to many lost Missoula souls at one of it's best known watering holes. "They tell me I'm the face of Flippers," he said. Donnie has worked at the bar for 16 years. "People get to let there stuff out here," he said. "I hear all the stories, young and old." He says he hasn't gotten sick of the drunk sob story yet. "I still like to listen. I can't judge. I've been there, too."
Galan hitchhiked all the way to Missoula from Florida with a person he just met on the beach. "He asked me to go to Montana," he said. "I could tell he'd give me attributes and things I wanted so I thought it'd be a good idea." They camped the whole way here. When I asked Galan about his troubles along the way he dropped a scripture from the bible that says, "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers..." I asked him what it meant. "We don't fight people. Your enemy are those that are possessing the people."
Jason and Aurelia call themselves traveling vaudevillians. Vaudeville was variety show entertainment at the turn of the century like juggling, acrobatics, magicians and music. They dressed in steampunk garb and had a variety of instruments before them. The two are partners and work as traveling street musicians. Jason explained the difficulties the pair have had competing against panhandlers and street kids in Missoula. "You're witnessing something authentic when you watch us," he said. When they aren't traveling street musicians, Jason works on an organic farm and Aurelia teaches circus arts. "We are committed to a creative lifestyle that allows us to be who we are," Aurelia said.
Marlo and I got to talking about hair. She shaved her head 7 years ago and her boyfriend at the time broke up with her. "When I shaved my head he was't attracted to me anymore," she said. Marlo studied abroad in Malta years ago and met two Kenyan women who wore wraps around their heads. "I think it's admirable in a culture that removes that element," she said. "That it was more about the connection with how they looked you in the eyes." We talked about different hair styles, dyes, and cuts and how much emphasis people can put on someone's hair. Marlo says her current cut she named the "poomboom," shorty, flowy, and shaved on one side. "Ultimately, I dont want [hair] to be what expresses who I am."
Brian is a hunter and a mountain climber. He almost lost his life this past winter ice climbing alone up Holland Peak of the Swan Range in Montana. "I had to perform self arrest," he told me. He explained to me self arrest is when a climber falls down a snow or ice slope and sticks an ice axe into the slope and maneuvers his body in such a way he can hang from the axe to avoid falling down the mountain. He made it, as you can see.
I found Brett, 26, sitting on a skateboard, eating a Jimmy Johns sandwich as music blasted from his headphones wrapped around his neck. He recently moved to Missoula after being stuck in Great Falls for five years for legal reasons. He was spray painting graffiti on churches and got himself into trouble. He currently plays drums in a two-man grindcore band called Grunt. "People either really love us or really hate us," he said. "I can't tell."
Meet Pepper Wilson. I was putting gas in my car when I saw her stroll by on Higgins Street. It took effort to get her attention and when I did she told me I must have caught her daydreaming followed with laughter. Pepper was more than excited about my project. She immediately started to tell me about a fashion show she's going to be in for Betty's Divine. I asked her how old she was and she told me 85. Shocked, I asked her how she manages to look so good. "I don't know what I do'" she said. "I'm just lucky." Pepper moved here 21 years ago from New Jersey. She became a widow at 49 and retired shortly after. That's when she decided to move here. "Once I became independent I told myself it's time to do what I want. So I moved out here and do whatever I want to do."
Missoula Rabble, Yuriko moved here 11 years ago from Hokkaido, Japan. She knew very little English. "I knew enough to communicate," she told me. Yuriko's first and only job in Missoula has been at Sushi Hana. She started as a dishwasher and is now the head sushi chef. "I like making sushi so that's why I keep doing it." Straightforward enough. She told me she also likes working there because of the people. "They're fun to be around," she said. "They are real, honest people."
Missoula Rabble, Carol was confident, cute, and content sitting in her chair next to her booth this morning. She has been selling her jewelry and knitted materials for the past 5 years now. What was once a pastime hobby turned into a job because she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a syndrome that causes long-term body pain, while pursuing a graduate degree in social work. "Between [fibromyalgia] and everything else, I had to quit," she said. "I could work but I couldn't be dependable." She started selling her crafts to pay the bills. "It's called making ends meet," she told me. Carol is a woman of strong faith and told me that is what keeps her strong. "I try to give something to someone every market," she said. "It's a way to give back."
Missoula Rabble, This man is an inspiration. As soon as I saw him
walk into the gym this morning, I knew I had to approach him. Erwin
Byrnes works out three days a week at 6:30am. He turns 85 next month.
"I've come down with Parkinson's and its been an ongoing battle," he
said. "If you don't workout at my age you lose your ability to do a lot
of things." Erwin retired as a property manager and also worked as a
school teacher and administrator for many years. He refereed local
football and basketball games for 38 years and said he has always
prioritized his health.
Missoula Rabble, Mackenzie, 30, saved Canner's life. Canner was a severely neglected horse, terrified of anything people, and was considered a "lost cause." Mackenzie adopted Canner before he could be put down and has worked with him for a few years now. "He can still get antsy, but he's nowhere near where he used to be," he said. "I can chase him around and it isn't the end of the world." Mackenzie is a dog trainer and a certified poet. He has an interesting view on how poetry and animal training can overlap. Almost so brilliant I hate paraphrasing it. But I will try. He said a good poem can make him change how he sees something he's already seen before. He said you can do that for an animal, too. All said, this guy is a very passionate person. He really cares for these animals. Check out the live web cam at the Dunrovin Ranch to watch Mackenzie work with the animals. You'll surely be impressed.
Missoula Rabble, Clay, 41, retired
from the military last October and has been growing his beard out since.
"I haven't been able to grow a beard for 20 years," he said. I
couldn't pass this beard up. I'm sorry. He sported beard tails
and zebras with wings flying around the word Z-Bird on his shirt. He's
clearly a cool guy. He was taking El Cazador carry out home to his
family when I caught him. Clay is currently working on getting his
degree in energy technology and paints for work during the summer.
Missoula Rabble, Mike, who informed me he's "old enough to know better," is a member of the Montana Libertarian Party. He caught my eye at the grocery store tonight. He had a raggedy salt and pepper beard, wore a red shirt tucked into his forest green pants, and topped it off with a felt hat that had a red, white and blue Libertarian bumper sticker stuck on front of it. He told me he campaigns for individuals rights to their freedom of liberties. They're preparing for the upcoming election currently. "We're selecting candidates right now." He's been living in Missoula since the 80s and campaigning with this group for the past 5 years.
Missoula Rabble, James, 17, has been skating for the past 8 years, "but I'm more known for my art than skating," he said. James wants to be an artist and described his art as cosmic and trippy. "It's something you'd have to see. I can't really describe it to you," he told me. James is in high school currently but isn't sure if it's the place for him. "School doesn't teach me about enlightenment or the spirit," he said. "What they are teaching me in there isn't preparing me for much. I feel like it's all a bunch of lies."
Missoula Rabble, Matt has been working for the carnival for the past 30 years. He is 50. He told me about a time when a ferris wheel almost fell over with people on it because of a storm. "A lot like tonight," he told me. Matt says he likes this life. "It's the life for me," he said. "I am a good guy but not because I have to be."
Missoula Rabble, Cara Gravagno, 22, is a tough chick. I was honestly intimidated to approach her because of her fighter physique and technique in kickboxing today. Turns out she is very sweet and just happens to know how to hit a bag. "This is my cardio," she told me. She is a small town Montana girl who got into kickboxing last year. She only trains now, but has dabbled with the thought of getting in the ring. "I at least know I could handle a fight if I had to, but there's always someone a little tougher than you."
